Under the C’s – Gabby Martinez Shines as Vancouver Wins Third Straight

The Vancouver Canadians are special this year.

There’s no other way to put it.  The team is just something to behold this season.

The C’s won their third straight game on Thursday night in front of another sold-out crowd at the legendary Nat Bailey Stadium.  A crowd so big, in fact, that the parking lot was full by the time I got to the ballpark, so I had to park a couple of blocks away and miss the entirety of the first inning.  And that’s where Vancouver started their onslaught on the visiting Spokane Indians[High-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies].

After dropping the opening run in the top of the first, Vancouver would begin to storm back in typical 2023 C’s fashion; They just played ball and took advantage of mistakes.

It started with Alan Roden taking the walk to start.  Dasan Brown[#15 Farmhand in the Jays system] made it on base after a Spokane fielding error, Michael Turconi then got walked, loading the bases for Alex De Jesus[#21].  De Jesus, the brilliant ball player he is, sent a sacrifice fly to left field, giving Roden the chance to run home and tie the game.  Enter Gabby Martinez.

In his first at-bat of the night, on the first pitch he faced, Martinez [#12] levelled a three-run RBI double down the 3rd base line, bringing home Brown, Turconi, and Garrett Spain, who ALSO got walked by Spokane starter Blake Adams.  That would make it 4-1 Vancouver after the 1st.

After the Indians were able to snag a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, Vancouver would once again turn on the offence and put the game out of reach, for good, this time.  With Lyle Lin and Alan Roden already on base, Dasan Brown would step up to the plate, and demolish the second pitch over the bullpen and into the very full parking lot to give Vancouver a 7-3 lead.