The Vancouver Canadians took the first two games of the series and were in position to win the six-game set but the Hillsboro Hops managed to gain a split at Nat Bailey Stadium.
April 29 – Vancouver 15 Hillsboro 9
2B – Keys (3), SB – Hornung (1), Goodwin (2) | Gallagher 1IP 0R 1K (W, 1-0).
April 30 – Vancouver 9 Hillsboro 6
2B – Nimmala 2 (6), Hornung (1), SB – Arias (6) | Watts-Brown 4IP 2R 10K, Batista 2IP 1R 2K (W, 1-0), Bonds 2IP 0R 2K (SV, 3).
May 1 – Hillsboro 12 Vancouver 2
2B – Keys (4), HR – Nimmala (6), SB – Ward (3) | Gilliland 1IP 0R
May 2 – Hillsboro 7 Vancouver 4
2B – Parker (5), Cunningham (3), Stone (3), Goodwin (1), SB – Micheletti (1) | Munson 2IP 0R 1K
May 3 – Vancouver 6 Hillsboro 0
2B – Coffey (5) | Rogers 5.2IP 0R 4K (W, 2-0), Gallagher 2.1IP 0R 3K 3IRS, Yeager 1IP 0R
May 4 – Hillsboro 2 Vancouver 1
SB – Keys (1) | Wentworth 5IP 0R 2K, Bonds 2IP 0R 3K
C-Changes
The Vancouver Canadians have announced that righthander Irv Carter has been placed on the Development List. Righthander Yondrei Rojas has been promoted from Low-A Dunedin. The 22 year-old from Sean Juan de Los Morros, Venezuela began the year on the injured list. He went 7-2 with a 4.36 earned run average with six saves and 57 strikeouts in 43-1/3 innings with Dunedin last season. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Rojas was a free agent signing by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. He will wear number 38 for the C’s, at least according to CanadiansBaseball.com.
Jacob Wetzel has been placed on the seven-day injured list. The former Chicago Cubs farmhand was hurt trying to make a diving catch in right field in the bottom of the ninth inning at Everett on April 27. Catcher Hayden Gilliland was activated from the Development List.
2023 C’s lefthander Adam Macko and righthander Adam Kloffenstein (2019, 2021-2022) are now on rehab stints with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays.
Righthander Justin Kelly (2022-2024) and catcher Phil Clarke (2019) are on rehab stints with Low-A Dunedin.
Corner infielder Damiano Palmegiani (2022) has been assigned to the Development List by Triple-A Buffalo.
A few former Vancouver Canadians are playing in independent ball. 2024 infielder Jamari Baylor is playing for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League. He was with the York Revolution in 2024 before joining the C’s.
2022-2024 utilityman Glenn Santiago is now with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association.
Radar Gun Rundown
Jackson Wentworth was at 79 to 93 miles per hour with strikeout at 85 and 93 on Tuesday. On Sunday, he had two punchouts of 92 and 93 and was at 78-94.
Pat Gallagher had a punchout at 95.
Irv Carter was at 89 and 93 and had one strikeout at 95.
Aaron Munson was at 94 with two Ks of 93.
Julio Ortiz had strikeouts at 96 and 87 and was up to 99.
Fernando Perez was at 75 with Ks of 94 and 92
JJ Sánchez was at 82 and 95.
Edinson Batista had a strikeout at 86 and was up to 93.
Bo Bonds registered strikeouts at 78, 92 and 75.
Nate Garkow was at 73-90 with Ks of 88, 74, 74 and 89.
Johnathan Todd ranged from 81-96.
Kevin Miranda checked in at 82-92.
Kai Peterson recorded punchouts at 93 three times and one at 94.
Hayden Gilliland mopped up by throwing pitches at 66 and 75.
Grant Rogers had Ks of 92 and 88.
C-Notes
Tuesday
This is not something you see every day. An all-Canadian battery came on in relief at the same time when righthander Eli Saul from Vancouver and catcher Gavin Logan from Oyen, Alberta during the fourth inning. Saul relieved lefty Liam Norris and Logan took over for former Jays farmhand JJ D’Orazio behind the dish.
The seventh inning featured nice back-to-back running catches by Carter Cunningham in right field and a leaping grab by Jackson Hornung in left near the fence to send the Hops away in order.
Hornung had lots of running to do. He beat out an infield single to third to spark a five-run rally in the third inning, managed to avoid a 1-5 putout at third with a nifty headfirst slide and then stole home on the front end of a double steal with Nick Goodwin.
Cutter Coffey hit a cue shot that stayed fair up the third base line in the 8th.
Wednesday
Reliever Bo Bonds escaped a bases-loaded, nobody out jam to end the game for Vancouver. After surrendering two singles and a walk, Bonds battled back to strike out Demetrio Crisantes and Angel Ortiz before retiring Ben McLoughlin on a fly ball to center. It was not the first time Bonds has pulled off the great escape, as he did the same thing in Game 4 of the Northwest League Championship Series at Spokane last September.
Thursday
Nothing to see here.
Friday
Hillsboro center fielder Druw Jones—son of Atlanta Gold Glover Andruw Jones—made a sliding catch to rob Nick Goodwin of a hit in the second inning. Goodwin did get a single to right field in the ninth inning but he was thrown out at second on nice throw by Angel Ortiz.
Demetrio Crisantes made a sharp pick on a grounder from Aaron Parker to start 5-4-3 double play to end the fifth.
Catcher Alex Stone changed his walk-up music to Dire Straits “Money for Nothing”, a solid choice!
Aaron Parker had a hustle leadoff double with a headfirst slide in the fourth inning.
Jackson Hornung took a tumble but was able to make the catch in left field to take away a hit from Ryan Waldschmidt in the fifth inning
Saturday
Eddie Micheletti was robbed of a hit on a diving catch by Anderdson Rojas in right field to start the second inning.
Pat Gallagher did a solid for Grant Rogers by stranding the bases loaded with an inning-ending strikeout of Druw Jones.
Sunday
Carter Cunningham made a nice sliding catch to take a hit away from Ryan Waldschmidt to start the fourth.
Demetrio Crisantes was not happy with a bang-bang call with Sean Keys double-clutching before firing a bullet to first for the 5-3 putout to start the seventh.
Utilityman Adrian Pinto returned to the lineup for the first time in the series finale. He had not seen any action in six games but his day was done after five innings. Pinto was replaced at second base by Cutter Coffey and Keys took over at third for Coffey. Brennan Orf entered the game at first base to bat in the leadoff spot. Pinto was hit by a pitch earlier in the game and appeared to grazed in the bicep. In his last plate appearance, he struck out looking with the bases loaded to end the fourth.
Hillsboro had just one hit on Sunday but it was enough to win the game, making it a frustrating end to the series.
Wentworth no-hit the Hops for five frames in his second start of the series against Hillsboro. Had the former Kansas State product not made the opening start of the series, he may have won the Northwest League Pitcher of the Week award.
The Canadians begin a six-game set in Spokane on Tuesday. Chris Georges will be on the call on CanadiansBaseball.com. You can also watch the game on BallySports.com. Games start at 6:35 pm on Tuesday to Friday, 5:09 pm on Saturday and 1:05 pm on Sunday.
Juaron Watts-Brown will start the series opener on Tuesday and if the C’s continue to stay with a five man rotation, JWB will start the series finale on Sunday. Kevin Miranda, Fernando Perez, Grant Rogers and Jackson Wentworth are expected to follow Wednesday through Saturday.
Game times are 6:35 pm Tuesday to Friday, 5:09 pm on Saturday and 1:05 pm on Sunday.
C-Tweets
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