Early Onslaught Lifts Canadians To Raucous Win

VANCOUVER, BC – Thursday night’s Canada Day Weekend kick-off at Nat Bailey Stadium gave a sellout crowd more than their money’s worth as the Vancouver Canadians broke out early and led from the first inning to the final out in an 8-4 win over the Spokane Indians (Rockies) to improve to 4-2 in the season’s second half.

After three two-out singles and a walk provided the Indians with a 1-0 lead after a half inning, the C’s rallied in the bottom of the stanza to take the lead for good. Steward Berroa doubled to start the frame then scored on a two-bagger from Addison Barger to tie the game. After a ground out, a walk and a check swing that was called for a third strike that led to manager Brent Lavallee’s ejection, Miguel Hiraldo cracked a two-out double to score a pair and make it 3-1 Vancouver. Spokane starter Evan Shawver (L, 1-5) did not survive the inning.

A four-run second proved to be the difference. Three consecutive one-out hits – a Berroa single, another double from Barger and an RBI single from Surrey, BC native Damiano Palmegiani – set the table for the biggest blow of the night: Zach Britton’s three-run bomb that not only made it 7-1 but also drew the ire of the Indians dugout to add an extra layer of drama to the proceedings.

Meanwhile, Canadians starter Abdiel Mendoza – who had only worked in relief this year prior to tonight – cruised through his next three innings by facing the minimum despite a lead-off walk in the third. He finished with four innings, one run on three hits, two walks and a strikeout.

Spokane made things interesting with single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh to pull within three, but a Mack Mueller solo shot with one out in the eighth put the game out of reach and Jol Concepcion worked around a lead-off single in the ninth to secure an 8-4 triumph.

Juan Nunez (W, 1-0) logged 1.2 scoreless innings of relief between the seventh and eighth and got four of his five outs by way of the K to earn the win.

Britton accounted for five of the eight runs scored by Vancouver (two runs, three RBI) while Berroa, Barger and Hiraldo finished with two hits apiece. Seven of nine starters recorded a knock.

The Canadians will celebrate Canada Day at The Nat Friday afternoon with a Fortis BC ‘Nooner at 1:05 p.m. Top Blue Jays pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann gets the ball for the C’s opposite Spokane’s Will Ethridge. Coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. on CanadiansBaseball.com, MiLB.TV and the Sportsnet Radio Network.