Big innings help Canadians to win
Right-hander C.J. Van Eyk allowed just one earned run in five innings to earn his first pro win with the Vancouver Canadians on Wednesday. Photo: Vancouver Canadians/Twitter
June 9, 2021
Official Vancouver Canadians News Release
SPOKANE, WA – The Vancouver Canadians used a five-run first and a four-run sixth to squash the Spokane Indians (Rockies) 10-2 Wednesday night at Avista Stadium and win their seventh consecutive game against their Eastern Washington foe.
For the second consecutive game, the C’s took a big lead in the opening frame. Consecutive walks got things going before Cameron Eden started the scoring with an RBI single. Spencer Horwitz followed with a run-scoring base hit of his own to make it 2-0 Canadians before the first out of the game was recorded. Luis De Los Santos joined the hit parade with an RBI knock before a wild pitch brough home the fourth run of the stanza, and Sebastian Espino’s sacrifice fly put Vancouver up 5-0 as the Blue Jays affiliate sent all nine men to the plate in the inning.
CJ Van Eyk (W, 1-1) earned his first career win behind five innings in which he gave up a lead-off home run on the first pitch in the bottom of the first but dialed it in to scatter four more hits and an unearned run across an outing that also featured two walks and five strikeouts.
The C’s once again brought nine men to the dish in the sixth. Eric Rivera got it started with a single before Tanner Kirwer (Sherwood Park, Alta.) doubled to right field. After Phil Clarke was hit by a pitch, Eden delivered his second run-scoring knock of the night with a two-RBI double to the wall in left-centre. Later in the inning, Ryan Gold collected a pair of RBI with a two-out single that made it 9-2 Vancouver.
Brandon Eisert took the baton from Van Eyk to start the bottom of the sixth and tossed a pair of scoreless innings in which he struck out four.
Espino would add to his line with an eighth inning single to put the Canadians up 10-2 before newcomer Adrian Hernandez struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth and put up a zero in the ninth to secure the win. All told, Hernandez K’d four in his Advanced-A debut.
Eden (two hits, two runs scored, three RBI) and Gold (three hits, two RBI, walk, hit by pitch) paced the offense while De Los Santos – who celebrated his 23rd birthday today – finished with two hits to go with an RBI and a run scored.
The Canadians have plated 18 runs on 20 hits in their last two games and have outscored Spokane 44 to 24 this season.
The series continues on Thursday afternoon. Right-hander Luis Quinones looks to continue his hot start to 2021 for Vancouver while Spokane will send righty Ryan Feltner to the hill. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m.