EUGENE, OR – The Vancouver Canadians are 2026 Northwest League Champions after downing the Eugene Emeralds (SF) 9-8 in 12 innings at PK Park Friday night for what will go down as one of the greatest games in franchise history.
In a series that saw both teams trade body blows at The Nat earlier this week, that theme continued for Game 3. Austin Smith started the scoring with a solo homer in the top of the second before the Ems responded with two in the bottom of the third to go in front 2-1.
The C’s wasted no time going back in front. Smith was plunked on the first pitch of the fourth then Dameury Pena doubled him home in the next at-bat to even the score. After a walk and a sac bunt put Pena at third, Jaxson West delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly that made it 3-2.
Consecutive one-out doubles in the home half of that inning tied the game at three, which is where it remained until the bottom of the seventh. In that frame, the Emeralds sent all nine men to the plate and scored four runs on only two hits but were aided by four walks to go in front 7-3 and seemingly force the need for a Game 4.
But in a season full of remarkable, relentless comebacks from Vancouver, tonight was no different. The C’s scratched one across in the eighth to cut the deficit to three after Ryan Sprock singled then a walk and a fielder’s choice had runners at the corners. Smith cashed in again, this time with a single to left centre that brough Sprock in.
Trailing 7-4 to begin the ninth, the Canadians’ game-tying rally began with Gable Mitchell’s first hit of the series. A fielder’s choice plus a throwing error saw the Ems record no outs in the next at-bat to once again get men on the corners. Mitchell scored on a wild pitch, but the C’s were pushed to the brink after consecutive outs.
Up stepped David Calabrese. Released by the Angels at the beginning of August, the Richmond Hill, ON native joined the Blue Jays soon after and tore up the Northwest League over the final month of the year. Already 1-for-3 with a walk in the game and hitting .500 in the series, Calabrese sent an 0-1 fastball to dead centrefield for a game-tying two-run blast.
Jack Eshleman (W, 2-0) entered for the bottom of the ninth and struck out the side around a two-out walk to force extra innings, where both teams scored one in the tenth to make it 8-8.
In the eleventh, the Canadians went down in order before Eshleman managed to leave two men on base in a scoreless home half.
That set up a decisive twelfth inning. Sprock singled home the placed runner on the first pitch that put the C’s ahead 9-8 then Eshleman went back out for a fourth frame of relief. The first batter laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the tying run to third, but the right-hander went on to strike out the next two batters and lock down the championship.
With the win, the Canadians have claimed their second Northwest League title of the High-A era and sixth since the Blue Jays affiliation began in 2011.
Thank you to each and every one of you for following along this season. We’ll see you in 2027!