Britton's Walk-Off Jack Helps C's Top Tri-City
VANCOUVER, BC – Zach Britton’s first month in High-A was long on frustration and short on hard contact. He collected eight hits in 16 games, batted .145 and reached base about 31 percent of the time. What a difference a new month makes; the Batesville, IN native is hitting .308
VANCOUVER, BC – Zach Britton’s first month in High-A was long on frustration and short on hard contact. He collected eight hits in 16 games, batted .145 and reached base about 31 percent of the time. What a difference a new month makes; the Batesville, IN native is hitting .308 with 16 hits in 16 games this month, the most recent of which was a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth Saturday afternoon to help the Vancouver Canadians take down the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 3-2 in front of nearly 6,000 fans at Nat Bailey Stadium.
Britton’s game-winning blast was part of his finest showing of the year at the plate. The fifth-round pick in 2020 stroked a lead-off double in the second and scored on a Miguel Hiraldo single to tie the game 1-1 then clubbed his third homer of the year – and second in as many days – in his next at-bat to make it 2-1 C’s after four.
That would be the score until the top of the ninth. Tri-City managed to tie the game on a lead-off single and a double in the next at-bat, but Will McAffer (W, 2-1) managed to get the next three hitters and strand the go-ahead run at third to preserve the tie and set up Britton’s heroics in the home half.
Naswell Paulino made the start and turned in five innings of one-run ball in which he scattered four hits, walked one and struck out two. Thomas Ruwe followed with two scoreless stanzas of relief.
Cameron Eden had two hits as the other multi-knock performance of the day for the Vancouver offense. Hiraldo’s game-tying single in the second ended a 0-for-17 stretch at the plate for the #12 Blue Jays prospect.
The Canadians return to action for an A&W Family Fun Sunday and Autograph Book Giveaway tomorrow afternoon as they seek their first series win since they took four of five from Tri-City in Pasco April 12-17. Right-hander Alejandro Melean goes for the C’s while the Dust Devils send righty Ryan Costeiu to the hill. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. with coverage on MiLB.TV, CanadiansBaseball.com and the Sportsnet Radio Network.