Seven-Run Second Spurs C's To Victory

SPOKANE, WA – The Canadians erupted for seven runs in the top of the second inning and cruised to a 9-3 win over the Spokane Indians [COL] Saturday night at Avista Stadium.

Down 1-0 after the first, Vancouver needed just three batters to tie the game. Two walks set up an Aaron Parker RBI double that evened the score then Eddie Micheletti brought home two more with a double of his own to make it 3-1 C’s. A pair of batters reached to load the bases before a Victor Arias single kept the line moving. Now leading by three, the Canadians got a bases-clearing triple from Brennan Orf to put a bow on the seven-run stanza.

MLB.com’s #16 Blue Jays prospect Juaron Watts-Brown wasn’t as masterful as his no-run, 10-strikeout season debut, but the right-hander turned in a solid effort. He allowed two runs on five hits, walked one and K’ed six in 4.2 innings of work.

Arjun Nimmala – the top Jays prospect in the system – clobbered his second homer of the season in the fourth and Adrian Pinto bashed one of his own in the eighth to get the C’s to nine runs.

After Watts-Brown’s exit, Irv Carter (W, 1-0) and Aaron Munson limited the Indians to one run on one hit – a solo homer – and a walk over the final 4.1 stanzas to secure the win.

Pinto paced the offence with three hits, raising his OPS to 1.208. Orf’s three-RBI day is a single-game high for the club this season.

With the win, Vancouver has a chance to escape Spokane with a series split in the finale tomorrow afternoon. Mississauga, ON native Connor O’Halloran gets another crack at the Rockies affiliate after taking a tough luck loss on Tuesday night. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m.