Late Rally Comes Up Just Short In 3-2 Defeat

VANCOUVER, BC – A ninth inning surge saw the Canadians come within 180 feet of a walk-off win, but the bats couldn’t quite complete the comeback in a 3-2 loss to the Eugene Emeralds (SF) Saturday afternoon at The Nat.

Down 3-1 after eight and a half and held hitless by a duo of Ems hurlers, the C’s ended Eugene’s bid for history on the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth when Hayden Gilliland doubled off the base of the centrefield wall. A wild pitch moved him to third and a one-out single from Tucker Toman made it 3-2 before a Matt Scannell base hit put runners at the corners with one out. Scannell would steal second to put two men in scoring position, but consecutive outs followed and Vancouver fell 3-2.

Eugene started the scoring with a run in the third before the Canadians tied the game without recording a hit in the fifth. A two-out strikeout/passed ball put Scannell on base, who promptly stole second. A walk continued the frame then a throwing error by the second baseman brought in Scannell to tie the game 1-1.

The Emeralds plated single runs in the eighth and ninth to retake the lead and add some insurance before Vancouver’s late flurry of activity in the final stanza.

On the mound, Eminen Flores was the lone C’s pitcher to hold the Ems scoreless. The righty went 3.1 innings of scoreless relief in which he faced the minimum; he surrendered a hit that was erased on a double play, issued no walks and K’ed two in his finest outing on the young season.

With the loss, the Canadians drop to 1-7 on the year and have been felled in consecutive series despite the losses coming in games decided by three runs or less.

They’ll look to salvage the finale tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 p.m. as part of a White Spot Family Fun Sunday that features an umbrella giveaway and postgame kids runs the bases. #4 Blue Jays prospect Johnny King takes on #17 Giants prospect Luis De La Torre in a battle of southpaws across the C’s Broadcast Network: Sportsnet 650 and Bally Sports Live/MiLB.TV. Get tickets at CanadiansBaseball.com.