From July 4 through July 14, Vancouver won six of 10 contests, going 3-2 in Hillsboro and 3-2 against Boise at home, improving its season record to 18-12 after 30 games. In that same stretch, the Everett AquaSox went 5-5 (including back-to-back 8-0 losses in Eugene July 12-13) and through 30 games had a 20-10 mark.
The Canadians and AquaSox met for their second series beginning July 15, with Vancouver only two games back of Everett entering this three-game set. With the first half ending the following week (in Short-Season Single-A ball, each half has only 38 games), the Canadians still had a shot at overtaking the AquaSox. In fact, with a three-game sweep, Vancouver would move into sole possession of first place in the North Division.
Things started well for the Canadians in the series opener, when they spanked Everett 13-1 with RHP Eric Brown improving to 5-0 and 2B David Harris going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. For Brown, it was another gem, as he tossed seven innings of three-hit ball with no walks and nine strikeouts, lowing his ERA to 1.33.
With the first-half division title on the line, Vancouver struck for a five-run second inning to break the game open, with Harris' second double of the season driving in DH Jordan Leyland for the first run. CF Chaz Frank then singled home two more runs. SS Dickie Thon followed with a run-scoring single, and the C's added a fifth run on an Everett error, and it was 5-0. Vancouver wouldn't let up, scoring six more runs over the next three innings and the AquaSox never recovered. The division lead for Everett was down to one game.
The Canadians' offense came alive in each of the next two games, as they scored six runs in the second and third contests of the series. However, the pitching didn't show up, and the AquaSox came away with 11-6 and 7-6 victories to put a dagger into the C's first-half pennant hopes.
In the second game of the series on July 16, it initially appeared as though the Canadians would win in a romp, as they plated three runs in the top of the first inning--with L.B. Dantzler hitting his third home run of the season--and chased starter RHP Stephen Pryor. The C's had a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the second inning but the AquaSox exploded against LHP Scott Silverstein for five runs, knocking the Vancouver left-hander out of the game. The big blow was 1B Reggie Lawson's three-run home run off Silverstein, a blast which gave Everett a 7-4 advantage. The AquaSox never looked back, and went on to finish off the 11-6 win.
In the series finale, LHP Kyle Anderson did his job, handing a 2-1 lead to the Canadians bullpen. On the night, Anderson gave up just three hits with no walks in his five innings of work, striking out three batters. The only run the left-hander allowed was a home run off the bat of 1B Justin Seager. Alas, the AquaSox rallied against the Canadians bullpen, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 3-2 lead. Everett added four runs in the bottom of the seventh for a commanding 7-2 cushion, before the C's four-run ninth-inning rally fell just short with their leading hitter, LF Jordan Leyland (.347), flying out to right field with the potential tying run aboard to end the game. The hero offensively for the C's was 3B Andy Fermin, who went 4-for-4 to raise his batting average to .296, as he also hit his first home run of the season in the ninth inning. Unfortunately for the C's, it was the duo of RHP Garrett Pickens and RHP Matt Johnson (six runs on four hits and three walks over two innings) failing in relief that doomed Vancouver.
The series loss to the AquaSox dropped the Canadians to 19-14. Everett, meanwhile, improved to 22-11, and increased its lead over Vancouver to three games for the first-half pennant in the North Division with only five games remaining in the half.
Following the Everett series, the Canadians took on the Eugene Emeralds for a five-game set from July 18-22 at Scotiabank Field as they battled to overtake the AquaSox for the first-half pennant. Despite 10-2 and 4-0 victories over Eugene to open the series, though, Vancouver was officially eliminated on July 20 following its 2-1 defeat and Everett's 8-7 win in Boise.*
The Canadians would finish the first half with a 22-16 record, one game back of the AquaSox. All four teams in the North Division finished .500 or above in the first half, which should make for an intriguing race in the second half.
2013 Northwest League First-Half Standings
North Division
Team W-L Pct GB
Everett 23-15 .605 -
Vancouver 22-16 .579 1
Spokane 20-18 .526 3
Tri-City 19-19 .500 4
*For me, the Eugene series brought back memories of the Derrick Chung walk-off sacrifice fly game back on July 26, 2012, when the Canadians beat the Emeralds 1-0 at Scotiabank Field. Here's a trip down memory lane to one year ago...
The Canadians would finish the first half with a 22-16 record, one game back of the AquaSox. All four teams in the North Division finished .500 or above in the first half, which should make for an intriguing race in the second half.
2013 Northwest League First-Half Standings
North Division
Team W-L Pct GB
Everett 23-15 .605 -
Vancouver 22-16 .579 1
Spokane 20-18 .526 3
Tri-City 19-19 .500 4
*For me, the Eugene series brought back memories of the Derrick Chung walk-off sacrifice fly game back on July 26, 2012, when the Canadians beat the Emeralds 1-0 at Scotiabank Field. Here's a trip down memory lane to one year ago...
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