Top 5 Canadians Games In 2023 Part 2

Photo Credit D. Laird Allan/Sportswave

After an impressive response to part one from the Vancouver Canadians we are posting the second of the top 5 Games in 2023.

Enjoy the read and remember to purchase your season tickets from the Vancouver Canadians via Email: tickets@canadiansbaseball.com or Phone: 604-670-7536

Enjoy part two:

#2 – NWLCS Game 4 (September 16)

Any game where you win a championship would typically be the best game of your season, but Game 4 of the Northwest League Championship Series – which put Vancouver over Everett three games to one to secure the crown – quickly became less edge-of-your-seat thriller and more house party to celebrate a 10-2 victory.

The scoring started in the second when Jeff Wehler led off with a double, Garrett Spain followed three pitches later with a two-bagger of his own to make it 1-0 C’s then scored after a pair of walks moved him to third and a double play brought him home.

Vancouver starter Ryan Jennings – who toed the slab at The Nat for the first time as a pro – set the tone for the pitching staff with three scoreless and hitless innings that featured one walk, a hit batter and five strikeouts before he passed the baton to Anders Tolhurst (W, 1-0).

He retired the side in order in the top of the fourth, which proved to be the last time the game could have swung in either direction.

The C’s put Everett’s season to bed with a five-run fourth.

The inning began with a Spain single and a Dasan Brown walk before a pitching change. A strikeout brought Jommer Hernandez to the dish, who lofted a bloop single into shallow enter to load the bases.

A run-scoring fielder’s choice followed to put Vancouver in front 3-0. A crucial error in the next at-bat proved to be the hinge on which the rest of the game swung. Instead of an inning-ending groundout, a high throw allowed a run to score and put two men on for Cade Doughty, who socked a two-RBI double to left field for a six-run Canadians advantage.

Gabby Martinez followed with a single to plate Doughty and the C’s led 7-0. The Frogs managed to score two runs in the fifth to end Vancouver’s 19.2 scoreless innings streak in the series, but the Canadians responded with a run in the sixth on another Doughty double and Martinez base hit and two in the seventh thanks to Spain’s second double of the night and 2023 draftee Nick Goodwin’s first career High-A homer.

Up 10-2 after seven, the Canadians got scoreless innings of relief from Eric Pardinho and Justin Kelly in the eighth and the ninth, respectively, to close out the game and secure the title.

#1 – NWLCS Game 3 (September 15)

With the series tied 1-1 after the first two games in Everett (and smarting from a blowout loss in Game 2), the C’s put together their signature win of the year that in many ways settled the Northwest League Championship Series a game early.

A wall-ball RBI single from Gabby Martinez and another sparkling shutout pitching performance from a quartet of arms led the C’s to a 1-0 triumph in front of a raucous sellout crowd.

Canadians starter Hunter Gregory did his best Philippe Petit impression in the first two frames to keep the game scoreless early; he stranded runners at second and third with back-to-back Ks in the first then hit a batter and walked two with two outs in the second before striking out #2 Mariners prospect Harry Ford to keep the game tied. His final line: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, HBP, 6 K. E

verett lefty Brandon Schaeffer matched Gregory zero for zero. He surrendered two singles, issued a walk, hit a batter and struck out three in his four frames before handing the ball off to Jimmy Kingsbury, who retired the side in order in the fifth before allowing the decisive run in the sixth.

Ryan McCarty led the inning off with a single and Cade Doughty was hit by an 0-2 pitch to put two on for Martinez.

The #27 Blue Jays prospect launched a deep drive to left that Mike Salvatore tracked to the wall but couldn’t quite catch, which allowed McCarty to race home from second to put Vancouver in front 1-0. Everett did well to limit the damage by striking out the next three hitters to douse the rally. Ian Churchill – who was instrumental in the Game 1 win – was the first man out of the ‘pen.

The lefty got out number one in the fifth, walked the next man then induced a ground ball for what could have been an inning-ending double play but instead turned into a fielder’s choice and an error to put runners at the corners with one away.

He K’ed the next two hitters to end the threat, went 1-2-3 in the sixth then got the first out of the seventh before surrendering two soft singles.

That brought on Ryan Boyer, who stranded both runners he inherited to keep the C’s ahead by a run then worked around a single in the eighth to preserve the lead.

Conor Larkin secured the win in style, striking out Ford with the tying run at first in the ninth to end the game while 6,413 rabid fans stood in unison.

A remarkable, awe-inspiring evening on Ontario Street to be sure.

As you’ve come to learn, the 2023 Canadians seemed to be at their best when opposite those future Mariners down in Everett. A classic case of “That’s Baseball!” 

Warmest wishes to you and yours this holiday season and into the new year.

The C’s begin their title defense on April 5 and will celebrate the home opener at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium on April 9. Tickets and more information are available at CanadiansBaseball.com.