Top 10 Games Of ’23: Numbers 9-6

With the first pitch of the 2024 season less than two weeks away, we’re taking a look back at the Top 10 games from the championship-winning 2023 campaign.

Click here for Number 10

When you’re compiling a list of the best games in a championship season, you’re bound to include a dramatic walk-off win or two. But in a year where there were 12 walk-off wins (four times more than anyone else in the Northwest League), how do you choose which ones? From the first win of the year in the home opener on a game-winning wild pitch to Garrett Spain’s walk-off blast to cap a two-homer game in late August, all 12 are deserving of some shine.

We’ve parsed, debated, considered and reconsidered and we’re still not 100% sure we got it exactly right, but here are the four best walk-off wins this year, occupying spots nine through six in our Top 10 countdown.

#9 - Summer of Spain keeps on giving

There’s no denying Garrett Spain was a walking highlight reel of clutch hits and great defensive plays. After starting the season on the Development List (where you’re with the team practicing but can’t suit up for games), the former Austin Peay State standout turned into the most consistently clutch Canadian once he was added to the active roster.

Already the author of multiple big moments - including one that will appear later on this list - Spain spurred the C’s to a 9-8 triumph over the Spokane Indians on Saturday, August 26. He hit his first of two jacks that night in the sixth, a solo shot that put Vancouver in front 5-3. The Indians answered with one of their own in the top of the seventh, but the Canadians appeared to have the game in hand after plating two in the bottom of that inning and another in the eighth to lead 8-4. In a rare blip by the bullpen, Spokane roared back to tie it with four runs in the top of the ninth to grab all the momentum. After two quick outs in the home half, Spain walloped the first pitch he saw over the right field wall for the game-winning blast.

#8 - Devonte Brown seals three-game sweep with walk-off bomb

A recurring theme became quite familiar throughout the 2023 season: don’t count the C’s out if they’re down late (more examples of this to come as we get closer to the top spot on this list). The “Never Quit Canadians” were on display Sunday, July 16. What started as a 2-0 Vancouver lead going into the top of the eighth turned into a 2-2 tie then became a 3-2 Eugene lead after a lead-off homer on an 0-2 pitch to start the ninth. Down by a run with three outs left, Gabby Martinez and Estiven Machado worked consecutive walks to put two men on for Devonte Brown. The pride of Newnan, GA belted a 1-1 offering into the C’s bullpen in left for ninth homer of the year to send a sellout crowd home happy with a 5-3 win to sweep the Emeralds in a three-game set.

#7 - Another late comeback capped by Kekai’s big fly

Getting the game winning hit is something every kid dreams about. But what about hitting a two-run homer to complete an extra innings comeback for your first-ever professional walk-off knock? C’s catcher Kekai Rios made that a reality on Tuesday, August 8. Trailing 6-4 to the Tri-City Dust Devils at the stretch, the Canadians scratched a run across in the eighth with an RBI single from Peyton Williams then tied the game on a 404-foot blast off the bat of Dasan Brown.

Both teams were scoreless in the tenth until the Dust Devils took a 7-6 lead with an unearned run in the top of the eleventh. Vancouver tied the game without a hit; a balk moved the placed runner to third and he scored on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Rios dug in and uncorked a no-doubter on a 1-2 pitch that put the C’s on top 8-7 for their 25th win in 37 second half games.

#6 - C’s turn wrong end of no-no into 12-inning triumph

Of all the walk-off wins last year, this game on July 25 against Everett takes the cake for “0 to 100, real quick.” After the game remained scoreless through 11 (and the C’s without a hit), the Frogs broke through for a run in the top of the twelfth. Two outs away from being on the wrong end of history, the Canadians got a single from Devonte Brown to put runners at the corners. Brown swiped second to set up Michael Turconi, whose single up the middle brought in a pair to beat the AquaSox 2-1 in what was the longest game innings-wise all season – though it still finished in two hours and 58 minutes.

Stay tuned for the rest of this list, as we reveal the Top 5 games from the 2023 championship season over the next week.

The 2024 season begins on April 5 in Spokane and continues with Opening Night at The Nat on April 9. Tickets for that night and every C’s home game this season are available by clicking here or calling 604-872-5232 during normal business hours.