C’s Roller-Coaster Weekend

Photo Credit D. Laird Allan/Sportswave

This past weekend saw the C’s play a pair of games that saw a “tale of two cities” with one being an impressive 4-0 win while the other was a shocking 15-3 loss.

Given that the C’s job is to develop players and the recent moves by the Jay’s anyone we spoke to wasn’t shocked and as one told me “it’s still a great way to spend an afternoon” considering it was another sellout crowd

Saturday sat Vancouver High-A record eight scoreless innings from C’s newest addition Grant Rogers with a home run on the first pitch fielded by recently acquired infielder Jay Harry in a 4-0 win in what took one hour and 59 minutes.

After Rogers (W, 1-0) who was promoted from Single-A Dunedin (July 30) retired the first six batters that saw the C’s take the lead. 

With two outs and the bases empty, Toronto’s return from Minnesota in the Trevor Richards swap launched a solo shot off Dust Devils righty Keythel Key (L, 0-1) for his first hit since joining the organization and his ninth home run at the level this year. 

He’s the third Vancouver hitter to homer in his debut with the club in 2024; Je’Von Ward went deep on June 15 and Jacob Sharp – part of the Yimi Garcia trade with Seattle – cracked a game-winning solo shot on Tuesday night.

Sunday’s afternoon contest saw the C’s allow 15 runs while only able to manage 3 to the Tri-City Dust Devils [LAA] that saw them wrap up the season series. 

Three singles, the last of which was courtesy of Victor Arias, scored a run to put the C’s in front 1-0, which is where they stayed until things went completely sideways in the middle innings.

Tri-City took the lead in the fifth with two runs (one earned) on no hits, a hit batter, a sac bunt and two errors to go up 2-1 then got some vengeance for a season’s worth of frustration at the hands of the Canadians. 

The Dust Devils grabbed 12 runs on nine hits between the sixth and the seventh, the latter stanza featuring a Tri-City single-game season high eight runs.

Down 14-1, the C’s got a two-run homer from Marcos De La Rosa in the seventh before the Dust Devils added another tally in the ninth to lead 15-3 ending the contest.

With one day between games the C’s had an off day that saw some venture out to Hastings Raceway to take in a different sport and hearing that it was something many had never experienced until now.

Coming off a shocker of a loss two days earlier this contest saw the C’s hammer a High-A era-record 20 hits to score a season-high 19 runs in a 19-2 thumping to the Eugene Emeralds [SF] to kick-off one of the most important series of the second half.

The Emeralds sit five games back of the C’s for a playoff position entering this week’s six-game set knowing that they are in need of a tone-setting performance and got one from all sides of the ball.

With a runner at third after a two-base error and two outs in the top of the first, Eugene clean-up man Sabin Ceballos laced a line drive towards left centerfield that seemed destined for extra bases. 

Left fielder Je’Von Ward raced into the gap and, with a full extension dive reminiscent of former Canadian Kevin Pillar, took a hit and a run away from the Ems to end the frame.

The Canadians scored first for the tenth straight game when Adrian Pinto – activated from the 60-Day Injured List for his season debut – tripled into the right field corner to lead-off the first and scored on a sacrifice fly from Peyton Williams (more on him soon). Another extra base hit and a sacrifice fly in the second inning doubled the Vancouver lead after Jacob Sharp’s two-bagger and Ward’s flyout put the C’s in front 2-0.

Once starter Pat Gallagher (W, 6-5) wrapped up five scoreless for the second consecutive start, Vancouver plated the eventual winning run in the bottom of the fifth.

Nick Goodwin led off with a single, Ward doubled him to third and Victor Arias singled him home to make it 3-0.

All nine men came to the plate in the sixth, which began with a solo shot from Williams, continued with a two-run blast from Sharp and wrapped up with an RBI single off the bat of Pinto.

Leading 7-0, the Canadians doubled their lead in the seventh that saw Williams again lead off with a bomb, the first C’s hitter to go deep twice in a game this year, before four more hits, four walks and an error helped Vancouver go up 14-0. 

The inning saw 12 hitters visit the dish, 43 combined pitches were thrown by two relievers and one player Jackson Hornung reached base twice, first with a walk then with a two-RBI knock.

The series resumes for the remainder of the week.

Thanks to Tyler for the game notes.

It’s should be noted that the following changes have been made to the Vancouver roster:

• OF Dasan Brown transferred from Vancouver to Double-A New Hampshire
• C Jommer Hernandez released
• RHP Ryan Watson transferred from Single-A Dunedin, wearing #14
• INF Adrian Pinto activated off the 60-Day Injured List, wearing #7
• RHP Geison Urbaez activated off the 7-Day Injured List