Fireballer Pearson is pitch perfect
CANADIANS: Young ace’s numbers show he’s among the best hurlers ever to take the hill at the Nat
It’s easy to suggest the Nat Bailey Stadium faithful will get at least two more shots at watching fireballer Nate Pearson.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ 2017 first-rounder with the fastball that regularly cracks 100 m.p.h is slated to start the Vancouver Canadians’ home finale on Wednesday against the Boise Hawks at The Nat (1:05 p.m.).
The C’s announced Monday night that Wednesday’s contest was sold out. Heading into Tuesday’s soldout contest, Vancouver’s average home-game attendance was 6,297. The Nat’s capacity is 6,413, meaning the C’s sold tickets at a 98.2 per cent clip this season.
Vancouver, which won the Northwest League North Division firsthalf pennant, opens the best-ofthree North playoffs on Sept. 5 on the road against a yet-to-be-determined foe.
The C’s aren’t going to show their cards too early, but it’s a safe bet that Vancouver will hold Pearson out until Game 2 or 3, when the series is on the line. Those games are slated for Sept. 6-7.
Pearson, the No. 28 overall draft pick out of Central Florida junior college, received a US$2.45 million signing bonus from the Jays. He has to be in the conversation for the best pitcher the C’s have ever had in their tenure as a short-season, single-A club.
Entering Wednesday’s action, he’s yet to give up an earned run in six appearances, and has allowed just three hits in 16 innings while striking out 19. He’s faced 53 batters over that span, just five more than the minimum.
Pearson threw 60 pitches in his last outing, a four-inning turn last Thursday in Everett, Wash. He didn’t allow a hit while striking out five and walking just one. He had thrown 47 pitches in each of his previous two appearances; 31 was his highest count in his first three games with Vancouver.
Limited pitch counts are common at the entry-level leagues in pro ball, particularly with current-year draft picks, since they’re coming off playing for their high school or collegiate teams earlier in the season. Pearson threw 81 innings for Central Florida.
Vancouver’s playoff opponent in the North final is still undecided. Heading into Tuesday action, the Spokane Indians (19-14) and TriCity Dust Devils (19-14) were tied for top spot in the second-half pennant race, with Vancouver (18-15) sitting one game back.
Vancouver had five games left in league play going into Tuesday, with a three-game set in Tri-City closing off the schedule after the games at home with Boise.
If the C’s also capture the second-half title, the team with the next-best winning percentage for the entire season advances to the North playoffs.
The North series winner faces the South champion in the best-offive league final. According to the league website, it’s slated to start on Sept. 8.
Vancouver’s per game attendance last season was 6,177. They have improved their average crowds every year since 2006.
Vancouver won the Northwest crown from 2011-13, the first three years under their affiliation with the Jays. They lost in the league finale in 2014.
Vancouver finished a combined 29-45 last season, the worst record for the club since it relocated to The Nat from their former home in Medford, Ore., for the 2000 campaign.
The Canadians went into Tuesday’s contest with a combined 39-32 record. Their season high for wins is 46, a mark they have accomplished three times, the last time coming in 2014.