Gallagher Spurs C's To Fifth Straight

VANCOUVER, BC – Another dominant pitching performance led the Canadians to a 3-1 win over the Hillsboro Hops [AZ] Wednesday night at The Nat and improved their second half record to a league-best 5-0.

Starter Pat Gallagher (W, 2-4) turned in his finest outing as a pro. The Leominster, MA native went a career-long seven innings and scattered seven singles, two walks and a pair of strikeouts without surrendering a run. He needed just 79 pitches to complete the feat.

The C’s started the scoring for the fourth time in five second half games. Estiven Machado and Jamari Baylor hit back-to-back singles to start the third, both runners advanced on a Jace Bohrofen groundout and Machado came home on a sacrifice fly from Peyton Williams to make it 1-0 Vancouver.

A one-out double from Je’Von Ward in the fourth inning set the table for Jeff Wehler, whose RBI single in his second at-bat since returning from the Injured List scored Ward and put the Canadians in front by a pair. A passed ball moved Wehler to second then he scampered to third on a wild pitch before Estiven Machado’s infield single plated the second run of the frame to put the C’s ahead 3-0.

Hillsboro managed to end Vancouver’s stretch of 28.2 consecutive innings without allowing a score – a High-A era franchise record – with a run on a bases loaded walk in the top of the eighth that cut the lead to two, but Josh Mollerus (S, 4) came on with one out and the bases loaded and retired the next two batters before stranding the tying runs on base in the ninth to lock down the victory.

Seven of nine starters contributed in some way at the plate and six had a hit. Baylor and Ward paced the offense with three apiece while Wehler and Machado each had two knocks.

The Canadians can secure a series split with a win tomorrow night. Southpaw Connor O’Halloran goes for Vancouver opposite Hillsboro’s Logan Clayton. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. across the C’s Broadcast Network: Sportsnet 650 and Bally Live.