Leafs Beat the Elements, Sox Beat the Leafs

Game 8: Toronto Maple Leafs at Brantford Red Sox - May 30, 2015

Red Sox win 5-4

I really didn't think today's IBL matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Brantford Red Sox at Arnold Anderson Stadium would happen.

The Environment Canada online forecast was more alarmist than usual this morning.  It was saying dire things like: "Rain beginning this afternoon.  Thunderstorms likely.  Could be a tsunami.  Don't say we didn't warn you!  See you in hell, you fools!"

As it turned out, the Leafs faced sun, clouds, wind, rain, and a duststorm today (about to swallow Dan Zlotnick above). 

The duststorm was a wild one, tearing through Cockshutt Park midway through the game.  High winds suddenly assaulted the ballpark, whipping up clouds of flying dust.  

Okay, the storm wasn't as insane as Mad Max: Fury Road, but it caused the game to be halted as everyone turned away and squinted for a few minutes.  About half of an already sparse crowd made for the exit. 

The much-threatened thunderstorm, however, never came.  The Leafs beat the elements, but they ended up losing the game on a walkoff by the Sox.

This was a close-fought contest between two evenly-matched teams.  Both starting pitchers -- Marek Deska for Toronto and Jamie Richmond for Brantford -- lasted at least six innings and were miserly in giving up runs.  The Sox scratched out an early lead, but the Leafs scratched out a late comeback.  The game came down to the 9th inning with the score tied at three.  Toronto scored one run, but Brantford scored two and walked away with the win.

Jason Freeman led the Toronto offence with a 3-for-4 afternoon and two runs scored. Jon Waltenbury, Brendan Keys and Grant Tamane each contributed a couple of hits each from among the 13 by the Leafs on the day.  Pointstreak is coming up as a bit of a mess, but it looks like Johnathan Solazzo, Waltenbury and Brendan Keys all had RBIs, and the rest of Toronto's runs were unearned.

Game Recap:

The Maple Leafs visited Brantford for the first time this season, ready to duel with the Red Sox.  

Longtime aces Marek Deska and Jamie Richmond took the mound for their respective teams.  True to their status, they each got off to a good start and kept each other's teams off the scoreboard for the first couple of innings.

The Leafs scored first as third baseman Tyler Mitchell doubled to lead off the 3rd inning, and scored on a 4-3 putout by DH Jon Waltenbury.

Brantford scored right back as third baseman Benjamin Bostick and DH Dan Jagdeo both doubled and Bostick scored the first run for the home side.  1-1 after the 3rd inning.

The Red Sox added two runs in the bottom of the 4th.  Shortstop Brandon Dailey singled, and leftfielder Nick Weglarz homered off Deska to give the Sox a 3-1 lead after the 4th inning.

The Leafs got one back in the 6th, as rightfielder Jason Freeman doubled, then scored on a hit by first baseman Johnathan Solazzo.  3-2 Sox after the 6th.

Toronto tied the game in the top of the 8th.  Freeman singled off Redmond, then advanced all the way to third on an error by Dailey that also put Solazzo on first base.  A single by centerfielder Grant Tamane brought Freeman home, and sent the game to the 9th inning tied 3-3.

Waltenbury singled off reliever Tyler Soucie, moved to second on a single by leftfielder Raul Borjas, and scored on a single by catcher Brendan Keys to give Toronto the lead again, 4-3.

Brantford rallied in the bottom of the 9th.  Justin Cicatello came in to close the game after Dan Zlotnick had pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Deska.  First baseman Nic Burdett singled off Cicatello, then moved to second on a putout. Marcus Beal was brought in as a pinch runner, and he raced around to score on a single by Weglarz to tie the game. A single by catcher Wayne Forman moved Weglarz to third base, and rightfielder Chris Stewart hit a two-out flyball past the outfielders to drive Weglarz home and give Brantford the walkoff win, 5-4.

Toronto 4-13-1

Brantford 5-9-1

W - Soucie (1-0, 1.58)

L - Cicatello (0-1, 7.94)

BOXSCORE

This loss drops the Maple Leafs behind these same Red Sox into fifth place, 3 games behind the London Majors.  The Leafs are back at Christie Pits tomorrow, May 31, when they will host the winless Guelph Royals.

Leafs Roll Up the 400 for a Win

Game 7: Toronto Maple Leafs at Barrie Baycats - May 28, 2015

Leafs win 6-4

The great Toronto Maple Leaf baseball caravan rolled up the 400 yesterday with friends, family and high quality sports journalists in tow.

The Leafs arrived at newly-renamed Coates Stadium and beat the Barrie Baycats 6-4.  They played a crisp game with ambition on the basepaths and timely hitting.  

After a sloppy performance the night before, one wonders if manager Perry Mader kicked some asses, threw some tables and lit some fires in the clubhouse.  Of course, none of that might have happened, but it's a fun visual when you picture it.  

The Leafs outhit the Baycats for the second game in a row, 11 to 8.  The offence was sparked by leadoff man Grant Tamane, who went 4 for 5, stole a base and scored two runs.

Cooper Stanley (above right) hit the big blast of the night, a two-run homer that tied the game and was part of a 4-run inning that put the Leafs ahead for good.

On the mound, Brett Van Pelt earned the win with a solid seven-inning performance.  Dan Zlotnick continued to settle into his role as LOOGY Plus, shutting down the Baycats in the 8th and 9th innings.  He left the final out of the game to Christan Botnick, who faced a single batter to nail down the save and the game.

The intermingling of blood has created a lot of personal connections, friendships and rivalries between these two ballclubs, and this is a fun series to follow through the course of the season.  They will go at it again next week at Christie Pits.


Game Recap:

The game started at Coates Stadium under a sunny evening sky, and the night remained decent after the sun set.  The famous skeeter swarms of Barrie have not yet arrived.

Starting pitcher Santos Arias set the Maple Leafs down in order to start the game, and the Baycats struck first in the bottom of the frame.  Catcher Kyle DeGrace hit a liner to third baseman Sean Mattson, who dropped it for an error.  DeGrace then stole second and scored on a single by first baseman Jordan Castaldo.  1-0 Baycats after one.

Barrie second baseman Tyler Fata led off the 3rd with a solo home run off Toronto starter Brett Van Pelt.  Centerfielder Glenn Jackson followed with a double.  Van Pelt gave up a single and a walk to load the bases, then walked in another run before getting the Baycats to hit into a bacon-saving doubleplay to end the inning.  3-0 Baycats after three.

Both teams traded runs in the 4th inning.  Leadoff man Grant Tamane doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch.  Second baseman Dan Marra drove him home with a single.

Fata struck again in the bottom of the inning with another solo home run that made it 4-1 Barrie after four.

The Leafs jumped all over Arias in the 5th, sending 10 men to the plate and putting four more runs on the board.  Mattson led off with a single, and catcher Brendan Keys followed with one of his own.  Both runners advanced on a sac bunt by first baseman Damon Topolie.  Mattson scored on a groundout by shortstop Ryan White.  Then leftfielder Cooper Stanley tied the game with a 2-run home run off Arias.  Tamane singled next, and Marra reached first on a fielding error.  Rightfielder Jon Waltenbury took a pitch off the foot that loaded the bases.  DH Johnathan Solazzo stepped up with the game winning RBI -- a single that scored Tamane and put the Leafs ahead 5-4 after five.

Van Pelt held the Cats at bay through the 6th and 7th innings.  In the bottom of the 7th, Jackson reached second base on a walk and a single by rightfielder Ryan Spataro, but the scoring threat was extinguished on the following play.  DeGrace hit one right back at Van Pelt, who threw to Mattson at third.  Jackson slid, but was called out by the umpire.  Barrie manager Angus Roy voiced his displeasure towards the ump immediately -- as would Jackson after the game -- but the call stood and the Leafs got through the inning unscathed.  

Van Pelt turned it over to Dan Zlotnick, who put the home side down in order in the 8th.

In the top of the 9th, Josh Soffer came on to pitch and the Leafs scrabbled together an insurance run.  Stanley reached first on a fielding error, then moved to second on Tamane's fourth hit of the night.  A single by defensive sub Tyler Mitchell loaded the bases, and Stanley raced home to score on a wild pitch that made it 6-4 Leafs.

In the bottom of the 9th, Zlotnick got the first two outs before turning it over to Christian Botnick, who got DeGrace to ground out to Mattson for the final out of the game and a 6-4 final for the visitors.


Toronto 6-11-2
Barrie 4-8-2

W - Van Pelt (1-1, 3.78)
L - Arias (1-1, 2.11)
S - Botnick (2)

BOXSCORE


The Maple Leafs are now 4-3 and 3 games behind the London Majors.  Their road trip continues with a visit to Brantford to take on the Red Sox this Saturday, May 30 at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Thunderdome.

Raul Borjas update: after taking a pitch off the batting helmet the night before, he's fine.

A Sort of Homecoming

Game 6: Barrie Baycats at Toronto Maple Leafs - May 27, 2015

Baycats win 9-5

U2 have been shit for many years now.  But they used to be good, and their old song "A Sort of Homecoming" came to mind when the starting lineups were announced at Christie Pits yesterday evening.

The Barrie Baycats started seven former Toronto Maple Leafs: Glenn Jackson, Kyle DeGrace, Jordan Castaldo, Jeremy Walker, Daryl Pui, Tyler Fata and Brett Lawson.  Make of it what you will.

This was the first game of a home-and-home series, and it ended up being a closely fought battle with both sides slugging it out.  Toronto clubbed 11 hits to Barrie's ten, but the Baycats capitalized on six Maple Leaf errors to make off with a 9-5 win.  Only three of Barrie's runs were earned.

It was a less than sharp performance all around for the Leafs, as five different pitchers combined to walk nine batters on the night -- although they did ring up nine strikeouts as well.

The Leafs offense was led by centerfielder Tyler Mitchell who had two RBIs, as well as catcher Will Richards, third baseman Johnathan Solazzo and left fielder Raul Borjas, who each drove in one run.

Scary moment for Borjas in the bottom of the 7th inning, when a high pitch from Barrie starter Lawson struck his batting helmet.  Borjas stayed on his feet, but came out of the game as a precaution.  The team later indicated that Borjas was doing well, considering, and that his helmet took most of the brunt.  Hope he has a quick recovery and is back on the field soon.

This series continues Thursday night in Barrie.


Game Recap:

Unlike the habitual explosive start to a game between the Maple Leafs and Baycats, both teams began this one quietly.  Starters Oscar Gonzalez and Brett Lawson each pitched a scoreless first.

The pitchers' duel lasted all of one inning, as both teams got on the board in the second.  Gonzalez walked Barrie DH Jeremy Walker and hit right fielder Daryl Pui with a pitch.  Both runners advanced on a groundout by second baseman Tyler Fata.  Walker scored on a single by shortstop Kevin Dion, and Pui scored on a hit by Glenn Jackson that was played for an error.  2-0 Baycats

In the bottom of the 2nd, the Leafs got one back.  Catcher Will Richards doubled to lead off, advanced to third on a groundout by leftfielder Raul Borjas, then scored on a single by third baseman Johnathan Solazzo.  2-1 Baycats after the 2nd inning.

Barrie first baseman Jordan Castaldo led off the 3rd inning with a flyball that ended up being dropped for an error by rightfielder Sean Mattson.  That was followed by a single to right by third baseman Kevin Atkinson that Mattson mishandled for another error.  A wild pitch brought Castaldo in with the unearned run.  3-1 Baycats after three innings.

Dillan Mulholland came in to pitch the 4th inning in relief of Gonzalez.  He walked catcher Kyle DeGrace, who then stole second.  Two walks loaded the bases, and a wild pitch brought DeGrace home with another unearned run.  4-1 Baycats.

Richards led off the bottom of the 4th with a solo home run.  Borjas and DH Brendan Keys each singled, then scored on a double by centerfielder Tyler Mitchell that tied the game 4-4 after four.

Each team added a run in the 5th.  For Barrie, Walker doubled and scored on a single by Pui.  For Toronto, second baseman Dan Marra walked, took second on a wild pitch, then scored on a single by Borjas.  5-5 after five.

In the top of the 6th, Cameron Gray relieved Mulholland.  Atkinson walked and left fielder Steve Lewis singled - with both runners taking an extra base on an error by Borjas.  A single by Fata plated them both.  Fata moved to second on a wild pitch, then came around to score on a single by Dion that Gray played for an error.  8-5 after the 6th.

Barrie added one more run in the top of the 9th.  Dion reached first on an error by Marra, and DeGrace drove him home with a double.  The Leafs were unable to do much damage to reliever Chris Nagorski and it was a 9-5 final.


Barrie 9-10-2
Toronto 5-11-6

W - Lawson (3-0, 6.18)
L - Gray (0-1, 0.00)

BOXSCORE


The Leafs drop back to .500 and their 3-3 record puts them in 4th place, 3.5 games behind the still undefeated London Majors.  Their next game is against these same Baycats in Barrie later tonight, May 28.