Riley Tirotta was responsible for getting the first four Canadians runs home, including a three-run home run in the first inning.
The Vancouver Canadians completed an eight-game road trip with a 6-2 record thanks to an 8-3 victory over the Tri-City Dust Devils at Gesa Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The C’s went to work on Dust Devils starter Landon Marceaux in the first inning. Addison Barger got the first hit of the game with a one-out single to right and went to second a wild pitch. P.K. Morris worked a four-pitch walk before Riley Tirotta took the next pitch over the right field fence for an opposite filed home run to put Vancouver ahead 3-0.
Barger ignited the next Canadians rally in the third. He singled up the middle and scampered to third on a Morris base hit to right. Tirotta got Barger home but it was at the cost of a 6-4-3 double play to make it 4-0.
Tri-City got its first run in the bottom half of the third against Vancouver starter Trent Palmer. Singles by Kyle Lovelace and Francisco Del Valle got the inning started before Kyren Paris dropped a double into right field to score Lovelace.
The Canadians responded with a four-run outburst in the fourth inning against Glenn Albanese Jr. A four-pitch walk to Miguel Hiraldo and another free pass to Davis Schneider started the trouble for Albanese. Andrés Sosa singled to left to load up the bases and Garrett Spain heard ball four to bring home Hiraldo. Barger would clear the bases with a three-run double to right after a nine-pitch at-bat
The Dust Devils chipped into the Vancouver lead in the bottom of the fourth. Mike Peabody reached on an error by left fielder Zach Britton after a miscommunication with Spain in center field. Jose Guzman then walked to chase Palmer from the game. Sean Mellen entered the game for the C’s and gave up a run-scoring single to Lovelace. Two fly balls from Del Valle and Kyle Kasser moved Guzman around the other 180 feet for the final run of the game.
C-Notes
Vancouver had at least one baserunner for the first four innings. Sosa was hit by a pitch in the second and Britton drew a two-out walk in the third to chase Marceaux from the game. Zac Kristofak was brought in to face Hiraldo but only threw one pitch as Britton was thrown out trying to steal second by Lovelace from behind the plate.
The Canadians had a chance to do more damage in their four-run fourth. Tirotta and Britton drew two more walks to load the bases against Emilker Guzman before Hiraldo flied out to end the inning.
Vancouver had two men aboard in the seventh when Tirotta reached on a fielding error at third and Britton walked but Dust Devils reliever Dylan King set down the next three batters in order.
Tirotta had the last Vancouver hit, a one-out double in the ninth against King. Barger led the hit parade with three. Morris and Sosa reached base twice with base hits with Morris drawing a walk and Sosa taking one for the team. Eight C’s got on base at least once with Britton hearing ball four three times and Hiraldo, Schneider and Span hearing it once.
Palmer had a 1-2-3 first inning and gave up a double in the second before running in trouble in the third. He lasted two-plus batters into the fourth, charged with one earned run out of three on four hits, a walk and a hit by pitch.
Sean Mellen allowed two inherited runners to score but tossed a one-hitter over two shutout frames to get the win, evening his record at 1-1. Mark Simon struck out two in a perfect sixth inning. Will McAffer issued a walk but stranded Kasser at second after a stolen base in a scoreless seventh. Thomas Ruwe walked the first man he faced but that erased when Sosa threw out Osmy Gregorio trying to swipe second. Ruwe then struck out the final two hitters. Jol Concepion struck out the first batter he faced enroute to a perfect ninth.
The Canadians were guaranteed a series victory after Saturday’s game was cancelled due to wet grounds but Sunday’s win gave them four out of five against the Dust Devils. The two teams will play a doubleheader the next time Vancouver heads to Pascoe for a seven-game set June 7-12.
Monty’s Mounties get Monday off before opening up their 2022 home schedule against the Eugene Emeralds Tuesday at Nat Bailey Stadium. Sem Robberse will throw the first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
All the best to Toronto Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez who is stepping away from the broadcast booth to battle cancer.
Former C’s play-by-play man Rob Fai was among the many on Twitter to express their support.
2011 Vancouver Canadians outfielder Kevin Pillar and 2019 C’s analyst Ricky Romero also expressed their best wishes to Martinez.
2017 Canadians lefthander Zach Logue and 2016 righty Zach Jackson both warmed up at the same time in the Oakland bullpen in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jackson got the call instead to get the final out of the eighth, leaving Logue still waiting to make his major league debut. Toronto got by Oakland 4-3 at the Dome Sunday afternoon.
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