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Canadians 2013: The Road To The Three-Peat

By Rob Fai
September 10, 2013

(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, B.C.) - It seemed all too familiar and yet oh, so different for the Vancouver Canadians heading into the Northwest League postseason for a fourth consecutive year.

In 2010, the Canadians were swept by the Everett Aquasox in the West Division Final before returning to the playoffs in both 2011 and 2012 disposing of both Tri-City and Boise respectively to win back-to-back Northwest League Championships.

This year, there was no blue chip prospect or first rounder to hang your hat on, more so, a collection of second year Canadians and players who were working toward their projected ceiling in hopes that a summer in Vancouver could help them find their way back on track.

In the North Division Final, the Canadians would face the Everett Aquasox who laid claim to both the first and second half pennants which ended up helping Vancouver who based on a divisional tie-breaker got into the post-season having finished with a better overall record (39-37) than Spokane (38-38) and Tri-City (33-43) through 76 regular season games.

 

North Division Final - Game One - Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013:

(from canadiansbaseball.com Press Release)

(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, B.C.) - A four-run outburst in the bottom of the 6th inning broke a 1-1 tie helping the Vancouver Canadians to a decisive 5-1 victory over the Everett Aquasox in Game One of the 2013 NWL North Division Final on Tuesday.

Canadians RHP Tom Robson (Ladner, B.C.) was stellar in his first professional post-season appearance going five strong innings allowing just one run while striking out four. His only blemish came in the top of the 4th inning when Robson walked Everett SS Jake Reinheimer who stole second base and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch. It would be the only run the Aquasox would score.

The trio of LHP Matt Dermody (2.0IP), RHP Garrett Pickens (1.0IP) and RHP Chuck Ghysels (1.0IP) would come in to slam the door over the final four innings on Tuesday with Dermody grabbing the win.

Offensively, the Canadians had a ten-hit performance with 1B L.B. Dantzler, LF Brendan Kalfus, 2B Andy Fermin and new C's DH Mitch Nay all going 2-for-4 on the night. Kalfus who smack a hard single to right field scoring both 1B L.B. Dantzler and 3B Justin Atkinson as part of a four run inning that helped the C's snap a 1-1 tie and take the best-of-three opener over the Aquasox.

 

North Division Final - Game Two - Wednesday, September 4th, 2013:

(from canadiansbaseball.com Press Release)

(Memorial Stadium - Everett, WA) - The Vancouver Canadians advanced to the Northwest League Championship for a third straight season with an 11-4 victory over the Everett Aquasox on Wednesday night.

The Canadians fell behind 3-0 in the bottom of the 1st inning as starter RHP Jeremy Gabryszwski struggled early allowing five hits including a double off the bat of RF Austin Wilson that scored CF Mike Faulkner. 

Vancouver wasted little time striking back with five runs in the top of the 2nd inning with CF Chaz Frank grabbing a two-run double that scored both C Mike Reeves and LF Brendan Kalfus to put the Canadians up 5-3.

After the Aquasox drew within a run, Vancouver broke out with five more runs in the top of the 4th inning that saw DH Mitch Nay hit his first home run with the Vancouver Canadians, a three-run home run that helped the C's to a 10-4 lead.

Vancouver would tack on a lone run in the top of the 7th inning when SS Dawel Lugo reached base on an error and then scored on a double from C Mike Reeves who finished the night 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

RHP Jeremy Gabryszwski went five innings for the victory, while four relievers including RHP Chase DeJong (1.0IP); LHP Scott Silverstein (1.0IP); RHP Brady Dragmire (1.0IP) and RHP Drew Permison (1.0IP) went four scoreless innings. The C's bullpen finished the two-game sweep of Everett going eight scoreless innings.

 

Northwest League Championship - Game One - Friday, September 6th, 2013:

(from canadiansbaseball.com Press Release)

(Memorial Stadium - Boise, ID) - A three-run rally in the bottom of the 6th inning helped catapult the Boise Hawks to a commanding 5-0 victory over the Vancouver Canadians in Game One of the 2013 Northwest League Championship on Friday night in Boise, Idaho. The win gives Boise a one-game-to-none lead in the best-of-three series.

Vancouver starter LHP Jairo Labourt made his Canadians debut on Friday striking out ten Hawks hitters in the Game One loss while Boise RHP Dillon Maples went 6.1 IP allowing six hits while striking out seven.

Boise opened the scoring in the bottom of the 3rd inning when SS Carlos Penalver hit a triple off of to center field and scored on a groundout from 2B Danny Lockhart.

Boise scored three in the bottom of the 6th inning which was highlighted by a two-run double from 3B David Bote that scored both 1B Jacob Rogers (HBP) and LF Rony Rodriguez (single) to help build a 4-0 lead.

A solo home run in the bottom of the 7th inning off the bat of C Lance Rymel off of Canadians reliever RHP Brady Dragmire capped off the night for Boise to won 5-0 to take a 1-0 series lead over the Canadians with Game Two set for Sunday, September 8th at 1:00pm in Vancouver.

Notes:  The Hawks did not allow a run on home soil over 18 innings in the 2013 Playoffs as they shut out Salem-Keizer 3-0 before topping the Canadians 5-0…  Boise hitting coach Bill Buckner was ejected in the bottom of the 3rd inning (arguing called third strike on CF Kevin Encarancion that was never thrown - umpire thought Encarnacion was taking too long to get back into batter's box after arguing the second called strike)…  Canadians CF Chaz Frank was ejected in the top of the 5th inning (after being picked off at 1B).

 

Northwest League Championship - Game Two - Sunday, September 8th, 2013:

(from canadiansbaseball.com Press Release)

(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, B.C.) - A two-run triple off the bat of Canadians 2B Andy Fermin helped Vancouver force a final game in the best-of-three Northwest League Championship after a 4-2 victory on Sunday afternoon out at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.

The Canadians and Hawks traded runs early with Canadians LHP Kyle Anderson going five innings allowing just the one run while Boise starter RHP Paul Blackburn went five innings striking out nine in the no-decision.

Vancouver would break to deadlock with a run in the bottom of the 6th inning when 2B Andy Fermin and DH Mitch Nay collected back-to-back singles off of Boise reliever RHP Corbin Hoffner before SS Dawel Lugo cashed Fermin in with a RBI single to left field giving the Canadians a 2-1 lead.

Fermin would be in the middle of the Canadians offensive outburst in the bottom of the 7th inning as his triple scored both 3B Justin Atkinson (single) and CF Chaz Frank (walk) to give Vancouver a 4-1 cushion. Fermin would finish 2-for-4 on the night.

After the Hawks managed a run off of Canadians reliever LHP Matt Dermody in the top of the 8th inning, closer RHP Chuck Ghysels would come in load the bases with a pair of walks to both LF Rony Rodriguez and PH Justin Marra, but buckled down with two out to get 3B David Bote swinging to end the Boise rally.

Canadians LHP Scott Silverstein came in and pitched a scoreless top of the 9th to help Vancouver even this best-of-three series at 1-1.

 

Northwest League Championship - Game Three - Monday, September 9th, 2013:

(from canadiansbaseball.com Press Release)

(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, B.C.) - Ladner, B.C. native RHP Tom Robson was dominant over his 6 1/3 innings of work while Northwest League MVP L.B. Dantzler smacked a two-run double in the bottom of the 3rd inning to help the Vancouver Canadians to a third consecutive NWL championship on Monday night.

Vancouver's sold out crowd was electric right from the game's first pitch and saw Canadians RHP Tom Robson dominate over his 6 1/3 innings of work. Robson limited the Hawks to just three hits and did not issue so much as a walk before turning the ball over to the bullpen where LHP Alonzo Gonzalez (1.2IP) and RHP Chuck Ghysels (1.0IP) kept Boise off the scoreboard.

Offensively, the Canadians grabbed a pair of runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning when 1B L.B. Dantzler doubled to center field off of Boise starter RHP Mike Wagner who went 3 1/3 innings allowing a pair of runs. Dantzler's double scored both 2B Andy Fermin and DH Mitch Nay to give Vancouver an early lead.

The Canadians would tack on three runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to put the game out of reach with second year Vancouver outfielder RF Ian Parmley delivering the knockout blow, a two run single that scored both C Michael Reeves and 3B Justin Atkinson extending the lead to 5-0 which would be the final.

With the victory, Vancouver becomes the first team since the 1993-1995 Boise Hawks to win three straight Northwest League Championships and win three straight for the first time in franchise history.