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Baseball Canada Elects New Executive Committee

Baseball Canada Elects New Executive Committee

June 05, 2006

Ray Carter (Tsawwassen, B.C.) ran unopposed and retained his seat as Baseball Canada’s president while incumbent vice president Linda Lewis (Port Lambton, Ont.) was narrowly re-elected to Baseball Canada’s executive committee, Saturday, at the organisation’s Annual General Meetings in Ottawa. Ken Sharpe (Minnedosa,Man.) is the only new member of the three-person executive, running unopposed and replacing Baseball Québec’s Gilles Taillon as treasurer. A former Baseball Ontario president, Lewis edged challenger Peter Craig (Halifax, N.S.) by six votes to begin her third consecutive two-year term. Lewis, who joined Baseball Canada in 1989, has served on a range of committees focusing on sport development, championships, women’s baseball and fair play. She has also been heavily involved in human resources and finance committees in addition to being the current chairperson of Baseball Canada’s umpires committee. While her experience likely gave her a slight edge in this weekend’s election, Lewis agrees the close vote is a sign of a healthy organization. The current chair of Baseball Canada’s sport development committee and Nova Scotia board representative for two terms, Craig made it a close race by presenting the idea that turnover in an organisation can be beneficial. “That’s what ensures the future success of organizations,” Craig said as he addressed the membership moments before the vote, calling for fresh ideas and creative thinking to tackle new issues presented to Baseball Canada. “Innovative progression and innovative direction is going to bode well for the future. These things will directly translate into increased registration.” Lewis was quick to acknowledge the merit of Craig’s argument and says she’s looking forward to working with Craig and other members from across the country to ensure that Baseball Canada continues to move in the right direction. “I thought that Peter did a great job because he had a lot of valid points in his speech,” said Lewis. “We do have to look down the road and we will have to do a lot of things differently. We should look very seriously at a lot of what he said.” Carter says that the board members’ ability to work together effectively has been exemplary and he doesn’t expect that to change. “Everything went very well this weekend,” he said of the annual board meetings alongside the election process. “Our meetings were thorough and we were able to work through any issues we had very smoothly.” With the new executive committee in place and fresh from constructive meetings, Carter and Baseball Canada are set to embark on a new two-year term – one in which Carter vows there will be extreme emphasis on grassroots programs such as Winterball, Rally Cap and Long Term Athlete Development. “In addition to those there are a lot of very positive ideas that are re-surfacing and I’m very pleased with the progress that we keep making,” he said. “With more funding we would be able to put more programs into action, so that’s something we’re constantly trying to access.” In addition to organisational meetings and workshops, Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Donald Fehr was also on hand, Friday, to collect feedback from the Canadian federation with regards to the World Baseball Classic held in March.  

Canadian Juniors tie Phillies

Canadian Juniors tie Phillies

June 02, 2006

Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects closed out their 2006 Dominican Republic Tour with a 5-5 draw in 10 innings, Thursday, against the Philadelphia Phillies. After Philadelphia scored a pair of runs behind two base hits and a double in the bottom of the ninth, both teams were held scoreless in the tenth and the exhibition game was declared a tie. After the teams exchanged runs in the first two innings, Canada took three-run lead into the fifth. Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.) reached on an error and promptly stole second. Tyson Gillies (Langley, B.C.) then tripled to score Gilligan and was cashed in himself by a single from the bat of Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.) for a 4-1 Canadian advantage. The score stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when Philadelphia scored a pair of markers thanks to three consecutive singles off of Canadian reliever Jean-Francois Ricard (Saint Eustache, Qué.) to cut the lead to one run. Gillies scored on a ground out from Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) in the eighth, setting up the Phillies ninth that would tie the game for good. Six Canadian pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts: Michael Goemans (Guelph, Ont.) – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 SOPhillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Qué.) – 2 IP, 0 H, 0R, 3 SOJean-François Ricard – 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 SOCameron Gray (Toronto, Ont.) – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 RMatt Jebb (Toronto, Ont.) – 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 SODavid Francis (Mississauga, Ont.) – 1 .2 IP, 0H, 0R, 3 SO Gillies led the charge offensively, going 3-for-4 with three hits, one walk, two runs scored and an RBI. Mark Ellis (Maple Ridge, B.C.) was also 3-for-4 with one RBI, while Larsson was 2-for-5 with one run scored and an RBI and Willson was 1-for-3 with one walk, one run scored and one RBI. Ricky Alvernaz (White Rock, B.C.) and Jeff Skelhorne-Gross had one hit each for the Canadians. The National Junior Team prospects will now turn their attention to their final training camp and exhibition series against the Cuban Junior National Team from Sept. 8 to September 16. The training camp will be used by Team Canada staff as the fourth and final step in the selection process for the roster of players to represent Canada at the 2006 World Junior AAA Championships in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba from Sept. 17 to 27. Canada’s Dominican Tour Results May 25 – Canada 9  Seattle 6May 26 – Canada 3  Seattle 8May 27 – Canada 3  Minnesota 6May 28 – Canada 5  Anaheim 4  May 29 – Canada 17  Cleveland 5May 30 – Canada 11  Cleveland 12May 31 – Canada 3  Toronto 12June 1 – Canada 5  Philadelphia 5  

Big Innings Prove Costly for Canadian Juniors

Big Innings Prove Costly for Canadian Juniors

June 01, 2006

Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects lost two games in a row, Tuesday and Wednesday, to the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays, moving to 3-4 on their 2006 Dominican Republic Tour. The Canadians’ best chance at a victory over the two-game stretch came in a 12-11 loss to the Indians on Tuesday, a contest which they led 5-0 after the first inning. Tyson Gillies (Langley, B.C.) scored from third on a single from the bat of Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.), while a double by Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) and singles from Steve Anderson (Markham, Ont.) and Ricky Alvernaz (White Rock, B.C.) gave Canada the early lead. However, Cleveland quickly got back into the game, taking Canadian starter Sheldon McDonald (Spruce Grove, Alta.) for four runs in the bottom of the second thanks to three singles, a double and a walk. Canada bounced back to take a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the sixth, where the Indians came up with a five-run inning with only a pair of hits as Colin Buckborough (Niagara Falls, Ont.) walked two batters, hit another two and gave up a grand-slam homerun to bring the count to 10-7 in Cleveland’s favour. A resilient group of Canadians, however, refused, to let the grand-slam get the better of them, clawing back to take an 11-10 lead in the slugfest mid-way through the seventh inning. Gillies kicked off the inning with a triple, which was followed by singles from Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.), Willson, and Mark Ellis (Maple Ridge, B.C.) and a walk to Lawrie. The see-saw battle continued in the bottom half of the seventh where the Indians were able to draw a walk from Buckborough before slapping back-to-back doubles to score the final two-runs of the game and seal a 12-11 win. Right-handers Corey Hall (Regina, Saskatchewan) and Leslie Williams (Scarborough, Ont.) merit credit for shutting down a potent Indians offence.  Hall, who threw 2.2 inning allowed only one hit and one run while Williams threw the final 1.2 innings, giving up only one hit while striking out one. Despite the loss, Canada had an impressive team effort offensively as six players had a multi-hit game: Tyson Gillies: 2-for-3, 2 runs, tripleBrett Lawrie: 2-for-4, 1 walk, 3 runs, 1 RBIShayne Willson: 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, doubleMark Ellis: 2-for-4, 1 walk, 1 run, 1 RBISteve Anderson: 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, homerunRicky Alvernaz: 2-for-3, 1BB, 1 RBI A big inning cost the Canadians again during a 12-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Wednesday, a game that was much closer than the final score indicates. Leading by a slim 4-3 margin and with the Canadians pressing, the Blue Jays exploded for an eight-run seventh inning to seal the win. Five singles, a hit batsman, a walk, and a double off of right-handed reliever Ryan Jenson (Langley, B.C.) accounted for damage. Canada scored first in the game as Jordan Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) cashed in Matt McCarney (Kanata, Ont.) with a base hit in top of the third inning. The lead was short lived as Toronto scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Canada clawed back to within one as Chris Dennis (Windsor, Ont.) scored on a double-play ball in the fifth and cashed in Brett Lawrie in the seventh to make it 4-3, setting up the eight-run Blue Jays' seventh. Canadian starter Mehdi Djebbar (Montréal, Qué.) did his part to get the Canadians off to a good start, striking out a pair while allowing two hits, two walks and no runs in the first two innings. Pierre Miville-Deschenes (Candiac, Qué.) threw the next two innings, allowing the four-run Blue Jays fourth. Before handing the ball over to Jenson, Justin Robinson (Langley, B.C.) threw a pair of innings, striking out one batter and allowing one hit.  David Francis (Mississauga, Ont.) pitched the final 1.2 innings without a hit and struck out one. Dennis went 2-for-3 with a run scored and Ellis went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead Canada’s offence. Lawrie and Wideman both had one hit each, Willson and McCarney both score a run each and Gilligan chipped in with an RBI. Canada’s final game on the 2006 Dominican Republic Tour comes against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, in Guanuma, D.R. Canada’s schedule May 25 – Canada 9  Seattle 6May 26 – Canada 3  Seattle 8May 27 – Canada 3  Minnesota 6May 28 – Canada 5  Anaheim 4  May 29 – Canada 17  Cleveland 5May 30 – Canada 11  Cleveland 12May 31 – Canada 3  Toronto 12June 1 – Canada vs. Philadelphia Phillies; 11 a.m. EST - Guanuma, D.R.  

National Junior Team Prospects Crush Indians

National Junior Team Prospects Crush Indians

May 30, 2006

Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects cruised to a 17-5 win over the Cleveland Indians, Monday, improving to 3-2 on their 2006 Dominican Republic Tour. Five Canadian pitchers combined to allow only six hits, while the offence pounded out 18 hits on the way to victory. Canada blew it open with a four-run fourth inning behind triples by Steve Anderson (Markham, Ont.) and Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.), a double by Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.) and a single by Jordan Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) to make it 7-0 for the Canadians. Canada scored three more in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take a 13-0 lead before Cleveland was finally able to get on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Starter Drew Parker (Surrey, B.C.) struck out four Indians and allowed one hit in two innings work to set the tone defensively for Canada. Matt Jebb (Toronto, Ont.) was equally impressive in relief throwing three no-hit innings while walking two and striking out three. Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Qué.) and Cameron Gray (Toronto, Ont.) each gave up a pair of runs and struck out two before David Francis (Mississauga, Ont.) gave up the final Indians run in the ninth. For the second straight day, Canada faced a group of wild pitchers. Six times, Canadian batters were issued free passes after being plunked. The difference this time around, compared to a 5-4 win over the Angels a day earlier, was that the bats came alive. Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) led the attack by going 3-for-6 with a first inning-homerun, two runs scored and a pair of RBI while Gilligan was 3-for-5 with one run scored and two RBI.  Not to be outdone, Wideman went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, Ricky Alvernaz (White Rock, B.C.) was 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored and Larsson was 1-for-3 with three RBI. Leslie Williams (Scarborough, Ont.) drove in a pair of runs. Matt McCarney (Kanata, Ont.), David Narodowski (Vancouver, B.C.) and Anderson each collected one RBI. Canada’s next game comes against the Indians, Tuesday, in Boca Chica, D.R. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m. EST. Canada’s schedule May 25 – Canada 9  Seattle 6May 26 – Canada 3  Seattle 8May 27 – Canada 3  Minnesota 6May 28 – Canada 5  Anaheim 4  May 29 – Canada 17  Cleveland 5May 30 – Canada vs. Cleveland Indians; 11 a.m. EST - Boca Chica, D.R.May 31 – Canada vs. Toronto Blue Jays; 11 a.m. EST - Hato Mayor, D.R.June 1 – Canada vs. Philadelphia Phillies; 11 a.m. EST - Guanuma, D.R.  

Canadian Major Leaguers: May 29 Statistics

Canadian Major Leaguers: May 29 Statistics

May 30, 2006

Eight Canadians saw action in the Major Leagues yesterday.  Here’s how they fared: Position Players 1. Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.) was 2-for-4 with a double and 1 run scored in a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Angels in 11 innings. 2. Kansas City Royals designated hitter Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) was 1-for-4 with a double, 1 RBI and 3 strikeouts in a 6-4 loss to the Oakland Athletics. 3. Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Jason Bay (Trail, B.C.) was 1-for-5 with 1 strikeout in a 14-3 win over Milwaukee Brewers. 4. Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin (Chelsea, Qué.) was 0-for-3 with 1 RBI in a 12-5 win over the Atlanta Braves. 5. Peter Orr (Newmarket, Ont.) was 0-for-1 after flying out for Braves pitcher Oscar Villarreal in the seventh inning of a 12-5 loss to the Dodgers. Pitchers 1. Chicago Cubs closer Ryan Dempster (Sechelt, B.C.) earned his ninth save of the year, preserving a 7-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The line on Dempster: 1.1 innings pitched, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 3 strikeouts, 21 pitches-13 strikes, 5 batters faced. 2. Philadelphia Phillies reliever Rheal Cormier (Moncton, N.B.) earned his fifth hold of the season after an 11-2 win over the Washington Nationals. The line on Cormier: 1.0 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 15 pitches-9 strikes, 3 batters faced. 3. Twins reliever Jesse Crain (Toronto, Ont.) was tagged with his third loss of the season (0-3) after a 4-3 loss to the Angels in 11 innings. The line on Crain: 2.0 innings pitched, 3 hits, 1 run, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 26 pitches-19 strikes, 9 batters faced. Today’s games featuring teams with Canadian players (Bolded teams): American LeagueKansas City Royals @ Oakland AthleticsTampa Bay Devil Rays @ Baltimore OriolesMinnesota Twins @ Anaheim Angels National LeagueMilwaukee Brewers @ Pittsburgh PiratesWashington Nationals @ Philadelphia PhilliesLos Angeles Dodgers @ Atlanta BravesCincinnati Reds @ Chicago CubsColorado Rockies @ San Diego Padres  

Canadian Juniors Walk Away With Win Over Angels

Canadian Juniors Walk Away With Win Over Angels

May 29, 2006

Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects drew 13 walks en route to a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Angels, Sunday, improving their record to 2-2 on their 2006 Dominican Republic Tour. Showing tremendous discipline and patience, the Canadians were able to manufacture their five runs with only four hits and without the help of any errors by the Angels. The walk-fest started in the third inning as three consecutive free passes to David Narodowski (Vancouver, B.C.), Tyson Gillies (Langley, B.C.) and Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.) juiced the bases for Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.) who smacked a two-run single to left field for a 2-1 Canadian lead. The Angels then tied things up with a rare inside the park homerun in the bottom half of the inning, 2-2. The bizarre plays continued to fall in favour of the Angels in the top of the fifth. Jordan Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.), Matt McCarney (Kanata, Ont.), Narodowski and Gillies were each walked one after another to give Canada a 3-2 edge and put them in position to open the flood gates as Larsson stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs. But Larsson hit a sharp grounder to the Angels shortstop who promptly tagged Narodowski as he broke for third base, stepped to his left to force Gillies out at second and fired 90 feet to first base, his throw beating Larsson to the bag for a triple play. The triple play allowed the Angels to stay in the game, but they continued to be haunted by walks. Narodowski drew his third walk of the day with the bases loaded in the seventh and, one inning later, Lawrie Tripled then scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) for a 5-2 lead. The Angels scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth behind a double, a single and a Canadian error, but were unable to complete the comeback as closer Leslie Williams (Scarborough, Ont.) earned the save with a hitless ninth inning. Ryan Jenson also threw two no-hit innings (5th and 6th) for Canada, striking out a pair of Angels along the way. Starter Michael Goemans (Guelph, Ont.) threw the first four innings giving up one earned run behind three hits while striking out a pair.  Left-hander Jean-Francois Ricard (Saint Eustache, Qué.) struck out four batters in two innings of relief, while giving up only two hits. Lawrie led the Canadians at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Narodowski finished with three walks, one run scored and an RBI, while Gillies drew two walks, scored one run and drove in another. Steve Anderson (Markham, Ont.) and Gilligan each picked up a hit, Gilligan adding a stolen base. Canada’s next game comes against the Cleveland Indians, Monday, in Boca Chica, D.R. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m. EST. Canada’s schedule May 25 – Canada 9  Seattle 6May 26 – Canada 3  Seattle 8May 27 – Canada 3  Minnesota 6May 28 – Canada 5  Anaheim 4  May 29 – Canada vs. Cleveland Indians; 11 a.m. EST - Boca Chica, D.R.May 30 – Canada vs. Toronto Blue Jays; 11 a.m. EST - Hato Mayor, D.R.May 31 – Canada vs. Philadelphia Phillies; 11 a.m. EST - Guanuma, D.R.  

Twins Double up on Canadian Juniors

Twins Double up on Canadian Juniors

May 28, 2006

Canada’s National Junior Team prospects were on the wrong side of a great pitching performance, Saturday, dropping a 6-3 decision to the Minnesota Twins in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. Twins pitchers allowed only two hits en route to dropping Canada’s juniors to 1-2 on their 2006 Dominican Tour.  The Canadians, though, were gritty and persistent. After Minnesota took a 4-0 lead into the sixth inning, the scrappy Canadians found ways to get to the Twins. Matt McCarney (Kanata, Ont.) drew a walk to lead-off the inning. Minnesota then misplayed a bunt by David Narodowski (Vancouver, B.C.) and walked Jordan Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) to load the bases. A fielder choice allowed McCarney to put Canada on the board and Narodowski alertly broke for home on a wild pitch. Without a single hit, Canada had scored two runs and cut the lead in half, 4-2. With the score 5-2 in the eighth, Canada once again loaded the bases behind a single from Ricky Alvernaz (White Rock, B.C.) a fielder’s choice to McCarney and a walk to Jeff Skelhorne-Gross (Mississauga, Ont.). Alvernaz was able to score on another wild pitch to, once again, cut the lead to two, but Canada would get no closer. The Twins added another insurance marker in the eighth to make it 6-3. Canada’s pitching staff did their best to keep its team close. Starter Pierre Miville-Deschesne (Candiac, Qué.) threw three innings allowing three hits, one earned run and striking out four. Colin Buckborough (Niagara Falls, Ont.) gave up one run behind one hit, five walks, one wild pitch and a strikeout. David Francis (Mississauga, Ont.) shut the Twins out in one inning of work, striking out two batters while giving up one hit. Most of the damage came off of Justin Robinson (Langley, B.C.) who threw three innings from the fourth to the sixth. Robinson gave up four earned runs behind 7 hits, 0 walks and 1 strikeout. Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.) and Alvernaz were the only Canadians to collect hits. Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.), who also had a stolen base and an RBI, Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.), McCarney, Wideman and Skelhorne-Gross all drew walks. Alvernaz, McCarney and Narodowski were the run scorers. Canada’s next game comes against the Anaheim Angels, Sunday, in San Pedro de Macoris, D.R. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m. EST. Canada’s schedule May 25 – Canada 9  Seattle 6May 26 – Canada 3  Seattle 8May 27 – Canada 3  Minnesota 6May 28 – Canada vs. Anaheim Angels; 11 a.m. EST - San Pedro de Macoris, D.R.  May 29 – Canada vs. Cleveland Indians; 11 a.m. EST - Boca Chica, D.R.May 30 – Canada vs. Toronto Blue Jays; 11 a.m. EST - Hato Mayor, D.R.May 31 – Canada vs. Philadelphia Phillies; 11 a.m. EST - Guanuma, D.R.  

Canada downed by Mariners

Canada downed by Mariners

May 27, 2006

The Seattle Mariners avoided being swept by Canada's National Junior Team prospects, Friday, with an 8-3 win in the final game of a two-game set in Villa Mella, Dominican Republic. Seattle put the game away with a three-run seventh inning sparked by an error, three walks a double and a single that cashed in the Mariners' eighth and final run of the game. Canada, meanwhile had difficulty finding its form after exhange runs with seattle in the opening frame. Tyson Gillies (Langley, B.C) led of the first inning by drawing a walk, stole second and eventually scored from third after a single from the bat of Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.). Seattle slowly built its lead, scoring one run in the third inning and two runs in the fifth before a solo homerun in the sixth made it 5-0 for the Mariners, setting up the three-run seventh inning that sealed the victory. Canada's best bid to get back in the game came in the top half of the seventh inning when Chris Dennis (Windsor, Ont.) hit a two-run homerun to right centre to cut the Mariners lead to 5-3. Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) was the only Canadian to collect more than one hit, going 2-for-4 while Dennis went 1-for-3 with a walk, one run scored and two RBI to lead Canada's offence. Lawrie was 1-for-3 with an RBI, Mark Ellis (Maple Ridge, B.C.) was 1-for-3 with a run scored and Gillies walked and scored a run to chip in. Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.), Ricky Alvernaz (White Rock, B.C.) and David Narodowski (Vancouver, B.C.) also collected hits. Starter Sheldon McDonald (Spruce Grove, Alta.) was tagged with the loss despite throwing three solid innings, giving up only one earned run behind six hits while striking out three. Mehdi Djebbar (Montréal, Qué.) and Cameron Gray (Toronto, Ont.) gave up three runs each, while Cory Hall (Regina, Sask.) gave up only one hit in three innings of work. Canada now sets its sights to the Minnesota Twins for an 11 a.m. EST matchup, Saturday, in Boca Chica, D.R. Canada's schedule May 25 – Canada 9 Seattle 6May 26 – Canada 3 Seattle 8May 27 – Canada vs. Minnesota Twins; 11 a.m. EST - Boca Chica, D.R.May 28 – Canada vs. Anaheim Angles; 11 a.m. EST - San Pedro de Macoris, D.R.May 29 – Canada vs. Cleveland Indians; 11 a.m. EST - Boca Chica, D.R.May 30 – Canada vs. Toronto Blue Jays; 11 a.m. EST - Hato Mayor, D.R.May 31 – Canada vs. Philadelphia Phillies; 11 a.m. EST - Guanuma, D.R.

Canada Outlasts Mariners for Win in Dominican Tour Opener

Canada Outlasts Mariners for Win in Dominican Tour Opener

May 26, 2006

After squandering a six-run lead in the opening game of its 2006 Dominican Republic Tour, Thursday in Villa Mella, Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects posted a three-run 10th inning to top the Seattle Mariners 9-6. Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.) singled-in the winning run after Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.), Chris Dennis (Windsor, Ont.) and Tyson Gillies (Langley, B.C.) were all walked to lead off the top of the 10th inning. A sacrifice fly from Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.) and a base hit by Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) provided the two insurance markers. Mark Ellis (Maple Ridge, B.C.) crushed the ball for a towering two-run homerun in the fifth inning to put Canada in front 6-0 before the Mariners began to slowly chip away at the lead with a marker in the bottom half of the inning and another in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-2. Up four runs and only three outs away from a convincing victory, 6’7” right-hander Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Québec) struggled with his control, giving up four earned runs behind no hits, three walks and three wild pitches in 1.2 innings of work to send it to extra innings. Aumont accounted for three of the 14 strikeouts posted by Canadian pitchers. Reliever David Francis (Mississauga, Ont.) shut down the Mariners for the final 1.1 innings, striking out four while walking two without allowing a hit to earn the win. Before handing the ball to Aumont in the eighth inning, Matt Jebb (Toronto, Ont.) struck out a pair of Mariners and gave up two runs behind two hits and two walks. Canadian starting pitcher Drew Parker (Surrey, B.C.) set the tone for Canada striking out a game-high five Mariners while throwing four strong no-hit innings without a walk. Canada opened up the scoring in the first on a bases-loaded walk to Ellis, scoring Larsson. Larsson then scored again in the third inning all the way from second base on a fielding error by the Mariners for a 2-0 lead. Steve Anderson (Markham, Ont.) led off the fourth inning with a solo homerun to right-centre field to make it 3-0 before Canada’s three run fifth. Larsson was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI and Ellis was 1-for-4 with 1 run scored and 3 RBI to lead the Canadian offence. Willson and Anderson both chipped in by going 1-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI each. Lawrie went 1-for-2 with 1 RBI while Gillies scored a pair of runs. Canada will complete a two-game set against the Mariners in Villa Mella, Friday, at 11:00 a.m. EST. Canada’s Schedule May 25                  Canada 9                  Seattle Mariners 6May 26                  Canada vs. Seattle Mariners          11 a.m. EST     Villa Mella, D.R.May 27                  Canada vs. Minnesota Twins         11 a.m. EST     Boca Chica, D.R.May 28                  Canada vs. Anaheim Angels          11 a.m. EST     San Pedro de Macoris, D.R.May 29                  Canada vs. Cleveland Indians       11 a.m. EST     Boca Chica, D.R.May 30                  Canada vs. Cleveland Indians       11 a.m. EST     Boca Chica, D.R.May 31                  Canada vs. Toronto Blue Jays       11 a.m. EST     Hato Mayor, D.R.June 1                  Canada vs. Philadelphia Phillies   11 a.m. EST     Guanuma, D.R.

Loewen gets the nod against Mariners

Loewen gets the nod against Mariners

May 24, 2006

Baltimore Orioles left-handed pitcher and five-time Baseball Canada national team member Adam Loewen (Surrey, B.C.) made his major league debut, last night, picking up a hold in a 14-4 win over the Seattle Mariners. The 6’5”, 230-pound 22-year-old was expected to split time between the Double-A Bowie Bay Sox and Triple-A Ottawa Lynx this year, but was called up to Orioles after fellow pitching prospect Hayden Penn underwent an emergency appendectomy, Monday. With little time to prepare on only three days rest after having thrown six-innings with one hit for an Eastern League win over the Trenton Thunder, Loewen was sent 4490 kilometres from Bowie Maryland, on the Eastern seaboard to Seattle Washington on the West coast to face the heart of the Mariners’ batting order (Richie Sexson, Carl Everett and Adrian Beltre) in only the third relief appearance of his entire professional career. Loewen froze Sexson on a called third strike before walking Everett, hitting Beltre and giving up an RBI-single to Kenji Johjima. Loewen got in 13 pitches and picked up a hold before being replaced by Todd Williams with one out in the bottom of the sixth.   With the second-worst team ERA in the major leagues and five pitchers from its 40-man roster currently on the disabled list, the Orioles may keep Loewen with the parent club and work him into the starting rotation. “I haven’t been told anything, so I’m just going to play it by ear right now,” Loewen told MLB.com reporter Spencer Fordin before last night’s game. “Obviously, I’m totally excited to be here. I can’t wait to get on the field and contribute as much as I can.” Before being promoted to the majors, Loewen boasted a 4-2 record with a 2.72 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 49.2 innings of work this season. In the first Double-A game of his career, Loewen threw an eight-inning one hitter and struck out 12 without a walk against the Reading Phillies on April 21. Eight Days later, he gave up only four hits in seven innings in a no decision against the Portland Sea Dogs. On May 9, Loewen struck out 11 in only six innings for a win over the New Britain Rock Cats. Loewen also led Team Canada to an 8-6 upset of the Americans at the World Baseball Classic’s U.S. EH! Game by throwing 3.2 shutout innings and allowing only three hits while walking three. He is also the highest-ever draft pick in Canadian history, being selected fourth overall by the Orioles in the 2002 MLB entry draft. Loewen joins catcher Russell Martin (Chelsea, Qué.) as the only Canadian rookies currently in the majors. Martin is off to a hot start, batting .309 with 10 RBI, 10 runs scored, a pair of doubles and one homerun in 16 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers.



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