Martinez, C's Mash Their Way To 12-5 Triumph
VANCOUVER, BC – Three hits and five RBI from #12 Blue Jays prospect Gabby Martinez helped lead the Canadians to a 12-5 win over the Spokane Indians [Rockies] in front of a sellout crowd at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium Thursday night to guarantee a series split in the
VANCOUVER, BC – Three hits and five RBI from #12 Blue Jays prospect Gabby Martinez helped lead the Canadians to a 12-5 win over the Spokane Indians [Rockies] in front of a sellout crowd at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium Thursday night to guarantee a series split in the first full set of the second half.
Martinez’s big night began in the bottom of the first. With the game tied 1-1, the Maracaibo, VZ native stepped up with one out and the bases loaded. He promptly stroked a double into the right centerfield gap to bring home three runs and put the Canadians in front for good.
Spokane would get within a run with two scores in the top of the fourth, but Vancouver put the game away in the bottom half of the frame. Consecutive two-out base hits from Lyle Lin and Alan Roden set the table for Dasan Brown, who slugged a three-run shot for his fifth bomb of the season to make it 7-3.
A two-run fifth that featured two walks, two hit batters and an RBI infield hit from Roden had the C’s ahead 9-3 then they added another in the seventh when Martinez singled to start the frame and later scored on a balk.
The Indians rallied for their last two runs of the night in the top of the eighth, but a Garrett Spain double with two outs in the bottom of the stanza put a man on for Martinez’s third hit of the night; he tattooed a first-pitch curveball over the left field fence for a two-run blast.
On the mound, Cooper Benson (W, 6-0) posted two scoreless innings and Sam Ryan got the last three outs to secure a 12-5 win.
All nine starters reached base, seven had a hit and three – Martinez, Roden and Kekai Rios – had multiple knocks. Five RBI for Martinez is his highest single-game total of the year.
Vancouver and Spokane will turn it around quickly for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch on Friday as part of a Fortis BC ‘Nooner at The Nat. Rafael Sanchez will duel with Jarrod Cande and coverage is available on CanadiansBaseball.com, the MiLB First Pitch app, Bally Live and the Sportsnet Radio Network.