Under the C’s – Vancouver is playoff bound after 5-1 win over Hillsboro

The month of June has been quite kind to Vancouver sports fans.

The Vancouver Whitecaps became Canadian Champions in Major League Soccer, the BC Lions kicked off their CFL season with a 22-0 shutout victory over the Edmonton Elks, and the Vancouver Canucks bought out Oliver Ekman-Larrson’s contract.

Great things all around. But the true gem of BC’s lower mainland sports scene is easily down at historic Nat Bailey Stadium, as the Vancouver Canadians picked up a 5-1 victory over the Hillsboro Hops [High-A team of the Arizona D-Backs] on Sunday afternoon, clinching the First-Half Title and punching their ticket to the Northwest League Championship Series this Fall.

If you’re not from Vancouver, and you solely see the Canadians as a development program, the second inning was for you.

Cade Doughty and the South Cambie Crusher Alex De Jesus (#8 and #21 on the Jays prospects ladder, respectively) got things going with back-to-back singles, setting the stage for Josh Kasevich(#13) to knock a go-ahead base hit, bringing home Doughty.

Enter Dasan Brown (#15), who was already one of the heroes the previous day. Brown cranked the first pitch to the bullpen for his fourth homer of the season, and second of the week’s series.

Vancouver would add one more run in the eighth, as De Jesus was able to bring home Michael Turconi from third on a single for the Canadians’ fifth and final run of the ballgame.

On the mound, it was a night for the bullpen.  Starter Kevin Miranda pitched the first four innings, allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts. Cooper Benson, Ryan Boyer, and Conor Larkin did the work from there on the hill, keeping the Hops hitless from the fifth through the eighth, before Justin Kelly closed it out in the ninth.

With the victory, Vancouver clinches the Northwest League’s First Half Title, sending them into the Northwest League Championship Series this September. It’s the C’s second consecutive trip to the Final, as they were swept in three games by the Eugene Emeralds in 2022.

Vancouver’s last Northwest League Championship title came in 2017. The C’s currently sit 10 games above .500, boasting a 36-26 record.  The first half officially wraps up this Thursday, while the Canadians are in Eugene, for their next series with the Emeralds.