Canadians leave Eugene little margin for error with three-game sweep.

Byline: Steve Mims The Register-Guard

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Eugene remains mathematically alive in the race for the Northwest League West Division title heading into a season-ending three-game homestand with Everett, but just barely.

Vancouver completed a three-game sweep of the Ems with a 9-4 win Sunday evening at Nat Bailey Stadium. Combined with Everett's 7-5 win over Salem-Keizer, the Ems (37-36) remain two games back of the Volcanoes (39-34) with three games left in the season.

The only way the Ems could win the West Division is by sweeping Everett in a three-game series that begins today at 4:05 p.m. at Civic Stadium and if Vancouver sweeps Salem-Keizer in a three-game set starting tonight in Keizer.

Under that scenario, Eugene would win the division by one game over Salem-Keizer.

If Eugene and Salem-Keizer were to finish tied for first place in the division, Salem-Keizer would win the tiebreaker. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head results, and the Volcanoes and Emeralds split 12 games this season.

The next tiebreaker is record against the third-place team, and if Salem and Eugene finished tied for first, that would mean Vancouver finished third. Salem-Keizer is 7-2 against the Canadians this season heading into tonight's game, and Eugene finished the season 6-6 against the Canadians.

The winner of the West Division will travel to East Division champion Spokane to open the best-of-five league championship series Thursday night. There will be a day game Friday before the two teams travel to the West Division winner for the final three games beginning Saturday.

Although Eugene's chances of winning the division are dwindling, the Ems are in a pennant race during the final week of the season for the first time since 2003, when they finished four games back of Salem-Keizer. Eugene has not reached the postseason since 2000, when it won the division and lost to Yakima in the championship series.

"It's been awhile for Eugene, and we want to do it for the organization," shortstop Cole Figueroa said last week. "It is definitely fun coming out here every day in a pennant race. It is a lot better than being 15 games back."

Eugene president and general manager Bob Beban said he has heard similar sentiments from members of the San Diego Padres' staff who have stopped in Eugene this season.

"It's interesting with the Padres, and a lot of this is because technology has come such a long way, but all the instructors have their phones and they are checking scores of all San Diego's minor-league teams," said Beban, who last week signed a four-year deal to remain the short-season Class A affiliate of the Padres. "They talk about the other payers, and they are really involved in the minor leagues and what is going on up here."

Vancouver scored four runs in the first inning and never trailed while completing the sweep on Sunday. Dustin Coleman's two-run triple was the big blast in the first inning.

Eugene cut the lead to 4-3 with three runs in the top of the third inning. Daniel Robertson hit a two-run single, and James Darnell drove in Robertson with a single.

Vancouver answered with three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 7-3 lead.

Eugene starter Pablo Menchaca allowed eight hits and seven earned runs in 21?3 innings pitched.

Robertson went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs to raise his league-leading average to .369.

The club and league records for most hits in a season are within reach for Robertson heading into the final three games.

Robertson has 107 hits, which trails the club record of 110 set by Luis Durango last season. James Buckner set the league record with 113 hits for Lewiston in 1972.