Game 2: No Rain - Maple Leafs @ Guelph, May 11



Bottom of the Sixth (The Three Umpires) - Norman Rockwell, 1949

It rained most of the day and into the evening on Friday.  Figuring a waterlogged field would cause today's Maple Leafs game in Guelph to be postponed, I didn't bother driving down.

But they played the game.  Two games in and I've already missed one.  Damme!

Based on the Guelph Royals in-game tweets, the Leafs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead.  The Royals tied it late.  They went to extra innings and the Leafs pulled out a win in the 10th.

A more fulsome recap follows, based on the boxscore and online play-by-play on Pointstreak.com:

Some thunder and lightning to start the game.  Leafs centerfielder Glenn Jackson led off with a double, and was eventually driven in by first baseman Jordan Castaldo.

Leafs starter Brett Lawson, the eight-foot-tall human birch tree, held the Royals to just one hit over five innings.  Lawson was relieved by Cam Grey, who gave up a ground rule double to start the sixth.  That baserunner was sacrificed home and the game was tied 1-1.

In the eighth inning, consecutive doubles by Castaldo and third baseman Sean Mattson put the Leafs back ahead.  They tacked on another in the ninth and it looked like the Royals would go down quietly, having just two hits on the day to that point.

Suddenly, GUNGA DIN.  The Royals put baserunners on the corners after two consecutive fielding errors by shortstop Tyler Fata.  Both runners came around to score, and it was on to the tenth.

Suddenly, DOUBLE GUNGA DIN.  A single by leftfielder Raul Borjas, a single by Castaldo, a one-out intentional walk to catcher-manager Damon Topolie, and the bases were loaded.  A wild pitch by the Royals' Brendan Sorchetti allowed Borjas to score and the Leafs were back on top 4-3.  Justin Cicatello closed the game out with his third inning of relief, and the Royals might have liked a rainout today after all.

The Maple Leafs are now 2-0 and tied for first place with the Brantford Red Sox, whom they will face tomorrow at home.  Could be the game of the season.  Better not rain.