The Vancouver Canadians’ backs are against the wall.
On Friday, they played Game 3 of the Northwest League Final, losing 3-2 to Spokane to fall behind 2-1 in the series. We’ll take a look at that, as well as the other two games going on in the Blue Jays’ farm system.
Let’s dig into the latest Minor League Report.
Vancouver fell 3-2
The Vancouver Canadians are in the midst of their third consecutive Northwest League Championship Series. They split the two games of the best of five series during the Canada section of the series. Unfortunately with the 3-2 loss on Friday, they have to win the next two games if they want the championship.
Vancouver jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, as Adrian Pinto hit a home run. He’s been nothing short of fantastic since returning from injury. However, those were the only runs the Canadians scored.
WE’RE ON THE BOARD!
Adrian Pinto crushes a 2-run home run to give us the lead.
Listen to @tyler_zickel on @Sportsnet650: https://t.co/P3ViaHtACS pic.twitter.com/JHeYlRDows
— Vancouver Canadians (@vancanadians) September 14, 2024
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In the bottom of the fifth, Andy Perez hit a single to cut the lead in half, before two wild pitches in the bottom of the sixth, along with a Bryant Betancourt single, made it 3-2 for Spokane, the final score of this game.
Despite being tagged with the loss, Kendry Rojas had a good game, finishing with a line of 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. The first reliever out of the bullpen was J.J. Sanchez, who struck out a batter in two thirds of an inning. Grayson Thurman allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless third of an inning, while Kai Peterson pitched a clean inning with a strikeout.
As for the batters, Adrian Pinto drove in both Canadians’ runs with a home run and had a single as well. Jacob Sharp had two singles in this game, while Peyton Williams hit a single as well.
The path to the Canadians’ second consecutive championship is simple, they need to win the next two games over the week. Grant Rogers starts Saturday’s game at 9:35 PM ET, and if, I mean when, they win that game, Pat Gallagher will likely start game five of the series on Sunday.
Buffalo held on to win 3-1
The Buffalo Bisons won’t win any trophies this season, but they’ve been doing better as of late. On Friday, they defeated the Gwinnett Stripers 3-1, bringing their second-half record to 29-37. Moreover, they’re on a three-game win streak and are 8-2 in their last 10.
It was a hit fest for the Bisons on Friday, as they totaled 13 hits. However, Steward Berroa was the only player with an extra-base hit in this game, hitting his ninth double of the year. He, Alan Roden, and Damiano Palmegaini all had two hits, while Josh Kasevich had three singles. Bo Bichette, Rafael Lantigua, Orelvis Martinez, and Riley Tirotta each had a single as well.
Bo single! Berroa scores! #Bisons | #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/et5Qj9YrD6
— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) September 14, 2024
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Pitching was strong for the Bisons, as James Kaprielian finished with a line of 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K to bring his season ERA to 7.11. Mason Fluharty struck out two in an inning and a third, while Andrew Bash pitched the same total of innings, striking out one and allowing a hit. Dillon Tate picked up the save, giving up one hit, one earned run, one walk, and a strikeout.
New Hampshire shut out
The New Hampshire Cats allowed three runs in the bottom of the first, and that was every run in the game, as they fell 3-0 to the Somerset Patriots. Their second-half record is now 22-44 with just two games remaining.
Josh Rivera had the team’s only extra-base hit, as he hit his third double in the Blue Jays organization. Rainer Nuñez hit a single, while Eddinson Paulino had two singles in this game. The Fisher Cats also walked four times, with Dasan Brown, Garrett Spain, Robert Brooks, and Drew Jemison all walking once.
Abdiel Mendoza was tagged with the loss, retiring a single out while giving up three runs (one earned) to bring his season ERA to 3.62. Nick Fraze pitched the bulk of the innings, striking out three in 3.2 innings pitched. Adrián Hernández also struck out three in three innings of work. Ryan Jennings struck out a batter in an inning of work.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.