Vancouver Canadians nab first-half pennant, making 2016 struggles easy to forget

The Vancouver Canadians are going back to the playoffs.
The C’s held off a late surge from the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Saturday night in Keizer, Ore., and recorded a 7-6 victory that clinched them the Northwest League’s North Division first-half pennant.
The Northwest League splits its 76-game schedule into two halves. The two-round, best-of-three playoffs are slated to start Sept. 5.
The C’s, who are the Toronto Blue Jays’ short-season, single-A affiliate, won three strai