C's Garrett Hops To Start Second Half On High Note

Garrett Spain’s first career two home run game plus three and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief from Garrett Farmer led the Vancouver Canadians to a 5-3 win over the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks) in front of a sellout crowd at Ron Tonkin Field Friday night.

Trailing 1-0 to start the fifth after top Blue Jays pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann allowed his first earned run in four June starts in the bottom of the fourth, Spain dug in against Hops starter Scott Randall and cracked the first pitch of the frame over the wall in right field for his second jack of the year and first since the season-opening series in Spokane back in April to tie the game 1-1.

Hillsboro responded in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead. They got to Tiedeman for a lead-off double, moved the runner to third on a groundout then singled home the go-ahead run before a single in the next at-bat bounced the budding superstar from the game after four and a third. On came Farmer (W, 2-0), who induced an inning-ending double play off the bat of #8 Diamondbacks prospect AJ Vukovich to end the threat and keep it 2-1 Hops.

After a scoreless sixth, a two-out rally in the top of the seventh put the C’s in front for good. Andres Sosa got it started with a single then scored on a Steward Berroa gapper to tie the game. After Berroa stole third, Mack Mueller walked to put two on for Addison Barger. The Everett, WA native doubled off the batter’s eye to make it 4-2 and extend his hitting streak to 11 consecutive games, matching a personal best this year.

Meanwhile, Farmer cruised through three and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief with two hits, no walks and three strikeouts.

Spain’s second homer of the game was a much-needed insurance run in the eighth when he tagged a 3-1 pitch from Jose Santamaria to the pull side.

Despite a three-run cushion, the bottom of the ninth was not without drama. Will McAffer (S, 2) walked his first two batters, got a strikeout then handed out his third free pass of the inning to load the bases. A sacrifice fly cut the Canadians lead to two but McAffer managed to get Vukovich to fly out to centerfield to end the game.

Spain and Sosa each contributed two hits while the former and Barger had two RBI apiece. Seven of nine starters had a hit.

With the win, Vancouver has secured a series split with Hillsboro after losing their first two series with the Baby Snakes two games to four.

They’ll go for the series win tomorrow night with lefty Jimmy Robbins on the mound opposite the Hops’ Luke Albright. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. with coverage on CanadiansBaseball.com, MiLB.TV and the Sportsnet Radio Network.