Eugene Em-scapes with 5-2 victory in Vancouver

Vancouver goes 2-21 with runners in scoring position, as the Ems' pitchers fight in and out of trouble for a 5-2 victory on Canada Day in front of 6,413 at Nat Bailey Stadium.

In a stadium filled with Canadian flags and an amped up crowd waiting to explode before the postgame fireworks show for Canada Day, the Emeralds' pitching staff provided fireworks of their own, consistently working out of trouble to win their 2^nd game in this road series.
Unlike most games this season, the Emeralds (11-6) got on the board first in their very first at bat, with Gustavo Polanco blooping a shot to shallow center, scoring Ademan from 2^nd with two outs to take a 1-0 lead.
The lead would not last long, however, as the Canadians (10-7) got a ringing double off the bat of Mattingly Romanin in the 2^nd off Ems' starter Matt Swarmer (2-0), scoring Deiferson Barreto. That run scoring play came after a 1^st inning in which Swarmer battled through a bases loaded, 1-out jam unscathed.
In the 5^th inning, after largely cruising through his first four innings of work, Vancouver starter Dany Jimenez (1-1) exited in the middle of the at-bat to Tolly Filotei with runners on 1^st and 2^nd, nobody out. After a 1-1 fastball, Jimenez immediately crouched down, grabbing his right forearm as if something felt wrong, and he had to be taken out of the game. With the emergency call to the bullpen, the Ems took advantage.
Zach Davis singled off reliever Bobby Eveld, loading the bases with just one out. Aramis Ademan then drove a fastball right back up the middle, scoring 2 runs and giving Eugene a 3-1 lead. After an RBI groundout by Miguel Amaya scored Davis from third, Gustavo Polanco fought off an inside pitch and deposited it into right field, scoring Ademan for the second time in the ballgame, this time giving the Ems a 5-1 lead.
The Canadians did not go quietly into the night, however, as they put runners in scoring position in each of the last 4 innings. Manuel Rodriguez, Holden Cammack, and Andin Diaz kept their cool, preserving the lead despite multiple tough at-bats and nail-biting moments through the final frames to finish off a 5-2 victory.
Credit the Emeralds' pitching staff from their most recent swing, as the team has won 9 of their last 10 games, largely thanks to a team ERA of 2.28 that leads the Northwest League by more than half a run. In this ballgame, the Canadians had runners in scoring position in 8 of their 9 innings at-bat, but the pitchers from the Emerald Valley consistently made their best pitches in the most tense of moments.
Game 4 of the series will be Sunday afternoon, with Alonso Garcia getting the start for the Ems in a 1:05pm start at Nat Bailey Stadium. Catch all of the action on 95.3 The Score and see if Eugene can win their 3^rd in a row and stay atop the First Half South Division standings.