Gm 51: C's swept in Tri-City, fall three games back in North Division

(Gesa Stadium - Pasco, WA) - The Canadians pitching staff looked like a group of teenagers pushing a car on empty towards a gas station as the offense sputtered for a third straight night falling 2-1 to Tri-City on Sunday night. The loss, Vancouver's fourth in row, puts them three games back of North Division leading Tri-City (7-6) in the North Division.
Vancouver fell behind in the bottom of the 1st inning when leadoff hitter SS Jordy Barley hit a triple off RHP Grant Townsend and scored on a ground out from 2B Reinaldo Ilarraza. That 1-0 lead for Tri-City held until the top of the 6th when Vancouver found its only run of the game when 2B Tanner Morris and 1B Yorman Rodriguez connected on back-to-back singles with just one out. Rodriguez's single hit to right was fielded by RF Logan Driscoll who overthrew his target allowing both runners to advance putting opportunities at both second and third base.
Canadians C Philip Clarke grounded out to first base allowing Morris to score from third before SS Trevor Schwecke struck out leaving Rodriguez at third base.
Tri-City regained its lead just minutes later in the home half of the 6th inning when DH Nick Gatewood hit his 1st home run of the season off Canadians RHP Gabriel Ponce which proved to be the game winning run.  
Vancouver stranded five runners on-base over the game's final four innings, and were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position to drop to 4-9 (.308) on the second half. Tri-City's win, its fourth straight puts them atop the North Division at 7-6 (.538) heading into the three-day Northwest League All-Star break.
Vancouver returns to Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium on Thursday, August 8th at 7:05pm as they host the Everett Aquasox (5-8) for three straight games before heading right back out on the road. The Canadians will send RHP Alek Manoah (0-0, 0.00) to the mound in the series opener set for 7:05pm.
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