Fluharty, Brock Hold The Line In C's Triumph

EVERETT, WA – Command had been an issue for the Canadians pitching staff in their first six games of the year. They began the day averaging .7 walks per inning – the second highest total in the Northwest League – and added another nine walks to the ledger tonight, but Mason Fluharty and T.J. Brock had everything working for them to get the last 10 outs in an 8-7 come-from-behind win over the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) Wednesday night at Funko Field.

Fluharty (W, 1-0) was called upon with two outs in the sixth after the first five batters of the inning reached base, three of which had been issued free passes (including consecutive bases loaded walks that tied the game and gave the Frogs the lead). The southpaw struck out Ben Ramirez – who had doubled home three runs in his previous at-bat in the fifth – and stranded a pair on base to stop the bleeding and keep the score 7-5 Everett.

Alan Roden sparked the Canadians with a one-out bloop single in the seventh to set the stage for Rainer Nunez, who walloped a 3-0 pitch over the right centerfield wall to tie the game at seven. It was the #26 Blue Jays prospect’s first homer of the year.

After Fluharty set down the side in order in the bottom of the inning, Vancouver took the lead for good by manufacturing a run in the top of the eighth. The C’s used a lead-off walk, a two-base throwing error on a pickoff toss and a run-scoring passed ball to go in front 8-7.

The Frogs added to the intrigue when they managed to put the first two hitters of the bottom of the eighth on base with an infield hit and a seeing-eye single to represent the tying and go-ahead tallies. But Fluharty bore down to retire the next two hitters before passing the baton to Brock (S, 1), who came on and promptly dispatched #10 Mariners prospect Tyler Locklear via a three-pitch punch out.

The fireballing right-hander made quick work of the AquaSox in the ninth by striking out the side on 11 pitches to secure the win and even the series at one game apiece.

Vancouver had started the scoring with a two-out, two-run homer from Alex De Jesus in the opening frame and added two more on a two-out double from Dasan Brown in the second before Everett got to C’s starter Chad Dallas for four runs in the fifth. The right-hander cruised through his first four and two-thirds innings of work, but a two-out double from #12 Mariners prospect Jonatan Clase then three consecutive walks to force home the first Everett run of the game and end his night kept the Orange, TX native from becoming the pitcher of record. The three runners he left behind all scored on the Ramirez double.

Three of the first five Canadians wins this year have been in comeback style. Eight of nine starters had a hit while Nunez, Roden and Karl Ellison paced the offense with two hits apiece.

Vancouver and Everett make a quick return to the field tomorrow morning for the third game of the set, with former Frog and #9 Blue Jays prospect Adam Macko – acquired during the offseason in the trade that sent Teoscar Hernandez to the Mariners – making his organizational debut opposite Juan Mercedes. First pitch from Funko Field is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. and coverage is available via CanadiansBaseball.com, the MiLB app and the Sportsnet Radio Network.