"What Did We Just Witness"-Type Game Ends With C's On Top
VANCOUVER, BC – In an early candidate for “Strangest Game of the Year,” the Canadians beat the Eugene Emeralds [SF] 13-5 in three hours and 15 minutes on Thursday night at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium. The game featured a seven-run fifth and four-run seventh for the C’s, five
VANCOUVER, BC – In an early candidate for “Strangest Game of the Year,” the Canadians beat the Eugene Emeralds [SF] 13-5 in three hours and 15 minutes on Thursday night at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.
The game featured a seven-run fifth and four-run seventh for the C’s, five errors for the Ems – including three in one inning – both teams sending all nine (or more) to the plate in a frame, a combined 19 walks and 25 strikeouts.
It started calmly enough, with both sides trading zeroes through three and a half innings. C’s starter Jackson Wentworth struck out six batters in that span en route to a career-high eight on the night. Cutter Coffey provided the first scoring salvo with a two-run homer in the fourth, but the Emeralds got those runs back in the fifth with a walk and four hits.
The game was tied 2-2 until one out in the bottom of that inning. Consecutive walks to Victor Arias and Sean Keys sparked the rally before Aaron Parker’s RBI single put Vancouver in front for good. After a pitching change, Brennan Orf cashed in with a two-run base hit to make it 5-2. A walk and a run-scoring fielder’s choice followed, then Nick Goodwin worked a two-out free pass to set up Carter Cunningham’s wall-ball double that plated a pair. He would score in the next at bat when Jay Harry singled him in, and when the dust settled it was 9-2 Canadians.
To Eugene’s credit, they rallied for three runs in the top half of the next inning but wouldn’t score again after the C’s put game away with four more in the seventh. Goodwin singled, Cunningham walked, Harry and Arias delivered run-scoring hits then Keys brought home another with a ground out. That would prove to be the last of the scoring as the Canadians went on to win 13-5.
On the mound, reliever Nate Garkow (W, 1-0) turned in his finest outing of the year. He posted 2.2 scoreless frames in which he scattered two hits and matched a career high with six strikeouts. The pitching staff combined on a season high 17 Ks.
All nine starters reached base, eight drove in a run and seven had a hit. Harry, Arias and Coffey collected two knocks apiece while Harry, Orf, Coffey and Cunningham all had two RBI.
The series continues tomorrow afternoon. #16 Blue Jays prospect Juaron Watts-Brown looks to continue his strong start to the year opposite Eugene lefty Cesar Perdomo. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. as part of the first FortisBC ‘Nooner at The Nat of the season.