The Vancouver Canadians came up short against the Spokane Indians in a 5-4 setback at Nat Bailey Stadium on Wednesday.
The C’s had the early advantage with a first-inning run against Spokane starter Blake Adams. He plunked Ryan McCarty on the left elbow with one out. McCarty proceeded to steal second, went to third on a pickoff throw by Adams and was allowed to score when a throw from Cole Carrigg in center field wound up in the squared-off seating area next to the Canadians dugout.
Spokane tied the game in the top of the third against Vancouver starter Kevin Miranda with a two-out rally. Braiden Ward singled to right and scampered to third on Carrigg singed to center. Carrigg stole second base and a wild pitch by Miranda allowed Ward to score the tying run. Dyan Jorge singled to center to drive in Carrigg to put the visitors ahead. Jorge got two free bases when Miranda tossed a live ball out of play into the dugout. Kyle Karros took advantage of that miscue when he ripped the next pitch for a double to left field to score Jorge to up the Spokane lead to 3-1. Robby Martin Jr. followed with a single to left and Karros got the wave home but Dylan Rock threw out Karros to end the inning.
Run number four for Spokane would come in the fifth against C’s reliever Alex Amalfi. A one-out triple by Ward was followed by a sacrifice fly to center by Carrigg.
It was not until the top of the eighth when Spokane scored again against Chay Yeager. A walk and stolen base with one out by Jorge was cashed in on a single up the middle by Karros.
The Canadians put together a rally in the ninth against reliever Sergio Sánchez. A pair of walks started the inning when Jace Bohrofen and Nick Goodwin heard ball four. Sánchez fell behind Jeff Wehler 2-0 but Wehler lined out to right on a 2-2 pitch. Jackson Hornung made it a one-run game when he blasted a three-run home run to center field. Lefthander Carson Skipper made his second straight relief appearance and he struck out Brennan Orf before getting Rock to fly out to end the game.
C-Notes
Hornung had Vancouver’s first hit of the night with a one-out single to center field in the second inning. It looked like he was going to have a chance to score when Rock drove one into the gap in left-center but Carrigg ran it down for the third out.
A two-out McCarty walk in the third and a Goodwin double to center field to lead off the fourth were also stranded by Adams.
After a clean fifth inning, Adams only yielded a one-out walk to Bohrofen in the sixth.
The C’s could not run and hide against Spokane reliever Braxton Hyde as he put up perfect frames in the seventh and eighth.
Miranda struck out Karros and Bryant Betancourt to end a perfect first inning and second inning respectively and also set down the side in order in the fourth.
Justin Kelly gave up two singles to right field by Betancourt and Boone but in between was a 5-4-3 double play.
Boone swiped second but Kelly K’d Ward for out number three.
Anders Tolhurst plunked Ward with a pitch in the ninth but sandwiched that by striking out Boone and Carrigg to end the top of the ninth.
McCarty made the catch of the night by jumping up to snare a liner at third off the bat of Martin for the second out of the sixth inning.
The third game of this series will not be played on Thursday because it has been rained out. Vancouver and Spokane will play a double-dip on Friday beginning at 1:05 p.m. Geison Urbaez and Ryan Jennings are expected to get the starts for Vancouver. Tyler Zickel and Chris Georges will have the call on CanadiansBaseball.com and MiLB.TV.
Also, the Chef Wasabi Collector Pin giveaway that was to take place on Thursday will be given out instead on Friday, May 10.
Radar Gun Rundown
Kevin Miranda struck out batters at 84, 83 and 90 miles per hour and was at 80-93. Alex Amalfi was at 82-95 with a strikeout at 87. Justin Kelly was at 88-95. Chad Yeager had a strikeout at 88 and was up to 95. Anders Tolhurst was at 80 with two whiffs at 91 and 95.
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