C's keep post-season hopes alive after 3-2 win
July 22, 2018 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Vancouver Canadians News Release
Vancouver Canadians catcher Yorman Rodriguez
(Vancouver Canadians)
(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, B.C.) - After falling behind by a pair of runs early, the Vancouver Canadians buckled down in all facets of their game to come from behind and top Hillsboro 3-2 to keep their slim first-half pennant hopes alive heading into Sunday's matinee just hours from now.
Canadians RHP Jose Espada allowed the games first two runs on a wild pitch and a home run as Hops SS Jose Caballero hit his 3rd of the season to give Hillsboro a 2-0 lead.
Vancouver would answer back with a two-run bottom of the 3rd inning that featured a tall, towering solo home run off the bat of C Brett Wright that put a charge into the sold-out, Saturday night crowd as it sailed high above the "hey y'all!" Porch. It would be the last scoring until the bottom of the 8th inning when 2B Otto Lopez led off with a double, advanced to third base on a passed ball as C Zack Jones couldn't handle a slider from RHP Ethan Larrison. With Lopez at third and RF Griffin Conine on at first base (intentional walk), Canadians 3B Bryan Lizardo hit into what should have been an inning ending double play, but Hops 2B Keshawn Lynch couldn't get the ball out of his glove in time after tagging Conine allowing Lizardo to beat the relay to first, giving the C's a 3-2 lead as Lopez scored from third base.
RHP Jose Espada went six innings of four-hit baseball, allowing two earned runs, striking out seven before handing the ball to RHP Justin Watts (2.0IP, 1H, 2SO) and RHP Cobi Johnsonwho pitched a perfect 9th to secure his fourth save of the season.
With the win, Vancouver (18-18) moves to just one game back of North Division leading Everett who got thumped 9-0 by Boise on Saturday night down in Idaho. The only way for Vancouver to claim the first-half North Division pennant is to win both Sunday (July 22) and Monday (July 23) and also have Everett lost both games down in Boise as the Aquasox hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with two games remaining.
Vancouver will send LHP Randy Pondler (0-4, 4.35) to the mound opposite RHP Matt Tabor (1-1, 4.85) on Sunday, July 22nd at 1:05pm as part of our A&W Family Fun Sunday.
Tickets to Sunday's game are SOLD OUT, but we do have tickets to Monday's series finale set for 7:05pm from Scotiabank Field and it could be a game that sees Vancouver clinch a post-season birth should they continue to win and Everett's struggled continue down in Idaho. Tickets are available by calling 604.872.5232, online here at canadiansbaseball.com or by visiting the Nat Bailey Stadium Box Office at 4601 Ontario Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Check back at www.canadiansbaseball.com for all the exciting details or visit us on social @vancanadians.
Images from this story
 Vancouver Canadians catcher Yorman Rodriguez |
Northwest League Stories from July 22, 2018
- Everett Wins First-Half Title and Beats Boise 5-1 - Boise Hawks
- C's Stay Afloat, Clinch Series from Hops - Hillsboro Hops
- C's handle Hops 5-3, hope for best down in Boise - Vancouver Canadians
- AquaSox Bats Cooled in Boise - Everett AquaSox
- C's Edge Hops with Late Run to Stay Alive in North Race - Hillsboro Hops
- Dust Devils Fall in Extras - Tri-City Dust Devils
- C's keep post-season hopes alive after 3-2 win - Vancouver Canadians
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