Year In Review - The Playoffs
You could excuse the Canadians for being a bit two-faced heading into this series as for the past two weeks Vancouver had been cheering for the Eugene Emeralds, and now they found themselves gearing up to beat them into a pulp.
The Emeralds would not be an easy task as the first and second half pennant winner featured 1st Round selection Jace Peterson, outfielder Lee Orr and a compliment of pitching that could rival any in the Northwest League.
Led by first-year manager Pat Murphy, the NCAA college legend had guided the likes of Arizona State and Notre Dame to college elitism before finding his way to the professional ranks.
The Canadians were impressive at home in 2011 going 12 games above .500 on the summer, but were awful on the road going 4-17 (.190) in the second half of the Northwest League season. Simply put, with the Emeralds standing in front of them and two of the three games set for PK Park, chances were the Canadians stay in the playoffs was to be brief.
Game One: Monday, September 5th, 2011: From the Vancouver Canadians Press Release:
Eugene SS Jace Peterson ended up a single shy of the cycle as the visiting Emeralds opened up the 2011 Scotiabank Playoffs with a convincing 8-3 victory over the Vancouver Canadians on Monday afternoon in front of 2,356 sun soaked fans out at Scotiabank Field.
Peterson, a first-round selection in this year's MLB First-Year Player Draft opened the scoring in the top of the 1st inning when he crushed a RHP Blake McFarland fastball over the right field fence to give Eugene an early 1-0 lead.
The Canadians would answer with a solo home run off the bat of RF Nick Baligod who got to Emeralds starter RHP Cody Hebner evening the game at 1-1.
Eugene would continue to get to McFarland in the top of the 2nd inning when RF Lee Orr pounded a pitch over the left field wall to help the Emeralds to the second lead of the afternoon.
With a run in the top of the 3rd and 5th innings, the Emeralds took a 4-1 lead into the top of the 6th inning where they would score a trio of runs off of Canadians reliever RHP Kramer Champlin that included three consecutive base hits from RF Lee Orr, DH Jose Dore and 1B Zach Kometani to help extend the Ems lead to 7-1.
Vancouver would catch a break in the bottom of the 7th inning when C Pierce Rankin would single to center off of Eugene reliever RHP Chris Wilkes followed by a walk to 3B Andy Burns. Eugene manager Pat Murphy went to his bullpen shortly after pulling out RHP Luis de la Cruz who would get two quick outs before 2B Jon Berti would slap a single past SS Jace Peterson that would slip by LF Justin Miller allowing both Rankin and Burns to score to cut the lead to 7-3.
The Emeralds would put the cap on this 'gem' in the top of the 9th inning when SS Jace Peterson tripled to the left center field gap and scored shortly after on a wild pitch from Canadians reliever LHP Shane Davis making it a 8-3 final.
The Canaians would now trail 1-game-to-none in a best-of-three playoff and the final two games of the West Division final were on the road.
A road that had been brutal to the Canadians over the final five weeks of the regular season.
Game Two: Tuesday, September 6th, 2011: From the Vancouver Canadians Press Release:
(PK Park - Eugene, OR) - An eight-run outburst saw Vancouver send twelve hitters to the plate in the bottom of the 6th inning helping the C's top the Eugene Emeralds 10-3 out at PK Park on Tuesday evening.
The Canadians got out of the gate with a bang in the top of the 1st inning as leadoff hitter 2B Jon Berti hit his 1st home run of the 2011 Scotiabank Playoffs to give Vancouver an early 1-0 lead.
After Eugene tied the game in the home half of the 1st inning, Vancouver regained the lead in the top half of the 2nd inning when DH Balbino Fuenmayor slammed his 1st home run of the post-season off of Eugene starter RHP Mark Pope to help the C's take a 2-1 lead.
It was a one-run game until the top of the 6th inning when the Canadians offense exploded for eight runs as Eugene needed three pitchers (RHP James Jones 0.1IP; RHP Luis De La Cruz 0.1IP and RHP Kyle Brule 0.1IP) to stop the attack. All eight of the Canadians runs came around to count with two outs in the inning including back-to-back two-run base hits from LF Matt Newman and DH Balbino Fuenmayor to help Vancouver to a 10-1 margin.
Eugene would manage to cut the Canadians lead to 10-3, but Vancouver groomed themselves for a one-game showdown against the Emeralds on Wednesday, September 7th at 7:05pm from PK Park in Eugene, Oregon. With this best-of-three Northwest League West Division Playoff now tied at a game a piece, the Canadians will send RHP Aaron Sanchez to the mound in search of a date in the NWL Championship against the Tri-City Dust Devils who topped the Boise Hawks in the East Division Playoffs two games to none.
The Canadians were one game away from doing the unimaginable and advancing to the Northwest League Championship. But the skeptics believed that the team that had 'backed into' the post-season would surely have their worts exposed. What they didn't take into consideration was Aaron Sanchez.
Game Three: Wednesday, September 7th, 2011: From the Vancouver Canadians Press Release:
(PK Park - Eugene, OR) - With two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning and the winning run out at second base, Canadians closer RHP Drew Permison managed to get C Matt Colantonio to ground out sending Vancouver to an improbable date in the Northwest League Championship against the Tri-City Dust Devils that will open on Friday in Pasco, WA.
The Canadians offense got to Eugene starter RHP Colin Rea in the top of the 1st inning putting a trio of runs on the board that included a two-run single off the bat of DH Balbino Fuenmayor.
Vancouver would tack on a run in the top of the 2nd inning when SS Shane Opitz drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on a double from CF Kevin Pillar to extend the C's lead to 4-0.
A fifth run would come into count in the top of the 3rd inning when LF Matt Newman slapped a single to right field off of Eugene reliever RHP William Scott and then scored on a double from C Pierce Rankin to give Vancouver a 5-0 lead.
Canadians starter RHP Aaron Sanchez dazzled on Wednesday going 4 2/3 innings, giving up just one hit while striking out eight in his second straight dominating performance.
Eugene was held off the scoresheet until the bottom of the when Canadians reliever RHP Philip Brua gave up a single to SS Casey McElroy, followed by a double from 3B Alberth Martinez to make it 5-1.
A pair of runs helped the Eugene Emeralds make a game of it in the bottom of the 7th inning when3B Alberth Martinez hit a double that would chase Brua from the game as the native of Avon, OH was replaced by reliever RHP Bryan Longpre. The next hitter was Emeralds SS Jace Peterson who smacked a single to left field and both he and Martinez would come around to count on a single off the bat of SS Casey McElroy making it a 5-3 ballgame.
The Canadians would be pushed to the brink in the bottom of the 9th inning when closer RHP Drew Permison would issue a leadoff walk to PH Justin Miller and then another one to 3B Alberth Martinez. SS Jace Peterson would then smack a single to center field that would load the bases with no one out and the C's up 5-3. From there, LF Jose Dore would ground out to Canadians SS Shane Opitz who opted to throw Dore out as opposed to challenging Miller at the plate to make it a 5-4 game. From there, Permison would intentionally walk SS Casey McElroy to load the bases putting the force on at every base before he struck out 2B Travis Whitmore and then got C Matt Colantonio to ground out to Opitz to end the game stranding all three runners.
So the Canadians had done it! Off we go to the 2011 Northwest League Championship where Vancouver had been twice before in frahcise history dating back to 2000 (2004, 2005) but had never won a Championship. Twice the bridesmaid, never the bride.
But the opponent was also looking for their first ring as the Tri-City Dust Devils, led by manager Freddie Ocasio, had ALSO been to the Northwest League Championship twice and never had been the final team standing (2007, 2009). So one of the teams in 2011 was going to get the proverbial monkey off of their back, while the other's monkey just got heavier.
Game One: Friday, September 9th, 2011: 2011 NORTHWEST LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP presented by Scotiabank From the Vancouver Canadians Press Release:
(Gesa Stadium - Pasco, WA) - Both RHP Ajay Meyer and CF Kevin Pillar have yet to play a game out at Scotiabank Field and yet they have helped the Vancouver Canadians to within a game of the Northwest League Championship after a 6-3 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils out at Gesa Stadium on Friday night.
The Canadians wasted little time getting on the board offensively putting three runs up off of Tri-City starter RHP Ben Alsup. 1B Kevin Patterson provided the big blow with a two-run double off the center field wall that helped the C's take a 3-0 lead.
After the Dust Devils managed a run in the bottom of the 2nd inning, the Canadians regained the three-run cushion when CF Kevin Pillar hit a tall, towering home run over the left field fence.
Tri-City would get their final pair of runs on the night in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Canadians starter RHP Ajay Meyer walked 1B Tyler Massey who scored shortly after on a double off the bat of RF Jared Simon. The Dust Devils right fielder would then come around to count on a single from DH Leo Reyes to make it a 4-3 Vancouver lead.
Vancouver grabbed a pair of runs in the 6th inning when RF Nick Baligod hit his 2nd home run of the post-season followed by 1B Kevin Patterson doubling before coming in to count on a single from DH Balbino Fuenmayor to make it 6-3.
From there the bullpens took over as Tri-City's RHP Chris Jensen pitched three scoreless frames, striking out five, while Canadians RHP Aleson Escalante went four innings allowing just one hit to help preserve Vancouver's bullpen for the rest of the series.
The Canadians would get contributions from a few new faces recently called up from Bluefield of the Appy League and suddenly the boys were back and firing on all cylinders heading into Game Two. The Dust Devils however, still had their two top guns poised and ready to pitch their way past the C's.
Game Two: Saturday, September 10th, 2011: 2011 NORTHWEST LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP presented by Scotiabank From the Vancouver Canadians Press Release:
(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, BC) - With the Canadians trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the 9th inning, Vancouver loaded the bases with one out, but 2B Jon Berti grounded into a controversial game ending double play to send the Northwest League Championship to a third and final game as Tri-City hung on to a crucial 5-3 victory on Saturday night.
The Canadians opened the scoring in the bottom of the 3rd inning when C Chris Schaeffer hit his first home run of the summer off of Tri-City starter RHP Christian Bergman. Shortly after, Vancouver SS Shane Opitz doubled, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of 2B Jon Berti to give the C's a 2-0 lead.
The Dust Devils would answer with a trio of runs off of Canadians starter RHP Blake McFarland in the top of the 4th inning which included a two-run double off the bat of 3B Sam Mende that scored both DH Jaron Shepherd and SS Taylor Featherston to give Tri-City their first lead of the series.
Tri-City would grab another pair of runs in the top of the 6th inning when SS Taylor Featherston would single and come around to score on a double from 3B Sam Mende who scored later on a passed ball as Canadians reliever LHP Tyler Ybarra offered up a pitch that C Chris Schaeffer couldn't handle. That would give the Dust Devils a 5-3 lead.
Vancouver would manage a run in the bottom of the 7th inning shortly after Tri-City manager Freddie Ocasio went to his bullpen and grabbed RHP Will Rankin. C Chris Schaeffer would grab a single and move out to second when Rankin walked SS Shane Opitz. From there, 2B Jon Berti singled home Schaeffer to cut the lead to 5-3.
The Canadians had their chance to win the Northwest League Championship in the bottom of the 9th inning when Tri-City reliever RHP Nelson Gonzalez entered the game and gave up a double to DH Balbino Fuenmayor and then walked PH Stephen McQuail. PR Garrett Maines and PR Andy Burns would replace the runners before SS Shane Opitz would walk to load the bases with just one out.
With the tying run at second base and the Championship run on at first, Canadians 2B Jon Berti would hit a ground ball out to SS Taylor Featherston who began a game-ending, series-evening double play. The relay from Tri-City 2B Tim Smalling was disputed as some thought Berti might have beat the throw.
Regardless, the Canadians and Dust Devils will play in a one-game, winner takes all for the 2011 Northwest League Championship on Sunday, September 11th at 1:05pm out at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium. The Canadians will send RHP Jesse Hernandez to the mound against Tri-City starter RHP Tyler Gagnon.
A one-game, for all the marbles.
Game Three: Sunday, September 11th, 2011: 2011 NORTHWEST LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP presented by Scotiabank From the Vancouver Canadians Press Release:
(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, BC) - A five-run bottom of the 7th inning was the insurance needed to help the Vancouver Canadians pull away from the Tri-City Dust Devils to become Northwest League Champions with a 9-2 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Tri-City opened the scoring in the top of the 4th inning when CF Brian Humphries smacked a single off of Canadians starter RHP Jesse Hernandez before RF Jared Simon would hit his second double of the post-season to bring Humphries home and give the Dust Devils a 1-0 lead.
Vancouver answered back in the home half of the inning putting a trio of runs on the board which included a two-run single off the bat of C Pierce Rankin. Both 1B Kevin Patterson and 3B Andy Burns would come into count giving the C's a 3-1 lead.
Canadians starter RHP Jesse Hernandez dazzled in the one game, winner takes all match-up going six innings, scattering just three hits while striking out nine to help the C's maintain control out at Scotiabank Field.
The Canadians would blow the game wide open in the bottom of the 7th inning plating five runs including 2B Jon Berti's 2nd home run of the playoffs. DH Balbino Fuenmayor would also provide an offensive punch with a two-run triple that gave Vancouver a seven-run cushion.
Both teams would trade runs in the 8th inning before Canadians RHP Drew Permison came in to slam the door in the top of the 9th inning getting LF Jaron Shepherd to ground out to 2B Jon Berti to end the game.
With this, the Vancouver Canadians became the Champions of the Northwest League!