Frogs’ ninth-inning rally falls one run short

Published 10:33 pm Thursday, July 16, 2015

EVERETT — The Vancouver Canadians continue to defy logic.

In what should have been a mismatch in favor of the Everett AquaSox, the Canadians continued to buck the numbers, beating the Sox 5-4 in Northwest League baseball action Thursday night at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Everett came into the series with the best record in the NWL and a league-best run differential of plus-34. Vancouver entered tied for the worst record in the league, had a league-worst minus-52 run differential, and was mired in a nine-game losing streak.

But buoyed by Lane Thomas’ tiebreaking three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning, Vancouver captured its second straight victory against the Sox to open the series.

Everett took advantage of wildness by the Vancouver bullpen in the bottom of the ninth to score three runs and pull within one, and the Sox had runners at second and third with one out. But Turner Lee came on to get the final two outs and end the game.

Evan Smith pitched five scoreless innings of relief to earn the win for Vancouver (10-18), which can complete a series sweep with a victory Friday.

Vancouver also had a phenomenal game defensively, playing error-free ball and making four highlight-reel defensive plays, with center fielder Andrew Guillotte and shortstop JC Cardenas each producing two of them. That helped the Canadians overcome 10 walks issued by their pitchers.

Yordi Calderon scored two runs and Braden Bishop had two hits to lead Everett (17-11).

Short hops

Everett has two new players since the team departed for Boise last Thursday. Pitcher Joey Strain, a 21-year-old right-hander who was the Seattle Mariners’ 22nd-round pick in this year’s amateur draft out of Winthrop University, joined the team in Idaho. Infielder Erick Mejia, a 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic, was waiting for the team when it arrived back in Everett on Tuesday. Both had been playing for Seattle’s entry in the rookie Arizona League. … Everett is currently without the services of relief pitcher Troy Scott. The right-hander, who leads the team with four wins, is considered day-to-day with unspecified arm soreness. … Sox starting pitcher Luiz Gohara, who was briefly promoted to Clinton of the Mid-A Midwest League to make a spot start, is moving back into his regular spot in the rotation. He’s scheduled to start Sunday’s game at Hillsboro.