The Vancouver Canadians ended 2024 with an 8-4 victory over the Eugene Emeralds at Nat Bailey Stadium on Sunday.
The Emeralds got the early jump on C’s starter Pat Gallagher. A strikeout of Aeverson Arteaga to begin the game was followed by consecutive home runs by James Tibbs III who cleared the right field wall and Sabin Ceballos who put the ball over the wall in left-center. Charlie Szykowny was plunked with the next pitch and started running ouf out of the batter’s box but he ran to first instead of the mound. Gallagher committed a balk and Quinn McDaniel followed with a walk but Gallagher got Scott Bandura to fly out to right and Allan Cerda to fly out to left to end the inning.
The Canadians answered back in the bottom of the first inning against Eugene lefty Daniel Carmouche. A wall-ball double to right-center by Jace Bohrofen was sent to third on an Adrian Pinto grounder to second. Peyton Williams walked and was forced out at second on a 4-6 fielder’s choice by Je’Von Ward which brought Bohrofen home with the first Vancouver run. Jackson Hornung singled to left and Brennan Orf reached on an Szykowny fielding miscue at first to load the bases. Jamari Baylor was hit by a pitch to bring in Ward for the tying run. A wild pitch allowed Hornung to race home with the go-ahead run to make it 3-2 C’s.
Vancouver scored again in the fourth against Eugene reliever Cody Tucker who drilled Jacob Sharp with a pitch. Sharp went to second on a Bohrofen base hit to right and a wild pitch with one out moved the runners up. Pinch-hitter Bryce Arnold—replacing Williams—scored Sharp with a sacrifice fly to center. C’s manager Brent Lavallee used another pinch-hitter by substituting Marcos De La Rosa for Ward and De La Rosa took Tucker deep to right for a two-run dinger to increase the Vancouver lead to 6-2.
The Canadians also went to work on Em’s lefty Hayden Wynja in the fifth. Brennan Orf led off with a base on balls and a Baylor base hit to center and a fielding error by Bandura put runners at second and third. A Nick Goodwin sac fly to center and another throwing misuce by Bandura allowed Orf and Baylor to reach the pentagon.
The Emeralds last gasp came in the ninth inning against Aaron Munson. A strikeout out of Luke Shliger opened the frame but one-out singles by Gavello to center and Artetaga to left set up a Tibbs base knock to center to drive in Gavello. Tibbs went to second on defensive indifference and Arteaga would score on a Ceballas grounder to short. Another grounder to short by Szykowny put up a wrap on the game and the 2024 regular season.
C-Notes
Gallagher settled down after the first with a pair of strikeouts of Schilger and Tibbs in the second, handling a Gavello comebacker to the mound for a 1-3 putout and stranding an Arteaga two-out walk.
A perfect third started with a called strike three of Ceballos and that was followed by a perfect fourth for Gallagher.
A walk fo Gavello and a stolen base started the top of the fifth. Ceballas walked with two outs and the inning was extended when Pinto made a fielding error at second on a Szykowny grounder to load the bases. Gallagher would get out of it by fanning McDaniel and making the five-inning requirement to earn the vcitory.
Chay Yeager worked an efficient sixth inning with Ks of Bandura and Cerda.
Grayson Thurman K’d Gavello to start the seventh before an Arteaga walk and a Tibbs infield single to second put runners on the corners. Thurman then got Ceballos hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Lefty Kai Peterson overcame a Szykowny infield single to short in the eighth by setting down the next three Emeralds in order. Alex Stone took over for Jacob Sharp behind the plate in that inning.
Arnold entered the game as the DH but was seen warming up in the bullpen in the ninth inning just in case things really got out of hand in the ninth.
Sharp had a leadoff double to left in the second inning and Bohrofen got aboard on a walk. A Pinto 6-4 fielder’s choice put runners at first and third but the C’s could not score.
Orf drew a one-out walk in the third and Baylor heard ball four with two outs in the seventh but were stranded by Tucker and Wynja respectively
Vancouver tried to get something going in the eighth when Stone singled to right but he was forced out on a 3-6 double play by Bohrofen. A throwing error by Em’s pitcher Tyler Vogel allowed Pinto to reach first. Arnold had an infield single to short and a wild pitch moved Pinto and Arnold up another 90 feet but De La Rosa popped out to short.
The 2024 Vancouver Canadians finish the year with 68 wins and 61 losses, one more than their total in 2022. Their second-half record of 38-28 was enough to outlast Hillsboro for second place in the second-half standings with the Spokane Indians taking the first and second-half pennants of the Northwest League.
Games 1 and 2 of the 2024 Northwest League Championship Series between the C’s and the Tribe are set for Tuesday and Wednesday at Nat Bailey Stadium. Game times are 7:05 pm on CanadiansBaseball.com and MiLB.TV. Tyler Zickel and Chris Georges will have the call.
Pat Gallagher was at 77 miles per hour with strikeouts at 80, 89, 78, 89 and 84. Chay Yeager had Ks of 86 and 86 and was up to 96. Grayson Thurman punched a ticket at 84 and was up to 93. Kai Peterson was at 84-93 and Aaron Munson had a strikeout at 87 and was at 86-94.
Radar Gun Rundown
Pat Gallagher was at 77 miles per hour with strikeouts at 80, 89, 78, 89 and 84. Chay Yeager had Ks of 86 and 86 and was up to 96. Grayson Thurman punched a ticket at 84 and was up to 93. Kai Peterson was at 84-93. Aaron Munson had a strikeout at 87 and was at 86-94.
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