The Vancouver Canadians lost to the Hillsboro Hops 6-4 at Nat Bailey Stadium on Saturday.
Rafael Sánchez got the start on the slope for Vancouver and made it through the top of the first and capped off a perfect frame with strikeout of Kevin Graham and Gino Groover.
Hillsboro drew first blood in the top of the second when Gavin Conticello belted a one-out home run to right field to take the lead. Sánchez got out of the inning with a strikeout of Jesus Valdez.
After Spencer Giesting had a very quick first inning of work, the Canadians stormed back in the bottom of the second. Peyton Williams singled to left, Ryan McCarty doubled to left and they came home on a Glenn Santiago triple off the right field wall. Estiven Machado followed with a single up the middle to plate Santiago to make it 3-1 C’s.
The Hops loaded the bases when Manuel Peña hit a hot smash up the middle that handcuffed Machado at short for an error. Walks to Gavin Logan and Andrew Pintar followed before Machado whiffed on a ground ball from Graham and instead of the start of a potential double play, Peña and Logan came home to score to tie the game. The next two ground balls were hit to short and it produced three outs. Machado was able to start a 6-4-3 double play but Groover’s twin-killing got Pintar home to allow the Hops to regain the lead at 4-3.
Giesting struck out the side to man in the bottom of the third and the Hops added to their lead in the top of the fourth. After striking out Franco, Sánchez surrendered singles to right by Valdez and Peña before a Logan base hit to left scored Valdez with run number five for the Hops.
Williams was hit by a pitch from Giesting to begin the bottom of the fourth but that was all Vancouver would get.
The Hops tacked on another run against Sánchez in the top half of the fifth. Groover blooped a single to right out of the reach of a diving McCarty at second. A passed ball by Jommer Hernández and a Conticello base hit to center got Groover home to up the Hillsboro lead to 6-3.
Dasan Brown reached on an error at short as a Valdez bobble gave Brown just enough time to beat the throw to first. Brown would be forced out on an inning-ending 6-4 fielder’s choice by Kasevich.
After Leam Mendez made his C’s debut and worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning, the C’s got a leadoff walk from Martinez to open the home half of the frame. A Williams slow grounder to second allowed Martinez to reach second base. Martinez was able to executive a nice swim move on a steal of third base after Giesting bounced a pitch in the dirt. The ball did not bounce that far away from Cerda at the plate and the catcher’s throw was in time but Martinez used some sleight of hand to pilfer the bag. A McCarty grounder to second would bring in Martinez to make it a 6-4 game.
McCarty made a sharp defensive play at second by making a nice pick on a Pintar grounder and unleashing a strong throw to first for the first out of the top of the seventh. Mendez struck out Graham and got Groover to fly out to center to finish up another spotless stanza. Giesting also made quick work of the C’s in the home half of inning seven.
Mendez brushed back Cerda with a pitch which the Hops catcher took exception to. Hernandez tried to calm things down with his catching colleague but after flying out to right, Cerda had some choice words for Mendez before heading back to the dugout. Mendez struck out Conticello for the second out but he walked Franco who stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Mendez got some help from his third baseman to get out of the inning as Kasevich snared a hot shot down the third base and fired a seed to first to retire Valdez.
Armando Vasquez relieved fellow southpaw Giesting in the eighth and Kasevich got aboard on a slow chopper to third for a one-out infield single. Kasevich would scamper to third on a base hit to right by Martinez. A walk by McCarty loaded the bases but Peñiel Otaño brought in from the Hops bullpen and he struck out Santiago swinging.
Ryan Boyer entered the game in the ninth and gave up an infield single to short by Peña but he was thrown out trying to steal by Hernández on a 2-4 play. Boyer fanned Logan before walking Pintar. A Graham single to right then put runners on the corners before Boyer got Groover to fly out to right.
Garrett Spain came off the bench to pinch-hit for Machado in the bottom of the ninth but Otaño induced a 4-3 groundout. After Hernández struck out looking on what looked to be ball three, pinch-hitter Cade Doughty—batting for Del Rosario— grounded out to short to end the game.
C-Notes
Prior to Saturday’s game, C’s broadcaster Tyler Zickel hosted the 2023 Annual Player Awards in an on-field ceremony. The Fan’s Choice Award went to outfielder Devonte Brown, the top hitter was Michael Turconi, the top pitcher was Devereaux Harrison and the Most Valuable Player was infielder Cade Doughty.
The Canadians are 74-50 on the season and 36-23 in the second half. Their second-half lead is down to one game against Everett after the AquaSox split a doubleheader in Spokane on Saturday. Eugene lost in Tri-City on Saturday so Everett’s magic number is down to three. If the Frogs win on Sunday and the Emeralds lose, that should all but clinch a spot in the Northwest League final for Everett as the AquaSox have a 13-7 record against Eugene in the season series.
Anders Tolhurst gets the start in the regular season home finale as Vancouver closes out the series against Hillsboro. The first pitch is at 1:05 p.m. on CanadiansBaseball.com and MiLB.TV.
C’s Alumni Report
Damiano Palmegiani (2022) had a double and single for a 2-for-4 day in his Triple-A debut on Saturday to help Buffalo beat Indianapolis. Addison Barger (2022) and Tanner Morris (2019, 2021) also had two hits and Orelvis Martinez (2021) added a homer. Steward Berroa (2022) walked twice and stole a base.
Rainer Nuñez (2022-2023) homered twice, Alan Roden (2023) went 3-for-3 with a walk, Devonte Brown (2023) singled and walked and Jeff Wehler (2023) had an RBI triple as New Hampshire beat up Reading on Saturday. Riley Tirotta (2022-2023) had a three-run triple and walked twice.
Radar Gun Rundown
Rafael Sánchez had strikeouts at 88, 86, 85 and 85 miles per hour and went as high as 94. Leam Mendez was at 79 and had strikeouts at 95 and 87. Ryan Boyer had a strikeout at 80 and was up to 93.
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