Dust Devils' big inning sinks Canadians

Spencer Horwitz had four hits for the Vancouver Canadians on Tuesday. Photo: Vancouver Canadians/Twitter

August 17, 2021

Official Vancouver Canadians News Release

HILLSBORO, OR – A seven-run inning proved fatal for the Vancouver Canadians in an 8-5 loss to the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) Tuesday night at Ron Tonkin Field.

With the game tied 1-1 to start the third, Tri-City erupted for seven runs on seven hits – six of which were singles – over 12 batters to take an 8-1 lead.

Despite the deficit, Vancouver bounced back and gave themselves a chance to tie the game multiple times but couldn’t quite cash in. The C’s responded to the crooked number in the third with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Tanner Morris and Spencer Horwitz started the stanza with singles to put runners at the corners for Orelvis Martinez, who singled home a run to make it 8-2. A wild pitch put men on second and third before Will Robertson sent a deep drive to centre that was caught for a run-scoring sacrifice fly then Sebastian Espino delivered an RBI single to bring the C’s within four.

Base hits from Horwitz and Robertson in the fifth inning preceded an Espino sacrifice fly that ran the score to 8-5, but three different opportunities to tie the game – two on with no outs in the seventh, a pair of runners aboard with two outs in the eighth and a lead-off double in the ninth – sputtered as the C’s dropped game one of the series.

Vancouver’s bullpen was terrific tonight. Justin Maese, Gabriel Ponce, Cobi Johnson and Willy Gaston combined on six and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief to keep the game within striking distance.

Tri-City started the scoring in the second with a solo home run from Beaverton, Ore., native Kenyon Yovan before the Canadians tied it in the bottom of the frame with a walk, two singles and an RBI ground out from Eric Rivera.

Eight of nine C’s starters had a hit. Horwitz became the fourth Vancouver hitter to log four hits in a game (three singles and a double) while Espino – the reigning High-A West Player of the Week – extended his hitting streak to nine consecutive games, the second-longest streak by a Canadians player this season. Robertson and Rivera have now hit safely in seven straight.

Game two of the series is set for Wednesday night. MLB.com’s No. 21 Blue Jays prospect Sem Robberse makes his second career High-A start for the C’s and will be opposed by lefty Ky Bush of Tri-City. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.