Here's a quick look back at a few games the Vancouver Canadians played this week as they continue their drive for the Northwest League post-season.
Matthew Smoral works in relief Wednesday night in Vancouver. He pitched four innings of shutout ball with just one hit and two walks while striking out five. Smoral's first pitch registered at 92 miles per hour.
Ryan Borucki got the start for Vancouver Wednesday and has worked as a tandem starter with Smoral. He pitched the first four-plus innings and two of his four runs were unearned on a pair of errors. A bloop hit also figured into the equation as he was saddled with the loss. Borucki threw in the 68-95 MPH range.
Trent Miller made his fourth appearance in a Canadians uniform since being called up from Bluefield over a week ago where the left fielder hit .257. He is off to a 2-for-11 start with the C's after an 0-for-3 performance Wednesday night. Miller wears #18.
Gunnar Heidt rounds third base and scores the winning run in an August 15 victory over Everett. Heidt had doubled before racing home on a Mike Reeves single. The Jays 13th round pick in this year's draft has an OPS of .816 in 17 contests with the C's. You can learn more about Gunnar/Ryan Heidt in this feature from The Vancouver Province. Heidt wears #39.
Roemon Fields steals third base and scores on a throwing error in the sixth inning August 15 after a single. He's been 0-for-16 since that at-bat and is hitting just .138 in August. Fields got the night off Wednesday but still leads the Northwest League Fields with 40 stolen bases in 48 attempts, 15 and 19 ahead of teammates Tim Locastro and Franklin Barreto respectively. Here's hoping some photo mojo gets him back on track.
The burst of offence August 15 helped Matt Smoral win his first start in Vancouver. He shut the AquaSox down on one hit and two walks while striking out four over five scoreless frames. His pitches ranged from 73-93 MPH. He consistently hit 92 and also threw in the 82-85 range.
Ryan Borucki continued the shutout pitching with a four-inning save, limiting Everett to two hits while ringing up three batters. He hugs catcher Mike Reeves, who recently returned to Vancouver after starting the year in Lansing. Reeves, a Peterborough native, was the number one catcher during the C's third straight Northwest League championship last season.
Michael Kraft stranded a runner for Justin Shafter by getting Boise cleanup hitter Danny Canela to strike out swinging on a 74 MPH curveball to end the eighth inning Tuesday. Kraft has a 0.64 earned run average and a 16 K's in 14.1 innings with Vancouver since being promoted from Bluefield.
Phil Kish walked a pair but struck out a pair in a shutout ninth to preserve the win for Jairo Labourt Tuesday. That marked his third save in four appearances with Vancouver. Kish - who began the season in Lansing - has been nicked for just one unearned run in five innings so far with the C's.
Alexis Maldonado fields a ground ball from third base and makes the play against Boise Wednesday. A .326 batting average in August has pushed Maldonado's overall mark to .295 on the season.
The C's continue their five-game series against Boise at Nat Bailey Stadium tonight, Friday afternoon and Saturday night. They get a rare Sunday off before hitting the road for a five game set in Eugene before returning home to take on Spokane over the Labour Day weekend. The C's find themselves 0.5 games back of Tri-City for the second-half title in the North Division.
Matthew Smoral works in relief Wednesday night in Vancouver. He pitched four innings of shutout ball with just one hit and two walks while striking out five. Smoral's first pitch registered at 92 miles per hour.
Ryan Borucki got the start for Vancouver Wednesday and has worked as a tandem starter with Smoral. He pitched the first four-plus innings and two of his four runs were unearned on a pair of errors. A bloop hit also figured into the equation as he was saddled with the loss. Borucki threw in the 68-95 MPH range.
Trent Miller made his fourth appearance in a Canadians uniform since being called up from Bluefield over a week ago where the left fielder hit .257. He is off to a 2-for-11 start with the C's after an 0-for-3 performance Wednesday night. Miller wears #18.
Gunnar Heidt rounds third base and scores the winning run in an August 15 victory over Everett. Heidt had doubled before racing home on a Mike Reeves single. The Jays 13th round pick in this year's draft has an OPS of .816 in 17 contests with the C's. You can learn more about Gunnar/Ryan Heidt in this feature from The Vancouver Province. Heidt wears #39.
Roemon Fields steals third base and scores on a throwing error in the sixth inning August 15 after a single. He's been 0-for-16 since that at-bat and is hitting just .138 in August. Fields got the night off Wednesday but still leads the Northwest League Fields with 40 stolen bases in 48 attempts, 15 and 19 ahead of teammates Tim Locastro and Franklin Barreto respectively. Here's hoping some photo mojo gets him back on track.
The burst of offence August 15 helped Matt Smoral win his first start in Vancouver. He shut the AquaSox down on one hit and two walks while striking out four over five scoreless frames. His pitches ranged from 73-93 MPH. He consistently hit 92 and also threw in the 82-85 range.
Ryan Borucki continued the shutout pitching with a four-inning save, limiting Everett to two hits while ringing up three batters. He hugs catcher Mike Reeves, who recently returned to Vancouver after starting the year in Lansing. Reeves, a Peterborough native, was the number one catcher during the C's third straight Northwest League championship last season.
Michael Kraft stranded a runner for Justin Shafter by getting Boise cleanup hitter Danny Canela to strike out swinging on a 74 MPH curveball to end the eighth inning Tuesday. Kraft has a 0.64 earned run average and a 16 K's in 14.1 innings with Vancouver since being promoted from Bluefield.
Phil Kish walked a pair but struck out a pair in a shutout ninth to preserve the win for Jairo Labourt Tuesday. That marked his third save in four appearances with Vancouver. Kish - who began the season in Lansing - has been nicked for just one unearned run in five innings so far with the C's.
Alexis Maldonado fields a ground ball from third base and makes the play against Boise Wednesday. A .326 batting average in August has pushed Maldonado's overall mark to .295 on the season.
The C's continue their five-game series against Boise at Nat Bailey Stadium tonight, Friday afternoon and Saturday night. They get a rare Sunday off before hitting the road for a five game set in Eugene before returning home to take on Spokane over the Labour Day weekend. The C's find themselves 0.5 games back of Tri-City for the second-half title in the North Division.
