Ems Shutout Canadians in 3-0 Win

After dropping the first two games of the series in wild fashion, the Ems bounced back and picked up the 3-0 win over the Canadians in the third game of a five-game series in Vancouver.

Wednesday afternoon affair, a tradition dubbed as a "Nooner at the Nat", was billed as a pitchers duel with RHP Miguel Castro starting for the C's while RHP Michael Kelly took the mound for the Ems, and the two would not disappoint as both starters each tossed a stellar five innings.

The only blemish on Castro's afternoon came in the fourth inning after allowing runners to reach second and third base. With Yale Rosen on third and Trae Santos on second, Chase Jensen stepped up to the plate and hit a fly ball to left field that proved just deep enough for Rosen to tag and score, giving the Ems the 1-0 lead.

Kelly, who did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, was superb over his five innings of work, allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out three Canadians batters.

The 1-0 score held all the way until the ninth inning when the Ems would add some extra insurance. With Edwin Moreno on second base and Marcus Davis on first with one out in the ninth, Yale Rosen smacked his seventh double of the season allowing Moreno to score easily and extending the Ems lead to 2-0. Moments later, a balk by Canadians relief pitcher Yeyfry Del Rosario resulted in Davis being awarded home and the Ems leading 3-0.

In the bottom of the ninth, Ems closer Bryan Verbitsky came on for the second consecutive night and promptly pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out the final batter to seal the 3-0 win for the Ems.

With the win, the Emeralds put up a shutout for the first time this season, as Kelly, Verbitsky, and reliever Aaron Cressley combined to hold the Canadians offense to just four hits on the afternoon. Meanwhile, Ems slugger Trae Santos finished 3-5 at the plate with a double and a stolen base, and Marcus Davis had yet another multi-hit game, bumping his batting average up to .355 on the season.

The Ems and Canadians will face off again tomorrow at 7:05om at Nat Bailey Stadium, and you can follow along live on 95.3FM The Score, EmeraldsBaseball.com, or on the MiLB First Pitch app.

For information on tickets, call (541) 342-5367, visit www.EmeraldsBaseball.com, or stop by the Eugene Emeralds box office at 2760 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, located next to PK Park on the North side of Autzen Stadium.