When you’re 8 games back going into the final 5-game series of the season, you might ask yourself, "Why am I doing this,"?  Well, the 2008 Canadians didn’t and picked up a 3-1 victory over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.  Thanks to the stellar pitching of Pedro Figueroa, and the amazing bat David Thomas had on the night, as well as Julio Rivera, the C’s pulled off the victory.

JD Pruitt made his return from a concussion he suffered in July against Tri-City, starting in LF.  Mitch LeVier anchored Center, and Jeremy Barfield patrolled right.  Leo Gil was at third, Jason Christian at short, Luis at 2nd and David Thomas at first, taking over for Dusty Napoleon, just for the night.  Rivera was the other half of the battery with Figgy and Jareck West was the Designated Hitter.

In the top of the first, a single opened the game for Boise.  Then, a very questionable walk call to Andrew Rundle put a runner in scoring position with none out.  Former First-Rounder Josh Vitters popped up, before Figgy ended the inning with a strikeout to the cleanup hitter, and a pop up from Sean Hoorelbeke.

The bottom half saw Vancouver get a few runners on base, and one was one heck of a hit.  Lead-off man JD Pruitt, in his first at-bat since July, was called out on strikes.  Not just any strike, a very low strike.  David Thomas cranked a pitch to left field, bouncing off the top of the left field wall.  It literally could’ve gone either way, over the fence, or back into the park, which it did, good enough for a double.

Jeremy Barfield walked before two strikeouts ended the threat.

In the bottom of the 2nd, a pair of walks opened the inning, before a flyout advanced the runners.  Marcos Luis singled-in Mitch LeVier, before JD Pruitt was caught swinging.  Luis, at first, looked like he was trying to score the runner before being tagged out himself, and while the runner was running home, Luis was tagged out halfway between first and second.  Mind-boggling to say the least.  1-0 C’s.

Boise answered in the top of 5 with a run of their own, over the right-field fence.  It was Andrew Rundle’s 6th home-run of the season.

Vancouver re-gained the lead in the bottom half as Mitch Levier singled home Jason Christian.

The bottom of the 6th featured the other run of the game, and it came on David Thomas’ second double of the game, which scored Julio Rivera.  With the bases loaded and two out, after an intentional walk, pinch-hitter Dusty Napoleon struck out swinging.  3-1 for the C’s.

Mathieu Leblanc Poirier came into pitch for the C’s in the 7th, making his Canadians debut.  He walked his first hitter, before striking out the next.  A ground out picked up the second out of the inning, before Julio Rivera gunned down runner David Macias.  Not a bad half-inning for his NWL debut.

Kenny Smalley pitched a hit-less 8th, before Jose Guzman closed the game with three outs in 4 batters.

Game Notes:

The Boise Hawks had 5 hits on the night, and walked 6 times as well.  Josh Vitters was 2-4 with a double in his Nat Bailey debut, and teammate Andrew Rundle was 1-3 with a home-run.  The team leader in Average was 1-2 with a pair of walks.

JD Pruitt was 0-4 in his return from injury, but walked once.  David Thomas was 2-4 with two doubles and an RBI, raising his average to .262.

Jeremy Barfield was 1-4 with a walk, extending his on-base streak to 22 games.  Yes, 22 games straight he’s made it on base.

Mitch LeVier was 1-3 with an RBI, run and a walk. 

Julio Rivera was excellent, going 2-4 with a ground rule double and a run.

Pedro ‘Figgy’ Figueroa went six strong innings, giving up just 5 hits, and only an earned run.  He struck out 7, and I may add the run came on a home-run.  His ERA now stands at 4.21, and he is 1-4 on the season, picking up his first win of the year.

Jose Guzman picked up his 12th save, and is now two saves away from tying the Canadians record of 14, set by Brad Kilby in 2005. 

And this next congratulations is much overdue, as Rick Magnante, with the C’s win, now has 100 wins as a NWL manager.  ‘Skip’ has worked tirelessly for this team, and since the club switch to short-season baseball, Magnante has held the job for the longest.  Never given a superstar like Travis Buck in 2005 or Javier Herrera in 2004, Magnante has done wonders for the Canadians, and in the last three seasons I have never heard one player say anything bad about him.  So to you, Rick, congrats!

Rick is the 8th most winning manager in C’s history, and if Vancouver can win 11 more games this season, he’ll be 7th.  Some names he is ahead of, are 1999 Manager Mike Quade, Salem-Keizer manager Tom Trebelhorn, Jack McKeon, former manager of the World Series champion Florida Marlins, Bob Lemon and Lefty O’Doul. 

The C’s get back at it Saturday night, with RHP Mike Hart taking the hill.