What is it that keeps us coming back to the game, we simple folk who come to merely spectate? It's the knowledge that once in a while - while sitting on an ass-numbing bench, and eating unhealthy food, and getting sunburned - once in a while, we will witness a memorable game, maybe even an amazing one.
Such a game was played today at Nelson Park in Burlington.
Before the game even began, something was up. The Burlington announcer read out the Toronto Maple Leafs' starting lineup, and when he got to the number nine spot in the order, he said: "Batting ninth, the pitcher, Justin Cicatello."
What?? Why was the pitcher batting? And why was Cicatello - the club's late innings specialist - starting the game? I looked over to the Maple Leafs' bench. It was badly depleted. Several regulars were missing, and not many pitchers were there.
So whether by choice or by sheer necessity, the Leafs' closer was starting the game - their ninth different starter this season.
Another player starting the game, most likely by sheer necessity, was Branfy Arias. There's no way this man should be out there playing. His right leg is injured, and has been for at least a couple of weeks. He appeared to hurt himself while fielding a grounder in Hamilton back on July 5th. But who knows, he may have been hurt before that. Or, by continuing to play, he's preventing the injury from healing. It's painful just watching him hobble around. Player-Manager Damon Topolie moved Arias from shortstop to left field for this game, to reduce some of the stress and strain on his leg.
And so, with a patchwork starting lineup, the Maple Leafs took to the field against the Burlington Bandits - and destroyed them. Don't be fooled by the 10-9 final score. The Leafs roared out to an early lead thanks to a home run derby put on by the usual suspects: Sean Reilly, Jon Waltenbury, Sean Mattson, and also Topolie. Burlington scratched and scuffled their way back into the game, but Cicatello held them off, and Arias hit an epic home run that proved to be the game winner.
Cicatello's final stat line was a thing of madness. He threw 192 pitches and a complete game. He hit three batsmen and walked eight. Yet for all that, he gave up one run fewer than four Burlington pitchers combined. In between innings, he would quietly return to the team bench, sit down beside a cooler filled with ice water, and immerse his throwing arm up to the armpit until it was time to go pitch again.
As for Arias, the team trainer plied him with shots of tequila and laughing gas to deaden the pain - or at least keep him from passing out between innings. Anything to keep him conscious, and it worked. Arias played like a man possessed. He chased down fly balls, he barreled home from third to score on a passed ball, and in the 8th inning he hit the home run that sealed the win for the Leafs.
As he gimped around the bases with his teammates going wild, it brought to mind another classic home run:
Arias and Cicatello: two legends of the game, two legendary performances. My horribly sunburned legs were so worth it today.
Recap:
It was a scorcher at Nelson Park as the Burlington Bandits welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs for an afternoon contest.
Starters Jack Dennis (Bandits) and Justin Cicatello (Maple Leafs) traded scoreless innings to start the game. It all seemed so quaint, then the scoring began.
Leafs' first baseman Sean Reilly and third baseman Sean Mattson each hit a solo home run in the top of the 2nd inning.
The Bandits got one back in the bottom of the 2nd. Catcher Nick Studer got Burlington's first hit of the game with a single. Connor Panas followed with a single of his own, moving Studer to third. A sac fly by Daniel Peake scored Studer, and it was 2-1 Leafs after the 2nd inning.
Leftfielder Branfy Arias led off the 3rd with a single. Rightfielder Jon Waltenbury then hit a 2-run homer that made it 4-1 Leafs after the 3rd.
The home run derby continued in the next inning, as catcher Damon Topolie led off with a solo homer.
The Bandits got a couple back in the bottom of the inning, as Studer, Panas and Peake his three singles in a row. Peake's hit was good for two runs and it was 5-3 Leafs after the 4th inning.
The top of the 5th was an adventure for Arias. He led off with a single, then moved to second on a single by shortstop Dan Marra. A flyball out to centerfield by Waltenbury moved Arias to third. Then barreled home to score on a passed ball - all with a gimpy leg - and it was 6-3 Leafs after 5 innings of play.
Second baseman Rob Gillis led off the top of the 6th with a single. Dennis then walked centerfielder Steve Coates. Gillis then advanced to third, and scored on a sac fly by the starting pitcher, Justin Cicatello. 7-3 Leafs.
Cicatello's Excellent Adventure almost derailed in the bottom of the inning, when he suddenly ran out of gas. He walked five batters and gave up four runs as the Bandits batted around and tied the game 7-7 after 6 innings of play.
Evan DiMichele relieved Dennis to start the 7th, and he gave up a two-run homer to Reilly. It was Reilly's second round-tripper of the game and gave him three RBIs on the day. 9-7 Leafs.
Burlington kept at it, as Cicatello went out to start the bottom of the 7th. He hit shortstop Levi Larmour with a pitch, and Larmour was eventually driven home on a single by rightfielder Darryl Pui. But Cicatello had got his second wind and got out of trouble. It was 9-8 Leafs after the 7th inning.
Michael Vanderlaan came on in relief to start the 8th, and the first batter he faced was Arias. A battle ensued, and it went like this: "Ball, Foul, Foul, Ball, Foul, Ball, 2 Branfy Arias Scores Earned (home run)". Arias had knocked one over the fence, and he had to limp around the bases with an injured leg. 10-8 Leafs.
Cicatello shocked many by coming out to pitch yet another inning. The Bandits got one more run off him and it was 10-9 going into the 9th.
The Leafs we unable to score in their half of the inning, and it came down to the final three outs. Amazingly, Toronto's closer came out to attempt the complete game. He got a groundout and a flyball out right away, and Burlington were down to their last three strikes. Cicatello then gave up a single to Pui, and a single to leftfielder Peter Bako. Pui moved to third on the hit, and Bako ended up taking second. With two runners in scoring position, Cicatello got late inning replacement Phil Steer to ground into a 5-3 putout, and the Leafs hung on to win 10-9 on Cicatello's amazing performance, and Arias' amazing Kirk-Gibson-esque home run.
The Maple Leafs are now 14-18 and securely in fifth place, 15 games behind the Brantford Red Sox. Their next game is at Christie Pits on July 21 against the Guelph Royals.
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