C's Victimized By First Place Ems In Series-Opening Loss

VANCOUVER, BC – A rare rough outing for #7 Blue Jays prospect Sem Robberse and a sustained onslaught from the best team in the Northwest League combined to hand the Vancouver Canadians a 9-4 loss against the Eugene Emeralds (Giants) Tuesday night at Nat Bailey Stadium.

Things started well enough for the Canadians. Robberse (L, 3-2) retired the side in order in the top of the first with just six pitches before a lead-off walk, a single, an RBI double by Addison Barger and a Tyler Keenan sacrifice fly made it 2-0 after one.

Eugene tied it on a two-out, two-run homer from Luis Toribio in the second, but the C’s retook a one-run lead after a hit by pitch and a ringing double off the wall in right field courtesy of Garrett Spain in the home half of the inning.

From there it was nearly all Emeralds. Robberse – who again set down the side consecutively in the third – surrendered five runs on six hits with two walks and a hit batter between the fourth and the fifth and was pulled before he could finish his fifth frame, the first time he has not gone five or more in a game that was not affected by rain.

Vancouver’s only other run came in inning number five. Davis Schneider doubled – his sixth in his last seven games – and Trevor Schwecke singled him home three batters later to make it a three-run deficit, but Eugene would add two more in the eighth on Toribio’s second homer of the day plus a hit batter, wild pitch, ground out and sacrifice fly.

Alejandro Melean was excellent in relief; he retired seven of eight batters faced over 2.1 scoreless innings after Robberse’s exit. Southpaw Braden Scott made his C’s debut in the ninth and struck out the side.

Schneider and Spain paced the offense with two hits apiece. The former – who was named Northwest League Player of the Week yesterday for his performance in the previous series – went two-for-three with two runs scored and a walk to improve his June slash line to .429/.455/.857/1.312. He has a hit in seven straight.

The Canadians will aim to even the series with the Emeralds Wednesday night. #22 Blue Jays prospect Chad Dallas gets the ball for Vancouver opposite Eugene’s Wil Jensen. Coverage begins with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. on MiLB.TV and the Sportsnet Radio Network.