Long Ball Powers Both Teams In Shutout Swap

VANCOUVER, BC – A pair of solo home runs in the same inning backed the fifth Northwest League outing for top Blue Jays pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann as the Vancouver Canadians stung the Eugene Emeralds (Giants) 2-0 in game one of a doubleheader on Friday at Nat Bailey Stadium, but the reigning High-A West champs showed why they’re at the top of the circuit this season with a 6-0 win in the second game to retake a one-game lead in the seven-game series.

Tiedemann – ranked as the #99 prospect in all of baseball – didn’t have his usual shutdown stuff but showed why the Blue Jays have trusted him with a High-A assignment in his first season as a pro. The 19-year-old worked around three singles, two walks and a hit batter to post four scoreless innings and lower his ERA to 0.38 in 23.2 Innings at the level while adding seven strikeouts to give him 35 in that span.

Addison Barger and Trevor Schwecke took Eugene starter Mason Black (L, 1-1) deep two batters apart in the bottom of the fourth to provide all the offense the C’s would need.

After Tiedemann’s 79-itch night ended, Will McAffer retired six of eight over two scoreless innings then Jol Concepcion induced a one-out ground ball from the potential tying run that turned into a game-ending double play in the top of the seventh.

It was all Emeralds in the second game. Canadians’ starter Naswell Paulino (L,1-2) made two mistakes – a solo homer by #3 Giants prospect Luis Matos in the third and an opposite field shot into the short porch in the left off the bat of Max Wright – while working a season-high six innings with no walks and five punch outs.

Garrett Farmer inherited the bases loaded and two runs already home in the seventh and managed to keep two of those three runners on base with a pop out and a pair of ground outs.

Barger added two more hits to his ledger and Garrett Spain provided the only extra-base hit with a double in the bottom of the seventh

The C’s will aim to even the series tomorrow night, followed by a postgame fireworks extravaganza. Jimmy Robbins gets the ball for Vancouver opposite #17 Giants prospect Nick Swiney. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and coverage begins at the top of the hour on MiLB.TV and Sportsnet 650.