The Vancouver Canadians were spanked by the Spokane Indians 7-2 at Nat Bailey Stadium on Thursday.
Vancouver starter Kevin Miranda surrendered a pair of two-out bunt singles by Juan Guerrero and Ryan Ritter in the top of the first. Guerrero just beat the throw from Miranda on a bang-bang play at first while Ritter’s bunt was along the third base line. Nic Kent would hit into a 5-4 fielder’s choice that got Miranda out of the inning.
The Canadians got their first hit in two nights when Cade Doughty singled to center field with two outs against Spokane lefty Mason Green. Doughty nearly homered on the prior pitch but the ball went foul down the left field line. However, the former LSU Tiger was thrown out by Jesus Ordoñez trying to steal second on a 2-4 play for the third out.
Spokane began another two-out rally when Ordonez singled to right and advanced on a fielding error by Devonte Brown. Cuba Bess then blasted one over the wall in right-center field to put the Tribe on top 2-0.
The Canadians responded with their first run in two games when Gabby Martinez mashed one over the fence in left field for a one-out solo homer off Green in the home half of the second. That was Martinez’s 10th long ball of 2023.
Spokane got another base runner on when Guerrero singled to center with one out. Ritter tried to get aboard with a hit by pitch but the umpiring crew of Ken Jackson and Josiah Shepherd sent Ritter back to the batter’s box. Ritter would take his base when he was plunked by Miranda on the next pitch. Guerrero and Ritter pulled off a double steal and they came home on a Kent double to left-center to increase the Spokane lead to 4-1. Vancouver pitching coach Joel Bonnett was ejected from the dugout moments after by home plate Jackson. Robby Martin Jr. singled to right to move Kent to third before Miranda struck out Sems and Kekai Rios threw out Martin trying to swipe second for the inning-ending 2-6-2 double play.
Estiven Machado drew. a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third but he was the only Canadian to reach base. Dasan Brown gave one a ride to the warning track in center field but it was caught by Martin to end the inning.
Ordonez opened the top of the fourth with a double to the left field corner and got to third on a Bess groundout to third. Braiden Ward then tripled to center to score Bess to increase Spokane’s lead to four. With the C’s infield playing in, Benny Montgomery hit a sharp grounder to Machado that handcuffed Machado at first. He had to settle for throwing out Montgomery at first as Ward came home with run number six for Spokane.
It was nada for the C’s offence in the bottom of the fourth before Eric Pardinho emerged from the Vancouver bullpen to replace Miranda. His first pitch was driven to the left field corner for a double by Ritter. A wild pitch and a Kent line out to right for a sacrifice fly scored Ritter to make it 7-1 Spokane. Martin singled to center and pilfered second but Pardinho eventually got out of the inning by striking out Ordoñez.
The Canadians got their first man on base in the bottom of the fifth when Ryan McCarty worked the count to ball four. McCarty was forced out on a 6-4 fielder’s choice by Machado one out later. A Rios sinking liner got past Guerrero as it went towards the left field fence, allowing Machado to score all the way from first on the Rios double. Devonte Brown then drew a base on balls and Dasan Brown did likewise to load the bases but Green struck out Doughty to complete his fifth inning.
Pardinho worked a perfect top of the sixth by fanning Bess and getting Montgomery looking for outs one and three.
Tyler Ahearn pitched the bottom of the sixth and got two groundouts with his first two pitches before walking McCarty. Jeff Wehler hit one deep to the warning track in left-center but Guerrero made the catch with Martin right next to him to conclude the inning.
In the top of the seventh, lefthander Cooper Benson took the ball on the mound for the C’s. He struck out Ritter looking for the second out of a spotless stanza.
Ahearn was back out for the bottom of the seventh and got the first two men out again. Devonte Brown sent a hot shot to Sems at third for a single and Dasan Brown followed suit with a sharp grounder that Ritter could not handle for another base hit. Doughty struck out to leave the Browns stranded.
Benson walked Sems with one out in the top of the eighth. Sems stole second but Benson whiffed Ordoñez and Bess for a shutout frame.
Lefty Evan Shawver came in from the Spokane arm barn for the bottom of the eighth. He walked Martinez with one away before McCarty hit a ground-rule double that just landed fair near the right field corner, sending Martinez to third. A Wehler grounder to short and a Machado flyout to left stranded the runners.
Benson returned for the top half of the ninth and gave up a one-out double to left-center by Montgomery that eluded a diving Martinez from left with one out. Montgomery would not go any further as Benson ended the inning with Ritter looking at strike three.
James Keegan was next out of the Tribe bullpen for the bottom of the ninth. Devonte Brown took one to the warning track in center field where Martin made the catch on for the second out. That was the only excitement as Keegan retired the side 1-2-3.
C-Notes
Kevin Miranda was charged with the loss to go to 2-3 on the season. The C’s are 72-44 and 34-17 as far as their overall and second-half records stand. Everett is five games behind Vancouver and maintain a three-game lead over Eugene for the right to meet the C’s in the Northwest League final.
The Canadians take on the Tribe again for a Friday Nooner at The Nat. Hunter Gregory is scheduled to huck the first pitch at 1:05 p.m. The contest is on CanadiansBaseball.com and MiLB.TV.
All the best to Greg Warmoth, the father of 2017 Vancouver Canadians shortstop Logan Warmoth. The elder Warmoth—who underwent surgery for lip cancer—is a longtime TV News anchor for WFTV Channel 9 in Orlando.
C-Changes
The transactions column at CanadiansBaseball.com says Lyle Lin has been returned to the Canadians after a one-week stay with Double-A New Hampshire but he did not get into any games with the Fisher Cats. He will resume wearing number 10.
Going back to Manchester is righthander Al Pesto. He pitched just 2-1/3 innings in two appearances for the C’s, one at home and one on the road.
C’s Alumni Update
2022-2023 C’s lefthander Braden Scott has joined the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League. The 25-year-old has a 3-1 record with a 3.34 earned run average, a 42-9 strikeout/walk total in 32-1/3 innings over six starts. This is the Bloomington, Indiana native’s second tour of duty with Evansville after pitching there in 2021.
Radar Gun Rundown
Miranda was at 76-91 miles per hour. Pardinho was at 84-98 with strikeouts at 94 and 95. Benson checked in at 80-93 with Ks of 92, 91, 91, 89 and 90.
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