Sean Keys' Walk-Off Homer Caps Comeback Victory
VANCOUVER, BC – In front of a sold-out crowd, Sean Keys clobbered a 10th inning, walk-off home run to right field to give the Canadians a feel good 5-3 win and improve to 15-14 in the second half. Appropriately, the thrilling victory was followed by post-game fireworks at the Nat.
VANCOUVER, BC – In front of a sold-out crowd, Sean Keys clobbered a 10th inning, walk-off home run to right field to give the Canadians a feel good 5-3 win and improve to 15-14 in the second half. Appropriately, the thrilling victory was followed by post-game fireworks at the Nat.
The Emeralds scored first in the 3rd inning, using three hits and a sacrifice fly to plate two runs and take the early advantage. They tacked on one more run off of starter Edinson Batista, holding their 3-0 lead until the 6th stanza.
Carter Cunningham got the scoring started for the Canadians, hitting a no-doubt homer to right field to make the game 3-1. Although Arjun Nimmala would follow with a single and two stolen bases, the Canadians stranded runners on first and third to end the inning.
Johan Simon entered the game in the 4th inning and flashed his electric stuff. He fired 3.1 scoreless and hitless innings, walking two while punching out four.
Things got interesting in the 8th inning. Cunningham worked a one-out walk, moving to second base after a groundout from Nimmala a batter later. After Cunningham took third base following a wild pitch, Nick Goodwin hit a ball that was misplayed at third base and led to a run coming in to score. A hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases, leading to a pivotal at bat from Grimsby, Ontario’s Bryce Arnold. After working the count full, Arnold took ball four inside to earn a bases loaded RBI walk.
Both teams were held scoreless in the 9th, with Julio Ortiz pitching the final three innings of the game. The San Pedro De Macoris native had his best outing of the year, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out four. He turned away the Emeralds in the top of the 10th to set things up for the dramatic finish.
Keys’ walk-off home run was the first for the Canadians since Garrett Spain went deep on June 15th, 2023. It was his 12th home run of the season, and the fourth walk-off win for Vancouver this year.
Vancouver trails in the series with Eugene four games to two, with the week wrapping up tomorrow afternoon. Gage Stanifer toes the slab for Vancouver, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m.