I’m in Everett right now, and tomorrow will be going to Spokane to watch the remaining 4 games of the series with the Indians.  So, this is the press release from the C’s website, but expect Nat Notes recaps starting tomorrow.

(Avista Stadium - Spokane, WA) - The Vancouver Canadians continued their struggles on the diamond falling 8-3 to the Spokane Indians Wednesday night.  The loss drops Vancouver to 19-30 on the Northwest League season.

The Indians were off and running in the bottom of the 1st inning when with two outs DH Joey Butler hit a double off the center field wall scoring CF David Paisano giving Spokane a 1-0 lead.  

C’s starter LHP Trey Barham was touched up again in the bottom of the 2nd inning when LF Mike Biasucci hit a home run over the left field wall extending the Spokane lead to 2-0.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, the Indians exploded for three more runs as RF Eric Fry doubled home CF David Paisano, followed by a two-run single from 3B Matt West scoring both Fry and DH Joey Butler to give Spokane a 5-0 lead.

Tempers flaired in the bottom of the 5th inning when Canadians reliever RHP Hector Garcia threw a pair of pitches behind 3B Matt West and then hit him with a 93 MPH fastball in the back.  Both benches cleared without a punch thrown as both Managers (Magnante and Hulett Sr.) kept their respective players from each other.

Moments later, both Spokane pitcher RHP Tim Murphy and Manager Tim Hulett Sr. were ejected in the top of the 6th inning as the first pitch thrown by Murphy buzzed Canadians SS Jason Christian up near his head.  The umpire immediately tossed Murphy followed by Hullet Sr. who had a lengthly argument before leaving the field.  The C’s responded to the pressure with a trio of runs that included a RBI double from C Julio Rivera scoring 3B Rodney Rutherford cutting the lead to 5-3 Spokane.   

The Indians got two of those runs back in the bottom of the 6th ining when 2B Jason Ogata hit a two-run double scoring both C Doug Hogan and 1B Jared Bolden to extend Spokane’s lead to 7-3.

Canadians LHP Ben Hornbeck got touched for a run in the bottom of the 8th inning as C Doug Hogan hit his 2nd home run of the season to make it 8-3 Spokane.

With the loss, the Canadians drop their third straight and are 1-5 in the month of August.  Vancouver will play game two of this five game road series at Avista Stadium Thursday evening with first pitch set for 6:35pm.  Canadians RHP Shawn Haviland will get the start against Spokane Indians ace RHP Wilfredo Boscan.

Let’s hope the boys can get it together tomorrow night, as they are now trailing first place by 7 games, good, or bad enough for last place in the Western Division.