Big Seventh Inning Proves Crucial As C's Take Series

SPOKANE, WA - Four runs on four hits in the top of the seventh were the difference in a 7-5 Canadians triumph over the Spokane Indians (Rockies) Friday night at Avista Stadium.

Leading 3-2 after the sixth, Vancouver hadn’t scored since Dasan Brown singled home a run with two outs in the second inning to make it 3-0. 13 of the next 16 C’s batters were retired before Michael Turconi singled with one out on a 3-2 pitch from reliever Will Tribucher. That flipped the lineup over for Brown, who bunted for a base hit to put two runners aboard. Damiano Palmegiani followed with a wall-ball double that nearly left the yard but scored Vancouver’s fourth run of the night then Rainer Nunez was intentionally walked to load the base.

With the left-handed Tribucher on the mound, Spokane was playing the matchups with lefty PK Morris coming up after Nunez. Morris made them pay; he singled between the first baseman and the bag to plate two more runs. After a pitching change, an error at third allowed the fourth run of the frame to score to put the C’s ahead 7-2.

Matt Svanson (H, 2) – who stranded runners at the corners in the bottom of the seventh after allowing a run on two hits in the sixth – set down the side in order in the eighth to send the game to the ninth, where Sam Ryan took over. Ryan got the first batter before a high throw to first on a ground ball to third put a man on via error. Eddy Diaz – who hit into a game-ending double play against Ryan on Tuesday night – got the right-hander back with an opposite field home run that cut the C’s lead to three. After a lineout to shortstop, Spokane’s home run leader Colin Simpson punished a 1-0 pitch for this third hit of the game, a solo bomb that brought the Indians within two.

That prompted a pitching change, as Connor Cooke (S, 8) came on for the second time this week to secure the save. He got Mateo Gil to fly out to right field to leave the tying run in the on-deck circle and secure the series win.

Brown paced the offense with three hits at the top of the order. Palmegiani, Morris and Turconi had two hits apiece while Morris and Rainer Nunez finished with two RBI each, the latter collecting his on a two-run homer in the top of the first that put runs on the board for the C’s in the opening inning for the fourth time in five games this series.

With the win, the Canadians have secured the series victory and returned to a 4.5 game lead over Spokane for the final spot in the postseason with eight games left to play. Vancouver’s magic number – a combination of C’s wins and Indians losses – is now at four. Second half leaders Eugene (Giants) won tonight, so the C’s remain a game back of the top spot in the second half with the Emeralds arriving at The Nat next week for the final regular season series of the year.

A win on Saturday night would lower that magic number to two. Vancouver sends #12 Blue Jays prospect Dahian Santos to the hill as he looks to get his High-A stint on the right track after consecutive frustrating outings to start his C’s career. Spokane has named Case Williams as their starter. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. with coverage available on CanadiansBaseball.com, the Sportsnet Radio Network and Sportsnet 650 after the completion of Blue Jays at Pirates in Pittsburgh.