C's Struggles Against Spokane Continue

VANCOUVER, BC – A season’s worth of misfortune opposite the Spokane Indians [COL] continued Saturday night for the Canadians as they lost their 18^th of 21 games to their Northwest League foe, an 8-6 defeat in front of a sellout crowd at The Nat.

The Indians struck for three runs (two earned) over the first five batters, but starter Rafael Sanchez soon found his usual stellar form and went on to retire 13 consecutive batters from the end of the first until two outs in the fifth.

Vancouver rallied for single runs in the second and third innings to cut the deficit to one. In the second, Jeff Wehler blooped a double to shallow right and advanced to third when the throw to second went wide. He scored on a balk to spoil the shutout before the C’s manufactured a run in the third with a hit batter, a walk and two infield hits, the second of which was the first of a career-best four knocks for Jean Arnaez.

Trailing 3-2 with two outs in the fifth, Sanchez surrendered a triple and an RBI single that put the Canadians back behind by a pair, but another run-scoring infield hit for Arnaez in the home half of the frame made it 4-3.

Sanchez was one strike away from recording a team-high fifth quality start, but a two-out ground ball in the sixth turned into a throwing error that eventually became Spokane’s fifth run of the game after two steals and a wild pitch.

After the Indians scored another run on three singles in the seventh, the Canadians found themselves behind 6-3 to start the home half of the eighth. They roared back to tie the game thanks to Arnaez’s third hit, a walk from Jommer Hernandez, a two-RBI triple off the bat of Jace Bohrofen and a game-tying groundout courtesy of Peyton Williams.

With the game tied 6-6, Chay Yeager (L, 3-4) was tasked with getting the game to the bottom of the ninth, but consecutive one-out hits set-up an errant pick-off throw to second that allowed the lead runner to score. A single put runners at the corners and a wild pitch brought home another run to make it 8-6 Indians.

A two-out rally seemed to be in the making in the bottom of the ninth after Arnaez’s fourth hit and a Robert Brooks walk, but a fly ball in foul territory ended the threat and the game.

With the loss, the Canadians have now lost every series they’ve played against the Indians this year. They’re 1-10 against them at The Nat, their worst home record against any opponent in the High-A era.

Carson Pierce is tasked with salvaging the series tomorrow afternoon in the finale as part of a White Spot Family Fun Sunday at 1:05 p.m. He’ll be opposed by Spokane’s Connor Staine. Coverage of RE/MAX Canadians Baseball is available across the C’s Broadcast Network: Sportsnet 650 and Bally Live.