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Brandon Polizzi and the Vancouver Canadians may have played their final game at Nat Bailey Stadium in 2018.

C's RecapThe final regular season home game of 2018 for the Vancouver Canadians was nothing short of a disaster.  The C’s disappointed the sold-out crowd of 6,413 as they were pounded by the Everett AquaSox 9-3 at Nat Bailey Stadium Friday afternoon. The loss combined with Spokane’s come-from-behind victory in Tri-City Friday night means whoever wins two of three between Spokane and Vancouver at Avista Stadium this weekend will go to the playoffs.

Vancouver starter Randy Pondler threw a first-pitch strike but it all went downhill from there. Charlie McConnell watched four pitches miss the strike zone for a leadoff walk. The first sign it was not going to be Vancouver’s day was when Pondler had McConnell picked off but McConnell was still able to get to second as Nick Podkul could not hold on to the throw from Jake Brodt at first. Northwest League All-Star Bobby Honeyman would later single up the middle with one out to score McConnell with the first run. Josh Stowers preceded Honeyman’s base hit with a walk and would later tag up and score on a Ryan Garcia sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Frogs.

Pondler looked to be settling in after retiring the last two hitters of the first inning and the first two batters of the second. It looked like he was going to retire the side in order when he induced McConnell to hit a routine ground ball to second but Nick Podkul booted it and that extended the inning. Matt Sanders doubled home McConnell and Stowers followed with another two-base hit to score Sanders with Everett’s fourth run. Honeyman reached on an infield single that deflected off Brodt at first base and that was the end of the line for Pondler. Fitz Stadler—who was warming up in the bullpen during the first inning—was brought into to get the final out of the second.

Stadler got into a jam in the third by loading up the bases with one out. McConnell singled to center to bring home a Ryan Garcia double while a fielding miscue by Brandon Polizzi allowed a Ryan Ramiz walk to score. Stadler got a comebacker to the mound from Sanders and attempted to start a double play at second but he threw the ball into center field to allow a Troy Dixon single to cross home plate with Everett’s seventh run.

Everett would rack up two more runs in the eighth by loading the bases against Juan Nunez. Will McAffer entered the game and surrendered a three-run double to Garcia that plated singles by Stowers and Honeyman and walk by Ryne Ogren.

The Canadians finally responded with a run in the eighth when Otto Lopez doubled home a Jesus Severino double with two outs against Noah Zavolas.

Vancouver got two more runs in the ninth when McGregory Contreras singled up the middle with two away to score a Tanner Kirwer base hit after Kirwer was balked to second by Zavolas. Contreras then raced home on a Severino double to center. Hunter Steinmetz tried to extend the rally but he was thrown out by Sanders at short by a half-step for the game’s final out.

Cody Brown pitched five shutout innings for Everett to collect the win after the rehabbing Hisashi Iwakuma put up two scoreless frames to begin the game.

Joey Pulido turned in Vancouver’s best pitching performance with shutout innings in the fifth and sixth.

Vancouver Canadians Griffin Conine

Griffin Conine had two hits against Everett Friday afternoon.

C-Notes

C's NotesThe C’s only managed a Tanner Kirwer walk in the second inning off Iwakuma but Kirwer was doubled off when Ramiz ran one down in right field and threw to first to complete a 9-3 play.

Jesus Severino would also rap into another twin-killing after Contreras drew a leadoff walk in the third. Podkul and Conine had one-out singles in the fourth but that went for naught. Conine had a leadoff hit in the seventh but nothing else came of it.

Brodt appeared to injure his wrist when he tried to dive for a ball at first base in the middle innings. He would eventually give way to Sterling Guzman at first base in the seventh inning. Hunter Steinmetz entered the game to play center field for Polizzi to begin the eighth inning.

Vancouver Canadians Reilly Johnson

Reilly Johnson almost made an appearance on the mound for Vancouver Friday.

Reilly Johnson came in to pinch-run for Podkul after he was plunked on the top of the helmet by Zavolas in the eighth inning. Podkul had missed time with a concussion earlier this season. Johnson remained in the game at second base. After seeing time behind the plate and in the outfield, Johnson was warming up in the bullpen to try to give the overworked C’s bullpen a break but that plan went out the window. McAffer had to pitch a second inning as a result. Catcher Matt Morgan had to pitch an inning last season during the Hillsboro Horror Show.

There were some decent defensive plays from Vancouver in the fifth. Conine limited Dixon to a single after his blast off the right field, Kirwer made a nice diving catch on a sinking liner from McConnell and Brodt did a nice job to corral a high throw at first from Severino at third and land on the first base bag in time to retire Sanders to end the fifth.

Pondler was roughed up for four runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks with one strikeout over 1-2/3 innings. Stadler stranded his two inherited runners but surrendered three runs (two earned) on three hits and and a walk while recording two strikeouts. Pulido got around a hit and two walks and struck out one to record two scoreless frames. Nunez was charged with the other two runs on two hits and two walks with one strikeout in 1-1/3 innings. McAffer could only strand one of the three runners he inherited but did not give up any runs of his own over 1-2/3 innings and struck out a pair.

Guzman got a bad break when he hit a ball off the rear end of Zavolas to begin the ninth but it still deflected to Sanders at short and he helped a complete a 1-6-3 play.

Conine and Severino had two hits apiece with Severino getting two doubles. Kirwer and Contreras had a hit and a walk. Lopez and Podkul had base hits. The C’s had eight hits, two walks and a hit by pitch but went down on strikes 14 times. They were 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded six men on base.

A pregame ceremony was held to celebrate the C’s award winners during the season.

The team conitnued its annual tradition of having all the players sing the national anthem during the regular season home finale.

The C’s have announced their starting rotation for the final regular season series in Spokane. Josh Winckowski (4-4, 2.43), Elio Silva (3-3, 3.69) and Sean Wymer (4-3, 5.01) will get the ball Saturday, Sunday and Monday respectively. Saturday and Monday’s games start at 6:30 pm while Sunday’s contest at Avista Stadium is set for 3:30 pm. Rob Fai will have all the action on CanadiansBaseball.com.

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Published by Niall O'Donohoe

My name is Niall O’Donohoe and I am an avid follower of baseball. My blog beginnings began in 2007 with Batter’s Box under the alias #2JBrumfield. The blog formerly known as Niall On Baseball, C’s Plus Baseball strives to deliver plus coverage of the C’s through photos, observations and interviews of the players striving to make it to the major leagues. If you like what you see here, please spread the word about CsPlusBaseball.ca through your favourite social media platform. This blog began just before the C's championship season in 2017 and the goal is to deliver awesome content about Canada’s only affiliated professional minor league baseball club. Thanks a million for being here!

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