The Vancouver Canadians lost 5-3 to the Everett AquaSox at Nat Bailey Stadium on Tuesday.
The Frogs got the jump on C’s starter Pat Gallagher in the top of the first inning. Josh Hood reached on an infield single to second despite the best efforts of Jeff Wehler who ranged well over near the second base bag but his throw was late. Singles to right by Jared Sundstorm and Ben Williamson pushed Hood across for the game’s first run.
Everett added two more runs in the third off Gallagher. Brock Rodden won an eight-pitch battle by leading off with a single to center field. He stole second base and scampered home on a one-out Sundstorm double to left. R.J. Schreck then drove in Sundstorm with a two-out single to center.
The AquaSox expanded their lead to four against C’s reliever Alex Amalfi in the fourth. Hunter Fitz-Gerald doubled off the outstretched glove of Jaden Rudd who got twisted around in left fieldwith one out. Back-to-back singles to right by Andrew Miller and Rodden moved Fitz-Gerald the remaining 180 feet.
Vancouver did solve Frogs starter Michael Morales in the fourth with a two-out rally. A Williamson throwing error from third hit the netting above Everett’s first base dugout to allow Jackson Hornung to get on base. Wehler then ripped a single up the middle to bring home Hornung. Wehler tried to get into scoring position by trying to steal second but he was thrown out by Miller.
The Frogs got to Amalfi again in the fifth. Sundstrom led off with a single to left before swiping second. A Williamson ground ball to second and a sacrifice fly Schreck scored Sundstorm to make it a 5-1 game.
Vancouver opened the bottom of the fifth against Morales with three straight hits. Brennan Orf doubled over Hood’s head in left field, moved to third on a Rudd bunt single to third and scored on a Glenn Santiago single to left that just dropped in front of Hood.
The C’s scored again in the seventh against Everett reliever Jimmy Kingsbury. Rudd got things started with a base hit up the middle and did not break stride when he advanced to third on another base rap up the gut by Glenn Santiago. A two-out single to right by Jace Bohrofen scored Rudd and Santiago for the final runs of the game.
C-Notes
The AquaSox made Gallagher work in the third inning by forcing him to throw 33 pitches, with Rodden, Sundstorm and Schreck all working eight pitch at-bats.
The late-inning relief for Vancouver was on point with four perfect frames. Rafael Ohashi struck out a pair of batters over two perfect innings, fanning Rodden to end the sixth and Sundstrom in the seventh.
Chay Yeager struck out Bill Knight in the middle of a spotless eighth and Josh Mollerus struck out the side in quick order in the ninth. sitting down Fitz-Gerald, Miller and Rodden.
Bohrofen had Vancouver’s first hit with a two-out single to right in the first inning. Orf was close to homering in the second inning but his deep drive to right was just foul. He wound up drawing a walk instead.
Santiago was robbed of a hit by Hood who made a last-second adjustment to a fly ball in left to start the third. Dasan Brown later turned around a Morales 97-mile per hour fastball for a single to left but that was it for Vancouver in that frame.
In the eighth, Wehler had a one-out single to right off Jason Ruffcorn and went to third when Fitz-Gerald threw away a ground ball from first base into left field trying to start a double play. That allowed Orf to reach base and Wehler to get to third. Wehler appeared to have a muscle cramp in his leg but was able to continue. Unfortunately, Wehler and Orf were left stranded.
Brown flared a single off Troy Taylor to start the ninth just over the head of Fitz-Gerald at first. He stole second base but would get no further.
2015-2018 Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marco Estrada was at Nat Bailey Stadium on Tuesday to sign autographs. The next Superstar Appearance on the schedule is former Toronto Blue Jays catcher and manager and current Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez who will be at The Nat on Tuesday, May 28.
Geison Urbaez will get the start for Vancouver in the second game of this series against Everett. Tyler Zickel and Chris Georges will have the call from Nat Bailey Stadium at 7:05 p.m. on CanadiansBasebll.com and MiLB.TV.
Radar Gun Rundown
Pat Gallagher struck out the side in the second inning with 92 mile per hour fastballs and had another whiff at 95. He was also at 77. Alex Amalfi was at 82-93 with a strikeout at 92. Rafael Ohashi was at 81 with strikeouts of 86 and 87. Chay Yeager had a punchout at 87 and Josh Mollerus at 84, 94 and 92.
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