The Toronto Maple Leafs' dreams of a perfect season were dashed on the forbidding shores of Lake Simcoe last night, as the Barrie Baycats exploded for 10 runs at Schmidt & Shaw Stadium. The 10-1 final was the first "L" for the Leafs, while moving the Baycats to 3-0.
Glenn Jackson acknowledged that the team was never going to win 36 games - and so they won't - but it's the battle that's important.
Despite the lopsided score, the Leafs refused to fold and make it a short night. They kept at it and managed to break up the shutout.
It was a breezy evening in Barrie and the temperature dropped steadily once the sun had set. The first half of the game was a pitchers' duel. Starters James Trebus and Chris Kemlo traded goose eggs through four innings. Trebus loaded the bases in the bottom of the 5th, and Barrie's Kevin Atkinson hit a grand slam into the evergreens beyond the left field fence. Jordan Castaldo (above) added a two-run homer in the 6th, and Barrie piled on more runs late.
By then, I was already blasting back down the 400. Barrie has a beautiful ballpark, but it's not one where you want to hang around too long. If it isn't the cold nights early in the season, it's the mosquito infestations in mid-summer. The crowd is enthusiastic and the food is good, but the souvenir shop is shit.
The Leafs do not return there until mid-July. These teams currently sit atop the IBL standings, separated by a half-game. It has been a wonky start to the season. Three weeks in, Toronto has a 3-1 record, Kitchener has already played (and lost) five games, but Brantford and Hamilton have yet to complete a game.
Speaking of Brantford, the Leafs head there next for another early-season test of strength. Hopefully last night's result was a minor blip and they can annihilate the defending champions on Saturday.
Game Recap:
Toronto's James Trebus and Barrie's Chris Kemlo engaged in a pitchers' duel to start this game, neither man surrendering a hit until the 3rd inning.
In the bottom of the 5th, Trebus got into a jam. He gave up a walk, single, and walk to load the bases. Barrie third baseman Kevin Atkinson hit a grand slam to break the deadlock and make it a 4-0 game after five innings.
Cam Gray came in to pitch the bottom of the 6th, and Barrie got to him too. Catcher Kyle DeGrace knocked in a run, and first baseman Jordan Castaldo hit a two-run homer to stretch the home lead to 7-0 after six innings.
The Leafs got a rally going in the 7th. Third baseman Sean Mattson and first baseman Damon Topolie each singled, and Mattson scored on an error. In total, the Leafs managed five hits while surrendering 10 to the Baycats.
Barrie added three more runs off of reliever Jake Hines in the bottom of the 8th, and sealed a 10-1 final score.
Toronto 1-5-1
Barrie 10-10-2
W - Kemlo (1-0)
L - Trebus (0-1)
BOXSCORE
Toronto's next game is at Brantford against the defending 6-time IBL champion Red Sox, on May 24.
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