Bats Break Out After Shutout Slump, C's Win Big

SPOKANE, WA – A ten-run, 11-hit attack vanquished the ghosts of consecutive shutout losses the last two nights, as the Canadians spoiled a fine Friday evening in the Spokane Valley for 6,431 fans at Avista Stadium with a 10-1 win over the Spokane Indians [COL].

After the first two innings passed without a score, the C’s took the lead for good with four runs in the third. One-out singles from Jacob Sharp and Victor Arias set the table for Adrian Pinto’s two-RBI double that ended a 22-inning scoring drought for Vancouver. Jace Bohrofen clubbed his ninth homer of the season two batters later to make it 4-0.

That proved to be plenty for starter Kendry Rojas (W, 3-1). MLB.com’s #13 Blue Jays prospect dazzled over seven strong innings, scattering four hits – three singles and a double – two walks and three Ks while never allowing a runner to reach third base. He needed just 79 pitches (55 of them strikes) to go seven complete for the second consecutive start.

Jackson Hornung added to the output with an RBI double in the fourth and the C’s put the game away with five in the seventh. The first three batters of the stanza reached with two walks and a hit by pitch before a balk brought in a run. Cutter Coffey – the #24 Blue Jays prospect – doubled down the left field line to plate two, and three pitches later Jay Harry launched a no-doubter to right field that made it 10-0.

Spokane spoiled the shutout after Rojas’ departure with a solo homer to begin the eighth, but that would be all as Chay Yeager and Irv Carter combined to get the last six outs to secure the win and even the series at two games apiece.

All nine starters reached base and eight had a hit. Pinto paced the offense with three hits, a walk, two runs scored, two RBI and two steals. Je’Von Ward had two knocks to extend his hitting streak to six games and Bohrofen’s homer stretched his streak to a career-high nine in a row.

With the win, the Canadians are now three games back of the first place Indians and have a six-game lead on third-place Hillsboro for the final spot in the Northwest League Championship Series. 20 games remain in the regular season, including six against the Hops in the penultimate series of the year.

The C’s send Grant Rogers to the slope Saturday night as they attempt to win three games in a week against the Indians for the first time in 2024. Spokane counters with Yujanyer Herrera. Coverage of RE/MAX Canadians Baseball begins at 6:35 p.m. on Sportsnet 650.