(Volcanoes Stadium - Keizer, OR) - After having their own hearts broken several times this season, the Canadians watched as it was Salem-Keizer who self-imploded on Sunday afternoon committing a trio of costly errors that helped Vancouver to a 6-4 victory in 10 innings that pushed them two games clear
(Volcanoes Stadium - Keizer, OR) - After having their own hearts broken several times this season, the Canadians watched as it was Salem-Keizer who self-imploded on Sunday afternoon committing a trio of costly errors that helped Vancouver to a 6-4 victory in 10 innings that pushed them two games clear of both Everett and Spokane in the North Division.
Vancouver came into Sunday's matinee with a 5-3 (.625) record for their current 10-game road trip and were in search of a third straight win that would secure a second straight series victory over two very tough South Division rivals (Hillsboro).
The scoring opened in the top of the 1st inning when RF Otto Lopez drew a walk off Volcanoes starter LHP Seth Corry and scored on a groundout from 1B Yorman Rodriguez giving the Canadians a 1-0 lead. Note: Vancouver has scored 12 runs in the first two innings of this series so far and has scored the game's first run all four times.
Salem-Keizer would come storming back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning as Canadians starter RHP Randy Pondler gave up a leadoff double to 1B Wander Franco and then a two-run home run to RF Aaron Bond, his third round-tripper of this series and 8th of the season.
The lead was stretched to 3-1 heading to the top of the 5th inning when the Canadians took advantage of two costly errors that evened the game at 3-3. C Reilly Johnson laced a one-out single to center field and advanced out to second base when 3B Nick Podkul drew a hard fought walk off Corry who had only allowed one hit heading into the inning. RF Otto Lopez hit a routine ground ball out to Salem-Keizer 1B Wander Franco but caught a break as Franco had the ball ricochet off his foot allowing Lopez to reach and thus load the bases. After Corry buckled down a struck out CF Tanner Kirwer for the second out of the frame, a routine fly ball off the bat of DH Griffin Conine looked to end the inning leaving the bases full, but CF Mikey Edie had the ball bounce off his glove allowing both Johnson and Podkul to score.
Vancouver would grab the lead in the top of the 9th inning shortly after 2B Sterling Guzman led off with a double off RHP Jesus Tona. The usually dominant righty then uncorked a pair of wild pitches that both eluded C Ricardo Genoves and Guzman woul advance to third and then home to give the Canadians their first lead since the top of the 1st inning.
Just three outs away from a key victory, Canadians RHP Fitz Stadler returned for the 9th inning to face the bottom of the Volcanoes order, but the 6-foot, 9-inch right-hander struggled hitting CF Mikey Edie with an inside fastball followed by three straight singles from C Ricardo Genoves, SS Jet Manning, and 2B Kyle McPherson who's single scored pinch-runner Chris Burke tying the game at 4-4. With the winning, walk-off run just 90-feet away and the bases loaded, Stadler got potential Northwest League MVP LF Diego Rincones to ground into an inning-ending double play that saw 3B Nick Podkul get the ball to 2B Sterling Guzman who finished the 9th with a toss down to 1B Yorman Rodriguez.
The Canadians won it in the top of the 10th inning as RF Brandon Polizzi began the frame out at second base and scored along with CF Tanner Kirwer to give Vancouver a 6-4 lead. Polizzi scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of 1B Yorman Rodriguez while Kirwer scored on a wild pitch from LHP Sidney Dupree who took the loss when LHP Marcus Reyes shut the door on the Volcanoes in the home half of the 10th inning.
All three errors proved costly for Salem-Keizer as the Canadians picked up a third straight victory, moving to 6-1 (.857) in the past seven games - all on the road to move two games clear of both Everett and Spokane who lost on Sunday.
Notes: CF Tanner Kirwer moved into a tie for 5th on the Canadians single-season stolen bases chart tying Michael Richard (2007) with his 25th swipe of the season... Kirwer needs three more to move into a tie for 4th all-time alongside CF Reggie Pruitt (2017).
Vancouver will wrap-up this five-game series out at Volcanoes Stadium on Monday, August 13th at 6:35pm with RHP Josh Winckowski (4-4, 2.96) getting the ball in the finale. Winckowski was named NWL Pitcher of the Week just days ago and will be making his first start since the league-wide accolade.
Vancouver Canadians Baseball returns to Scotiabank Field on Tuesday, August 14th at 7:05pm to open up a six-game homestand against Tri-City (August 14-16) and Spokane (August 17-19) with tickets available by calling 604.872.5232, online at www.canadiansbaseball.com or by visiting the Nat Bailey Stadium Box Office at 4601 Ontario Street, Vancouver, B.C.
-30-
