Ugly Loss Ends Rough Series in Everett
April 23, 2023 - Northwest League (NWL)
Vancouver Canadians News Release
EVERETT, WA - If baseball was played with two outs in an inning instead of three, the Canadians would have blanked the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 3-0 at Funko Field on Sunday. Instead, the Frogs drove in all their runs with two outs and went six-for-nine with runners in scoring position to drub the C's 11-3 and hand Vancouver its fourth loss in a row.
Consecutive two out doubles in the bottom of the first gave the 'Sox an early 1-0 lead, but #8 Blue Jays prospect Cade Doughty answered in the top of the second by crushing the first pitch of the frame to dead centerfield to tie the game. It was the first of his High-A career.
The game stayed tied until the bottom of the third. With two outs and the bases empty, top Mariners prospect Harry Ford worked an eight-pitch walk to extend the inning. Ben Ramirez doubled him home on the very next pitch and Tyler Locklear - Seattle's tenth-best prospect - homered for the second time in the series in the subsequent at-bat. A walk and a wild pitch followed, which set up a run-scoring single by Randy Bednar to put the AquaSox in front 5-1.
Vancouver got as close as they would get to coming back in the top of fifth when Alan Roden uncorked his first big fly of the year to make it 5-3, but the wheels fell off, the transmission fell out and the car caught on fire in the bottom of that inning.
Things began innocently enough. Excellently, in fact, after the first two hitters of the inning flew out on the first two pitches of the frame. But Axel Sanchez was hit by the third pitch of the inning, which was the first crack in the dam before the floodgates opened. The next five batters went: walk, two-RBI double, walk, wild pitch, RBI single, pitching change, three-run homer. When the dust settled, Everett had scored six runs thanks to a total of six hitters reaching with two outs and the C's trailed 11-3.
Neither team scored again, but it was enough to last the Canadians until they return to Funko Field in June. The bus couldn't start fast enough.
Despite the one-sided track meet (Everett pounded out 12 hits, the most Vancouver has surrendered in a game this year), there were several individual performers who stood out. Abdiel Mendoza, Conner Cooke and TJ Brock all put up zeroes and the latter two didn't surrender a hit. At the plate, Roden and Doughty led the way with two hits apiece and Josh Kasevich reached twice as well. Kasevich and first baseman Riley Tirotta combined on one of the best defensive plays of the year when they completed a 5-3 ground out after Kasevich ranged to his right to field a chopper up the line, fielded the ball on the backhand side and fired a short hop throw across the diamond as his momentum carried him into the third base coach's box. Tirotta - who is still relatively new at the first base position - made a long stretch and perfectly picked the throw out of the turf just before the runner arrived at the bag to get the first out of the seventh inning.
After an off day on Monday, the C's return to Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium for the first of six games with the Eugene Emeralds (Giants) and a rematch of the 2022 Northwest League Championship Series. Gates open at 6 p.m. and first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. as part of First Responders Appreciation Night and an A&W Toque Giveaway. Coverage is available on CanadiansBaseball.com, Bally Live, MiLB TV and the Sportsnet Radio Network.
Northwest League Stories from April 23, 2023
- Emeralds Sweep 6-Game Series Against Hillsboro - Eugene Emeralds
- Ugly Loss Ends Rough Series in Everett - Vancouver Canadians
- Tri-City Shuts Out Spokane, Splits Series - Tri-City Dust Devils
- AquaSox Make a Splash Winning Their Fourth in a Row - Everett AquaSox
- Back Where It All Started: Austin Bibens-Dirkx - Everett AquaSox
- Emeralds Win 5th Straight Against the Hillsboro Hops - Eugene Emeralds
- Indians Hold off Dust Devils - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Ems Sweep Doubleheader from Hops - Hillsboro Hops
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