VANCOUVER, BC – Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer made a rehab start with the Canadians in game one of their doubleheader against the Eugene Emeralds (SF) on Friday afternoon. The C’s split the day; they earned the victory in the first game after going down 3-1 and came back in the later innings to win 5-3, but they fell 9-0 in game two
GAME ONE – C’s 5, Emeralds 3
After getting a standing ovation from the sold-out Vancouver crowd, Scherzer gave up a leadoff walk before striking out the next two batters and getting an inning-ending groundout. He worked around a one-out single in a scoreless second then gave up two runs after a walk and a pair of hits in the third. On a strict pitch count, “Mad Max” worked for three innings, gave up three hits, two runs, walked a pair and K’ed three over his 49 pitches (33 strikes).
The Canadians put the first run on the board in the second when Jake Casey doubled, went to third on a wild pitch and came home on a Kendry Chirinos single. The Emeralds plated two in the third and one in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.
Casey hit his first career High-A home run in the fourth to bring the C’s within a run before a Sam Shaw sacrifice fly in the fifth with the bases loaded evened the score at three.
The Canadians would go back in front for good in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Eric Snow laced a two-RBI double to the left field fence to make it 5-3 Vancouver.
Landen Maroudis (W, 1-7) entered in relief to start the fourth. After giving up one run in his first frame, Maroudis kept the Ems at bay the rest of the way to earn his first win as a Canadian. His final line: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 K.
GAME TWO – Emeralds 9, C’s 0
The Emeralds plated eight runs – seven coming on homers – in the first three innings, while the C’s remained scoreless the entire way after being held to two hits in the game. Eugene added one more run in the seventh to make the final score 9-0.
Jack Nedrow, the third C’s arm of the game, emerged from the bullpen to begin the fourth and held Eugene scoreless while facing just one batter over the minimum until the seventh. In his final inning, he gave up his only run. Over his four innings pitched, he surrendered three hits, one run, no walks and struck out four.
The Canadians will face off against the Emeralds again tomorrow in the first Saturday evening home game of the season as they look to retake a series lead. #12 Blue Jays prospect Silvano Hechavarria will make his season debut with the C’s as he faces off against Eugene's Niko Mazza. First pitch is at 5:05 p.m.
For tickets and more information throughout the 75th anniversary season of The Nat, visit CanadiansBaseball.com, call 604-872-5232 and follow the C’s on social via @vancanadians.