Mistakes, Missed Opportunities Freeze C's In Loss
PASCO, WA – A dropped pop fly at second base in the bottom of the eighth led to three unearned runs that proved to be the difference Tuesday, as the Vancouver Canadians fell in game one of their series with the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 7-5 on a near-freezing night
PASCO, WA – A dropped pop fly at second base in the bottom of the eighth led to three unearned runs that proved to be the difference Tuesday, as the Vancouver Canadians fell in game one of their series with the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 7-5 on a near-freezing night at Gesa Stadium.
Trailing 4-3 to start the bottom of the eighth, the C’s sent reliever Thomas Ruwe back to the hill following a scoreless seventh. After a flyout and a double, Dust Devils designated hitter Kenyon Yovan hit a routine pop fly to the right side of the infield. Second baseman Miguel Hiraldo settled underneath it before the ball clanged in and out of his glove to put runners at the corners with one out. Ruwe struck out the next better then filled the count to Jose Guzman, but his 3-2 pitch hit the dirt and skipped to the backstop to allow the runner to score from third. After a pitching change, Jordyn Adams tripled home two to put Tri-City ahead 7-3
Vancouver rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth – highlighted by Zach Britton’s RBI double for his first hit of the season – but it was too little too late in a 7-5 defeat.
The C’s started the scoring with two runs in the top of the first. They tagged start Landon Marceaux for four consecutive two-out base hits, including run-scoring knocks from Addison Barger and Davis Schneider, but violated the baseball textbook by making the final out of the inning at third base and stymieing the rally to keep the score 2-0.
Tri-City proved why they have started the season undefeated. They scored a run in the first then got some help from a Canadians error and three walks in the bottom of the second, the last of which forced in the tying run. After Riley Tirotta started the third with a walk and a stolen base then scored on a PK Morris single, the C’s seemed prime to add on but failed to do so. The Dust Devils tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a lead-off single, a wild pitch and a one-out RBI base hit to make it 3-3 before taking their first lead of the night in the sixth on the second bases loaded walk of the game.
Hugo Cardona led the offense with three hits – including two doubles – while Morris, Barger, Hiraldo and Schneider added two hits apiece. Vancouver went 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
The series continues tomorrow night. #22 Blue Jays prospect Chad Dallas will make his professional debut for Vancouver while Tri-City has tabbed left-hander Nick Mondak. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be heard on the Sportsnet Radio Network.
The Vancouver Canadians make their triumphant return to Nat Bailey Stadium on Tuesday, April 19 at 7:05 p.m. Tickets for the home opener and the rest of the 2022 season are available now at CanadiansBaseball.com.