The Vancouver Canadians gained a series split against the Everett AquaSox with a 13-10 win at Everett Memorial Stadium Sunday.
The AquaSox landed the first punch in the first inning when rehabbing Mariner Kyle Lewis hit a two-run home run to right field to score Noelvi Marte after he was plunked on a 1-2 pitch by Abdiel Mendoza.
The Canadians got their first run in the third inning when Steward Berroa worked a one-out walk against Bryce Miller and went to third on an Addison Barger double to left. Leo Jiménez brought Berroa home with a sacrifice fly to center.
Vancouver pushed ahead in the fifth when Glenn Santiago‘s leadoff walk was advanced to third on another Barger double to left. They would score on a Jiménez home run to center to put the C’s up 4-2.
Everett used the HBP/HR formula again to tie the game at 4-4 when Cole Barr was hit by Naswell Paulino‘s first pitch of the fifth inning before Marte homered to left-center.
The Frogs jumped ahead in the sixth when a Victor Labrada walk and singles by James Parker and Justin Lavey loaded the bases before Ty Duvall lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Labrada. Lavey was thrown out at second by Garrett Spain on a 9-6 putout to dampen that rally.
The C’s would retake the lead in the seventh against Leon Hunter Jr. A double to center by Hugo Cardona and a Berroa bunt single to the mound helped set up a double steal with Cardona coming home with the tying run. It looked like the rally would fizzle out when Barger struck out and Berroa was thrown out trying to steal third but Jiménez kept things going by walking on a 3-2 pitch. Damiano Palmegiani would also hear ball four before Zach Britton lined a double to right field to cash in Jiménez and Palmegiani to put Vancouver ahead 7-5. Tim Elliott took over for Hunter and his first pitch was taken over the fence in right field by Miguel Hiraldo for a two-run shot. Spain worked the count to ball four before Glenn Santiago, like Hiraldo, went to the opposite field with a two-run homer to right to give Vancouver a six-run cushion.
Everett answered Vancouver’s converted touchdown with a field goal in the seventh. Walks by Marte and Thomas started the frame before Rodriguez took Will McAffer deep to right-center to cut the C’s lead to 11-8.
Vancouver would add on against Peyton Alford in the eighth. Berroa singled to center and Barger walked with nobody out. Britton walked to load the bases before Hiraldo brought home Berroa and Barger with a two-run double to center.
Everett rallied in the ninth against Ryan Boyer with a leadoff single by Rodriguez and a two-run homer to right by Dariel Gomez but Boyer sat down the next three hitters to end the game.
C-Notes
Barger had three doubles and a walk while Berroa, Britton, Hiraldo, Santiago and Cardona all two-hit games. Hiraldo and Jiménez drove in four runs apiece while Britton and Santiago knocked home two apiece. Hiraldo hit his fifth homer of the year while Jiménez hit his third and Santiago collected his first dinger as a Canadian. Every Vancouver hitter was on base at least once with seven drawing a walk. Palmegiani had two free passes and Spain had one. Vancouver was 5-for-13 with six runners left on base in the runners in scoring position department.
Berroa was 2-for-3 in the stolen base department to give him 27 on the year. Cardona was 1-for-2 and is up to nine for the season.
Mendoza stranded a pair of runners in the first after Labrada reached base on an error by Palmegiani at first and Parker singled with two outs by striking out Lavey to hold the Frogs to two runs. A Lewis leadoff walk in the third was the last runner to reach base against Mendoza who tossed four innings of two-run ball on two hits, a walk and a plunk while striking out six.
Paulino was credited with the win after allowing three runs on three hits, two walks and a hit by pitch while whiffing one over two innings. McAffer gave up three runs on one hit and three walks with one punchout in one inning. Boyer was charged with two runs on three hits but struck out three over two innings.
The C’s return home Tuesday to begin a six-game series against the Hillsboro Hops. Nick Frasso is scheduled to make his Nat Bailey Stadium debut in a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. The game will be on CanadiansBaseball.com and MiLB.TV.
The C’s are 8-6 in the second half of the year, a half-game ahead of Eugene, Everett and Hillsboro.
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