Under the C’s – The Dogs Come Out for 2-1 Vancouver Canadians Win

There was a sellout crowd of over 6,400 fans and 607 dogs at Nat Bailey Stadium for the Vancouver Canadians’ Dog Day of Summer game against the visiting Spokane Indians, as the C’s opened the week-long series against the Colorado High-A affiliate.

A massive line of dogs was lined up and ready to get past the dog bouncer at the 3rd base entrance to The Nat on Tuesday, as they and all their respective owners were fired up to see the hometown team play in front of the hometown crowd for the first time in this Northwest League second half.

For the first four and a half innings of the ballgame on Tuesday night, it was a night for the field. Spokane starter Connor Van Scoyoc and Vancouver starter Michael Dominguez were great on their respective mounds, both matching each other in a pair of three-up three-down innings. The outfield was catching anything that the batters were able to get off, and then Vancouver finally opened the scoring in the bottom of the 5th, and that’s where the game got a touch sloppy.  

Canadians’ centre fielder Gabby Martinez(#12 on the Jays Prospect Ladder) was struck by a wild third pitch to start the bottom of the inning, sending the Maracaibo, Venezuela native to first.  After making it to second off a Devonte Brown single, then sneaking to third during a Spokane double play on Brown and Jommer Hernandez.  Enter Alan Roden to crack a line drive out to right field for a single, giving Martinez the opportunity to run home and give his team the lead. Then came the errors…

First, it was a wild throw in the 6th from Vancouver third baseman Cade Doughty, which sailed over second base.  In the 7th, Spokane would get an error of their own out of the hands of shortstop Nic Kent, allowing Jommer Hernandez to gain first for Vancouver. After Jommer got to third off a Roden single, Dasan Brown would be drilled in the hip by the fifth pitch of the night from reliever Keegan James, setting the scene for Alex De Jesus.  The South Cambie Crusher would ground into a force-out, giving Jommer the chance to turn on the jets and trot home to give Vancouver a 2-0 lead.

After a bit of a scary 9th inning from C’s closer Matt Svanson, including a run allowed and a wild pitch which allowed a pair of runners to advance, the Canadians were able to hold on for a 2-1 win at Nat Bailey Stadium.