The Vancouver Canadians were throttled 10-3 by the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League Championship Series in Game 1 at P.K. Park Monday.
The C’s scored the first run of the series when Dasan Brown hit a leadoff home run to center field off Carson Seymour.
The lead was short-lived when the Emeralds put together a one-out rally in the first. Luis Matos singled to left and stole second, Luis Matos walked and Hunter Bishop singled to right to load the bases. Andy Thomas then belted a grand slam to right off Abdiel Mendoza.
Eugene went back to work in the second when Damon Dues started the inning with a single to left and Hayden Cantrelle reached base on a fielding error by Miguel Hiraldo at second base. Grant McCray grounded out to first to advance the two runners into scoring position. Mendoza got Matos to pop out to second but Luciano doubled to left with two outs to score Dues and Cantrelle to boost the Emeralds lead to 6-1.
Brown hit his second home run of the night off Seymour to start the top of the third inning.
Brown’s homer was matched by a Dues leadoff dinger to right-center off Justin Kelly in the sixht inning. The Emeralds poured it on when Cantrelle walked, stole second base and went to third on a bunt single to third by McCray. Matos then delivered a two-run double center to drive in Cantrelle and McCray. Kelly got Luciano to ground out to third but a throwing error by Alex De Jesus at short on a ground ball by Hunter Bishop allowed Matos to score.
Damiano Palmegiani homered to left off Eugene reliever Brooks Crawford with one out in the seventh for the final run of the game.
C-Notes
P.K. Morris was hit by a pitch with one out in the first inning and Gabby Martinez singled to center to advance Rainer Nuñez to second after Nuñez forced out Morris on a 1-4 fielder’s choice but Andrés Sosa struck out looking.
Hiraldo singled to center with two outs in the fourth and went to second on a Seymour wild pitch but De Jesus lined out to second.
Palmegiani had a two-out walk in the fifth but Morris struck out looking but the C’s best opportunity to add runs came in the sixth. Martinez and Sosa had back-to-back one out singles to center and right in the sixth. Hiraldo struck out swinging but De Jesus walked to load the bases after a Seymour wild pitch but Crawford took over on the mound and got Spain to pop out to second.
Morris had a single to right after Palmegiani’s home run in the seventh and De Jesus singled to center off Nick Morreale and moved into scoring position on a balk with two outs in the eighth but that produced nothing for Vancouver.
Brown drew a walk off Juan Sanchez to begin the ninth but Palmegiani and Morris went down swinging with Brown getting caught stealing second base to end the game.
Brown and Martinez had two hits apiece with Brown getting a walk. Palmegiani homered and walked, De Jesus singled and walked and Morris reached base twice with a single and a base on balls. Sosa and Hiraldo had the other base hits. The C’s were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine.
Mendoza stranded a leadoff walk to Thomas in the third by retiring five in a row before a Matos double to left in the fourth. A wild pitch moved Matos to third but Mendoza got Luciano to pop out to short. In the fifth, Bishop singled to third to begin the fifth inning and later stole second and advanced to third on a Glowenke fly out to right but Mendoza got Toribio to ground out to second.
Devereaux Harrison walked Cantrelle and gave up an infield single to short by McCray but struck out Matos swinging and got Luciano to fly out to center.
Garret Farmer punched out Thomas and Glowenke swinging to end a perfect eighth.
Mendoza gave up six runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings to take the loss. Kelly gave up four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks and struck out one in the sixth. Harrison worked around a hit and a walk and struck out one in the seventh while Farmer finished up with two strikeouts in a perfect eighth.
The Canadians will look to the reigning Northwest League Pitcher of the Week Michael Dominguez as he gets the start in Game 2 of the NWL Final. Dominguez got the award after six shutout innings of two-hit ball with one walk and nine strikeouts against the Emeralds to help the C’s clinch a berth in the league final. Tuesday’s Game 2 begins at 7:35 p.m. Tyler Zickell will call the action on CanadiansBaseball.com. The game is also on MiLB.TV.
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