C’s Recap – Five and Dive! Canadians Overcome Blair Quality + Air Quality as Williams’ Blast Seals Series Split in Eugene – C's Plus Baseball

The Vancouver Canadians thumped the Eugene Emeralds 8-1 in a five-inning game shortened due to poor air quality conditions at P.K. Park on Sunday.

The C’s were able to load the bases without putting a ball in play to start the game as Emeralds starter Daniel Blair walked Devonte Brown, Dasan Brown and Peyton Williams. Devonte Brown would come home on a Josh Kasevich 6-4 fielder’s choice for the first run of the game. Kasevich stole second base but Blair limited the damage to one run.

Vancouver starter Pat Gallagher got the C’s back up to the box with a 1-2-3 first inning that began with a strikeout of Grant McCray.

Blair also retired the side in order but not before his batterymate Onil Perez took a foul ball squarely in the facemask from fellow C’s catcher Jommer Hernández. Perez was able to remain in the game after being shaken up.

The Emeralds got on the board in the top of the second. Jared Dupere chopped one over the head of C’s second baseman Estiven Machado for a single to right field. Dupere would come all the way around to score on a Luis Toribio double one off the wall in center field to even things up at 1-1. Perez singled to center to get Toribio to third. After Matt Higgins lined out to second, Thomas Gavello drew a walk to put men at first and third but Gallagher escaped by striking out Ghordy Santos and McCray to keep it a 1-1 game.

The C’s had a chance to move ahead with a two-out rally against Blair after Gavello could not handle a sharp ground ball at third from Williams that was scored on an error. A Kasevich double to center was Vancouver’s first hit that got Williams to third but Garrett Spain hit a chopper in front of the plate and was thrown out by Perez at first for the third out.

Eugene threatened again to take the lead in the bottom of the third. Carter Howell began the stanza with a single to center field. Gallagher struck out Aeverson Arteaga looking before Dasan Brown made a leaping catch in the warning track in center to rob Dupere of extra bases. Toribio hit a ground-rule double to right that just bounced over the fence to keep Howell at third. Howell would remain 90 feet away with Gallagher striking out Perez.

Vancouver would snap the tie in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan McCarty began the inning by working the count to ball four and he made it to third when Jeff Wehler beat out an infield single to third. Gavello made a diving stop on the ball but the ball got away from Toribio at first base to allow McCarty to gain another 90 feet. Wilkelma Castillo was brought in to relieve Blair and he surrendered a Machado sacrifice fly that was lined to right that scored McCarty with the C’s second run. Hernández got aboard with a walk and a two-out single by Dasan Brown that just eluded a sliding Dupere’s glove in left brought in Wehler with run number three. That kept the inning going for Williams and he hit a no-doubter to right for a three-run homer to boost the C’s lead to 6-1.

Cooper Benson came into the game out of the C’s bullpen in the bottom of the fourth. The lefty gave up a leadoff single and a two-out knock to right by Higgins and McCray but in between, Gavello and Santos struck out and Howell popped out to second for the third out.

The Canadians would tack on more insurance in the top of the fifth. Spain singled to first to start the frame and advanced to third on a one-out double by Wehler. Machado walked to load the bases before Hernández singled to center to drive in Spain and Wehler to give the C’s a seven-run cushion. The inning ended when Gabby Martinez pinch-hit for Dasan Brown and popped out to short. Martinez remained in the game to play left field while Devonte Brown replaced Dasan Brown in center.

Benson took care of the Emeralds with a 1-2-3 inning, ending the frame with a Toribio groundout to second as Machado made a sliding stop before spinning and firing the ball the first. That play also ended the game as it was called due to air quality concerns. With five full innings in the books, the C’s were credited with the win.

C-Notes

Cooper Benson got the victory to go to 7-2 on the season. The win was Vancouver’s 71st of the year against 42 losses and their second-half record goes to 33-15. The Emeralds lost more ground to the AquaSox in the race for second place and the right to face the C’s in the Northwest League final. Everett defeated Hillsboro at Funko Field on Sunday to move three games clear of Eugene.

The Canadians begin a 12-game homestand to conclude the 2023 regular season. First up are the Spokane Indians who will be in town on Tuesday for the first of six games. Game time is 7:05 p.m. on CanadiansBaseball.com and MiLB.TV with Tyler Zickel on the call.