Game 9: Brutal Retribution - Guelph Royals @ Toronto, May 26

Rough day at the office for the local nine.

The sight of a Guelph Royals hitter working his home run trot was a common one this afternoon, as the visitors sought retribution for their 16-1 defeat at Christie Pits on May 15.  The Royals pounded out 19 hits including 6 home runs today.  After just half an inning of play, they had run up a 9-0 lead.

The retribution was brutal.

And to think, it all started off as a kind of pastoral idyll at Christie Pits.  The sun shone in a cloudless sky, the grass on the slopes was freshly mown, and the elm trees that stand high above the field released seedlings that floated down like confetti.  Dogs cavorted, children romped, spectators sprawled out in the sun.

For the Maple Leafs, the idyll became Dante's Inferno right from the start.  Starter Clay Caulfield was rocked for 9 runs off of 8 hits including 4 home runs, and was yanked after two-thirds of an inning.  The Leafs would rely on five relief pitchers to get through the remainder of the game.

But the game was over before it began.  The Leafs would scrape out 4 runs over nine innings, but the Royals' opening barrage was too much to overcome.

And just like that, the Royals are on a modest streak.  Having rallied from behind to beat the Hamilton Cardinals the night before, today's win gives them two in a row.

As for the Leafs, this was their second loss in a row.  It's not that they aren't hitting the ball - they got 11 hits today and 10 the day before.  The left-on-base numbers - 11 today and 8 yesterday - suggest that the timely hits they were getting earlier in the season haven't been there this weekend. 

Ah well, it's a long season as they say.  The boys in blue can tend to their wounds, have some wine and return to the Pits Wednesday night ready to start a new rampage of retribution.


Recap:

Is this really necessary?  It was brutal.  For those sadists among you, here it is.

Maple Leafs starter Clay Caulfield faced 11 batters to start the game.  He was treated quite rudely by the Guelph Royals, who racked up 8 hits and 9 runs, including home run shots by Sean Reilly, Justin Interisano, Chaz Pal and Josh Garton.  Caulfield was relieved by Cam Grey after retiring just two Royals' batters.

In the bottom of the 1st, Leafs shortstop Cody Mombourquette continued his pursuit of .500 by hitting a single.  He advanced to third base on a wild pitch and a single by rightfielder Jordan Castaldo, then was driven home on a single by leftfielder Raul Borjas.  Mombourquette ended the day with a .478 batting average.

In the 3rd inning, Adam Garner came in to relieve Grey, and he pitched three innings.  Royals first baseman Reilly blasted his second home run of the game in the top of the 3rd to make it 10-1.

Royals rightfielder Dan Treccia doubled to lead off the 4th inning, then was driven home by DH Brent teBoekhorst to make it 11-1.

Reilly, Interisano and Treccia each drove in a run in the 5th, raising the Royals tally to 14-1.

Interisano hit his second home run of the game with a man on base in the top of the 7th.  Despite making it a 16-1 score, the homer brought a roar from the crowd when a young man playing outfield in the adjoining field caught the ball and threw it back all in one motion.  He doffed his cap to acknowledge the applause, then turned back to his game.

The Maple Leafs were not completely dead by this point.  Drew Taylor pitched a scoreless inning in the 6th, Scott Kelly gave up the 2-run shot in the 7th, and Justin Cicatello became the sixth Leafs pitcher of the day when he came in to start the 8th and ride out the rest of the game. 

With two outs in the bottom of the 8th, catcher Will Richards singled and advanced to second on a walk, then got driven home on a single by third baseman Sean Mattson.  16-2 after 8 innings.

The Leafs added two more runs in the bottom of the ninth.  Centerfielder Glenn Jackson doubled, moving to third on a passed ball.  Raul Borjas walked.  Will Richards then singled and moved to second on an error by Treccia in right field, which brought home both Jackson and Borjas.  The game ended with a 16-4 final score.

The Leafs are now 4-4 and 2.5 games behind the Brantford Red Sox.  Their next game is May 29 at Christie Pits against the Kitchener Panthers.