Bats Stifled In Spokane 

SPOKANE, WA – A night removed from a shutout win at Avista Stadium in the Spokane Valley, the Canadians were on the wrong end of a blanking Wednesday in a 3-0 loss to the Spokane Indians [COL].

It was an evening of missed chances for the offence. Vancouver put at least one runner on base in the first eight innings and had a chance to break the scoreless tie in the fourth when they had runners at second and third with two outs, but a strikeout ended the threat. They pushed a runner to third in the top of the fifth but came up empty as well.

That set up a chance for Spokane to take the lead for good. MLB.com’s #21 Bue Jays prospect Juaron Watts-Brown (L, 0-5) kept the Indians off balance over his first four innings, but the league’s top offensive unit got to him for the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth. After three consecutive one-out runners reached on a single and two walks, a sacrifice fly broke the scoreless tie to put the Rockies affiliate in front 1-0. Watts-Brown did well to limit the damage by ending the inning with a strikeout in the next at-bat then retired the side in order in the sixth to complete his first career High-A quality start. His final line: 6.0 IP, 2 hits (both singles), three walks, a hit batter and eight strikeouts to take a tough-luck loss.

Vancouver kept at it in the back half of the ballgame but failed to score. The C’s would strand two in the sixth, two more in the seventh and another pair in the eighth before going down in order in the ninth to fall 3-0 after the Indians added single tallies in the seventh and eighth. Spokane needed only four hits to earn the win.

Despite the loss, the Canadians remain five games up on Hillsboro for the final spot in the Northwest League Championship Series after the Hops lost in Eugene tonight. They trail Spokane by three games for first place in the second half standings.

The series continues tomorrow night. Mississauga, ON native Connor O’Halloran looks to pitch the C’s back to a series lead opposite #18 Rockies prospect Michael Prosecky. Catch RE/MAX Canadians Baseball on Sportsnet 650 at 6:35 p.m.