Two hits win C’s another title
Hurlers combine to pitch a gem against Emeralds
It was Logan Warmoth’s turn to play hero — and Norberto Obeso, too.
The Vancouver Canadians’ playoff run, which has seen various players take starring roles, ended Tuesday night at Nat Bailey Stadium as the Toronto Blue Jays short-season single-A farm club beat the Eugene Emeralds 2-1 to win the best-of-five Northwest League title in four games.
It’s the C’s first league banner since they won their third in a row in 2013. Vancouver beat the Boise Hawks that year. The Hawks were a Chicago Cubs affiliate at the time; the Emeralds have been with the Cubs since 2015.
Four of Vancouver’s five wins in these playoffs were by a 2-1 score.
Warmoth, the No. 22 overall pick in June’s amateur draft by the Jays out of the University of North Carolina, punched a single the other way to right field to plate a pair with two outs in the fifth inning, giving Vancouver a 2-1 lead.
It was one of just two hits the C’s recorded on the night.
In the top of the frame, Obeso, a free-agent signing by the Blue Jays out of Hermosillo, Mexico, threw out Jose Gonzalez at the plate on a single to left field by Zach Davis, holding the score to a 1-0 deficit.
The Emeralds, the reigning league champions, scored in the fourth when Michael Cruz pulled a home run to right field off Vancouver reliever Zach Logue. Cruz, Eugene’s designated hitter, was the first batter Logue faced.
The announced crowd of 5,288 got louder as the game went on, and reached ear-splitting decibels when Vancouver right-fielder Chavez Young somersaulted over the fence in foul ground to grab a Jhonny Bethencourt foul pop-up for the second out in the ninth.
Vancouver manager Rich Miller put Orlando Pascual on the mound to start the frame. He got the first two outs before Miller surprisingly went back to the bullpen, this time to William Ouellette.
Ouellette had induced Eugene’s Will Remillard to pop out to first base on one pitch in Vancouver’s 2-1 win in Game 3 Monday. This time, Ouellette struck out Remillard.
Starting pitcher Justin Dillon, followed by Logue, Brayden Bouchey, Pascual and Ouellette, combined to strike out 16 Emeralds.
Vancouver designated hitter Brock Lundquist had a solo home run in Monday’s victory. He hit .385 in the series. Bouchey had three shutout innings out of the bullpen in Vancouver’s 7-5 win in Game 1.
Outfielder Brandon Polizzi had a couple of sterling catches in these playoffs. Ace hurler Nate Pearson struck out 10 in four innings in the first round against the Spokane Indians.
Vancouver, which qualified for the post-season by winning the North Division first-half pennant, had the league’s best combined record, at 43-33. The Emeralds had the fourth-best combined mark at 39-37. The Hillsboro Hops won both halves in the South Division, and Eugene made the playoffs with the next-best combined mark and then swept Hillsboro in the bestof-three first round.
Vancouver went a combined 2945 last season, which not only left them in the Northwest League cellar but was their worst record since the C’s joined the league in 2000.