Playoff Preview: We Run Tings, Tings Nuh Run We

2015 IBL Playoffs Round One: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Brantford Red Sox

It's a whole new ballgame.

The schedule for the Toronto Maple Leafs' first round playoff series versus the Brantford Red Sox has been confirmed:


Game 1: Friday, July 31 @ Brantford, 8:00 p.m.
Game 2: Sunday, August 2 @ Toronto, 2:00 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday, August 4 @ Brantford, 8:00 p.m.
Game 4: Wednesday, August 5 @ Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 5: Friday, August 7 @ Brantford, 8:00 p.m.
*Game 6: Sunday, August 9 @ Toronto, 2:00 p.m.
*Game 7: Monday, August 10 @ Brantford, 8:00 p.m.

* If necessary.


If you place the two ballclubs side to side, Brantford may have the edge.

In this year's season series, the Red Sox won three games.  The Leafs won two.
  
In the last decade, the Red Sox have won seven IBL championships.  The Leafs have won one.

In terms of late season momentum, the Red Sox went 6-4 in their last ten games.  The Leafs went 2-8.

In terms of team hitting, the Red Sox averaged .277.  The Leafs averaged .314.

In terms of team ERA, the Red Sox averaged 3.47.  The Leafs averaged 5.72.

In terms of totemic ballpark presences, the Red Sox have Walter Gretzky.  The Leafs have Heads Up On The Hill.

So it's a toss up, arguably.

One thing is for certain - the Mapes can put the regular season behind them, seize destiny by the throat and proclaim: "WE RUN TINGS, TINGS NUH RUN WE."**

Let's do this!


** Jamaican proverb, meaning "I am in charge of my own destiny".  

Maple Leafs' 2015 Season Leaders

It's a long season, even a short one.  

The Toronto Maple Leafs went into 2015 with a mix of familiar stars and fresh faces.  There were high hopes, and they got off to a decent start.  But for most of the summer they established a familiar W-L-W-L-W-L pattern.  In July they endured a seven game losing streak that landed them in the lower half of the standings, where they ultimately finished in 6th place.


BATTING LEADERS

JON WALTENBURY

BATTING AVG.
.364  J. WALTENBURY
.360  D. MARRA
.346  R. BORJAS

HOME RUNS
7. J. SOLAZZO
7. J. WALTENBURY
5  S. MATTSON

RBIs
37  J. WALTENBURY
32  J. SOLAZZO
25  D. MARRA

STOLEN BASES
8  T. MITCHELL
7  C. LEWIS
5  J. SOLAZZO



PITCHING LEADERS

BRETT VAN PELT

WINS
4  M. DESKA
4  B. VAN PELT
3  J. CICATELLO

ERA (STARTERS)
3.30  B. VAN PELT
4.11  M. DESKA
4.53  J. CICATELLO

ERA (RELIEVERS)
4.41  C. BOTNICK
6.75  J. SOLAZZO
7.23  A. GARNER

STRIKEOUTS
39  J. CICATELLO
32  B. VAN PELT
29  M. DESKA

SAVES
3  C. BOTNICK

No Such Thing as a Casual Loss

Game 11 (re-rescheduled): Toronto Maple Leafs at Hamilton Cardinals - July 28, 2015

Cardinals win 6-3

The end of the 2014 regular season was a tense affair for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

You may recall these pages being choked with tension and anxiety as the Leafs battled unsuccessfully to avoid playing in the one-game-wild-card-playoff-of-doom... which they ended up playing in... and losing... and the winter was longer and colder because of it.

However, the IBL changed its post-season format so that everybody makes the playoffs now.  Hurray!  Everybody on the playoff bus!  Even you, stinky Guelph Royals, with your 4-31 record.  Hurray!

So with everybody playoff bound, the Leafs visited the Hamilton Cardinals last night to play a re-rescheduled rainout game to end the regular season.  With seventh place already clinched by the Cards, and the Leafs playing to decide the fifth and sixth places, some observers may have expected a casual affair between two friendly clubs.

The hell you say.  All night long, balls were smashed, bats slammed, helmets thrown and f-bombs launched across the park.  The competitive fires burned hot.

The mood of the night was best demonstrated by acting manager Damon Topolie (above).  On a sacrifice bunt play in the 7th inning, a poor call resulted in catcher Brendan Keys being charged with a phantom error, allowing the batter and a baserunner to both advance safely.  After an umpires' conference, the play stood as called.  Topolie argued his case unsuccessfully, then blew up, tore a strip off the home plate umpire and stormed off the field, cursing Hamilton, its residents and its founders.  That was how it sounded anyway.

The Leafs had gotten off to a booming start, with home runs from Johnathan Solazzo and Tyler Mitchell in the second inning.  The Cards scratched their way back to tie the game, then take the lead.  It was a scrappy contest.

Mitchell's home run was his first of the season.  Keys had also hit his first the night before.  That left Connor Lewis and Grant Tamane as the only active regulars without a round tripper this season.  In the fifth inning, Lewis hit a roaring triple that Hamilton almost misplayed into an inside-the-park home run.  Tamane came tantalizingly close yesterday at the Pits, and again at Bernie Arbour Stadium, but both his shots were caught just short of the fences. 

With no home runs at the end of the regular season, Lewis and Tamane's chances of blasting a postseason walkoff just spiked astronomically.  Baseball has a way of balancing things out.  To this day, fans of the Boston Red Sox curse the name of Bucky Bleeping Dent, the same way that fans of the Brantford Red Sox might soon curse the name of Grant Bleeping Tamane or Connor Bleeping Lewis.

These are the kinds of charming visions that get conjured up when one does one's writing while sipping a lager and grapefruit concoction out of a can after midnight.  (I know!  I drink the worst beers!)

Anyway, the Cardinals won the game 6-3. 


Game Recap:

To close out the regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs visited the Hamilton Cardinals to finally play a game that had been rained out twice before.  Adam Prashad took to the mound for the home side, while Justin Lawrence made the start for Toronto.

After swapping scoreless halfs of the first inning, the Leafs got on the board first.  First baseman Johnathan Solazzo and third baseman Tyler Mitchell each hit a solo home run off Prashad to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead after the top of the 2nd inning.

Hamilton got one back right away.  GH Jonathan Palumbo doubled off Lawrence, then advanced to third on a putout.  He scored when leftfielder Kyle Gappa hit into a fielder's choice and it was 2-1 Leafs after two.

The Cards tied it up in the bottom of the third.  Second baseman Marcus Dicenzo walked, then moved to second on a single by catcher Joel Brophy.  A single by rightfielder Dre Celestijn drove in Dicenzo and it was all tied up at two after the 3rd inning.

Hamilton kept plugging away as first baseman Adam Shaver doubled to lead off the 4th.  A single by shortstop Chris Beer drove him in, and then a double by Gappa drove in Beer.  4-2 Cardinals through four.

Toronto got one back in the 6th.  Tanner Guindon relieved Prashad, and faced DH Jon Waltenbury to lead off.  Waltenbury banged a ground rule double that bounced over the fence in deep centerfield.  He advanced to third on a putout by leftfielder Raul Borjas, and scored on a single by Solazzo.  4-3 Cardinals after six.

Hamilton third baseman Liam Wilson was hit by a pitch from Lawrence to start the bottom of the 7th.  A sac bunt attempt by Dicenzo rolled foul, but the umpire ruled that catcher Brendan Keys had touched the ball while it was still in fair territory.  The Leafs protested and the umpires gathered to discuss the matter.  The ruling was upheld, Dicenzo was safe at first, and Wilson moved up to second.  Acting manager Damon Topolie voiced his displeasure at the ruling, but remained in the game.  The play would prove fateful.  A single by Brophy loaded the bases, and then a wild pitch by Lawrence allowed Wilson to race home with an insurance run for Hamilton, who led 5-3 through seven.

TJ Baker, who had relieved Guindon to start the seventh, kept the Leafs off the board in the top of the 8th.

In the bottom of the frame, Lawrence gave up singles to Beer and Gappa, then centerfielder Jake Osborne reached first safely on a fielding error charged to second baseman Dan Marra.  With the bases loaded Christian Botnick came in to pitch.  A single by Wilson drove in Beer, but then Botnick was able to induce two straight forceouts at home, and a forceout at third to end the inning with no further damage.  The Cardinals lead was 6-3 after the 8th inning.

Keys hit a single in the 9th inning, but that was all the Leafs could muster as Baker pitched his third straight scoreless inning to preserve the 6-3 final for Hamilton and grab a save for himself.


Toronto 3-9-3
Hamilton 6-11-1

W - Prashad (3-2, 4.76)
L - Lawrence (0-1, 8.77)
S - Baker (1)

BOXSCORE


The Maple Leafs end the 2015 regular season with a record of 15-21, and they finish in 6th place in the standings.  The Burlington Bandits edge them out of 5th place on the strength of their head-to-head season record.

The Mapes will face the Brantford Red Sox in the first round of the playoffs.  The post-season schedule will be shared when it becomes available.

Tough Slog, Big Win

Game 23 (rescheduled): Burlington Bandits at Toronto Maple Leafs - July 27, 2015

Leafs win 18-10

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Burlington Bandits slogged through a three-hours-plus game in a sweltering Christie Pits last night, with the local nine emerging victorious.

Both clubs slugged it out all night. 

The Leafs got it going early, battering Burlington pitching and racking up an 11-1 lead after four innings.  The Bandits got it going late, piling on the runs against reliever Adam Garner.  In the 9th inning they found themselves still needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion just to tie the game.  It was not to be.

After relieving Brett Van Pelt to start the 6th inning, Garner got touched up by the visitors, but he closed it out.  The Leafs won the game 18-10, and they won back 5th place in the standings for the time being.

Among the batsmen who banged hardest were Will Richards (above centre), who went 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBIs, John Waltenbury (2 for 5 with a home run and 2 RBIs), Dan Marra (4 for 5 with a double and 3 RBIs), and Raul Borjas (3 for 4 with 2 RBIs).

The biggest bat of the night belonged to Brendan Keys.  Balls of Steel went 3 for 4 with a home run, two walks and 4 RBIs.  His cheering section was very vocal throughout the game.

Also very vocal was the Owner.  From his box high atop the Christie hillside, he cheered his players on with positive enthusiasm.  Late in the game, he exhorted his charges with encouraging phrases like "Keep trying your best!" and "Stay alert and enjoy success!"  Inspiring stuff to guide us all through life's rich pageant.


Game Recap:

Brett Van Pelt and Rich Corrente were the starting pitchers for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Burlington Bandits respectively last night.  Van Pelt worked a scoreless top of the first, but his opponent was not so lucky.

In the bottom of the 1st, second baseman Dan Marra singled and Jon Waltenbury followed with a home run off Corrente to put the Leafs on the board.  First baseman Johnathan Solazzo drew a walk, and then catcher Will Richards homered.  Bang, bang.  4-0 Leafs after one.

Burlington got a run back in the top of the 2nd.  Second baseman Adam Odd doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch by Van Pelt, and scored on a sac fly by catcher Tyler Hardie.  That made it 4-1 Leafs midway through two.

The Leafs added two in the bottom of the inning.  Corrente loaded the bases by walking shortstop Connor Lewis, centerfielder Grant Tamane, and Marra.  Leftfielder Raul Borjas then hit a sac fly to score Lewis.  A single by Solazzo scored Tamane and it was 6-1 Leafs through two innings.

Dylan Perego relieved Corrente to start the bottom of the 3rd.  He immediately gave up singles to third baseman Tyler Mitchell and rightfielder Brendan Keys.  Mitchell scored on a fielder's choice by Tamane and it was 7-1 Leafs after three.

The home nine blew it open for good in the next inning.  Borjas led off with a single, Solazzo followed with a walk, and Richards followed with a single to score Borjas.  It was a close play at the plate.  Burlington manager Kyle MacKinnon came out to argue, and ended up getting tossed from the game.  He made the long walk out to the centerfield exit.  Keys was up next, and he belted the first pitch from Perego over the right field fence for a three-run home run - his first round tripper of the season.  11-1 Leafs after the 4th inning.

After five solid innings from Van Pelt, Adam Garner came on to pitch for Toronto.  Burlington jumped on him right away.  DH Kevin Hussey singled, Odd doubled, and Hardie grounded out while driving Hussey in.  Third baseman Nolan Pettipiece reached base on a walk, then shortstop Keith Kandel singled in Odd.  Leftfielder Justin Gideon was up next and he singled in Pettipiece.  11-4 Leafs midway through the 6th.

In the bottom of the 6th, Keys was walked by reliever Shaun Slemko.  Lewis singled next, then Marra drove them both in with a double.  13-4 Leafs after six innings.

First baseman Jim Martin singled to lead off the top of the 7th.  Odd singled as well, and a single by Pettipiece drove Martin home to make it 13-5 Leafs midway through the 7th.

C.J. Machete relieved Slemko in the bottom of the 7th.  He loaded the bases right away by walking Borjas, giving up a single to Solazzo, and hitting Richards with a pitch.  Gianfranco Morello pinch ran for Richards.  The next man up, Mitchell, was also hit by a pitch, advancing everyone and allowing Borjas to cross the plate.  Thus ended the short, turbulent outing by Machete.  Tyler Simmons came on to pitch next.  He gave up a bases loaded walk to Keys and Solazzo trotted home.  A sac fly by Lewis scored Morello.  A single by Marra scored Mitchell.  After a walk to Waltenbury, a single by Borjas scored Keys.  18-5 Leafs after seven innings.

A two-run homer by centerfielder Shaun Cooper made it 18-7 Leafs after eight innings of play.

Garner slogged it out to the finish.  He gave up a single to Pettipiece to lead off the 9th, then gave up a home run to rightfielder Dan Franceschetti.  A double by Kandel was followed by a fly out by Gideon.  Cooper reached first on an error by Marra that allowed Kandel to score.  But that was all she wrote as the Bandits hit into a game-ending double play and an 18-10 final for the Leafs.


Burlington 10-19-2
Toronto 18-18-3

W - Van Pelt (4-4, 3.30)
L - Corrente (4-4, 7.33)

BOXSCORE


With the win over Burlington, the Maple Leafs move up into 5th place in the standings, 12.5 games behind the Barrie Baycats.  They will play their final regular season game in the Hammer tomorrow night against the 7th place Cardinals.

The Leafs hold their playoff destiny in their own hands:

A win in Hamilton, and they clinch 5th place and a first round playoff versus the London Majors.

A loss in Hamilton, and they fall to 6th place and a first round playoff versus the Brantford Red Sox.

Sloppy Sunday at the Pits

Game 36: London Majors at Toronto Maple Leafs - July 26, 2015

Majors win 13-5

The Toronto Maple Leafs played the final Sunday home game of the 2015 season this afternoon at Christie Pits.

It was the celebrated - and eagerly anticipated - Fan Appreciation Day at the ballpark, when the Owner bestows the faithful with gifts beyond comprehension.  Hats, baseball gear, appliances, SUVs, vacation properties, Senate appointments - it's the greatest Fan Appreciation Day in baseball.  I missed today's game and I'm kicking myself.  Was really hoping to score that Muskoka cottage this year.

Based on the boxscore on Pointstreak, the Leafs extended the gift-giving courtesy to the visiting London Majors.  Five errors.  Seven wild pitches.  Two passed balls.  En route to a 13-5 win, the Londoners tallied seven unearned runs.  

YEESH.

The Majors played the role of thoughtless guests, returning no such favours to the hosts today.  Adam Paish pitched eight innings and gave up only three runs.  Leafs RBIs came from Grant Tamane, Dan Marra, Jon Waltenbury and Will Richards.  Uh, that's it.


London 13-11-1
Toronto 5-13-5

W - Paish (3-2, 5.35)
L - Redinger (1-2, 8.01)

BOXSCORE


Two makeup games remain to be played before the regular season ends, and there are still post-season ramifications at stake.  The Leafs are a half-game behind the Burlington Bandits, with a game in hand.  These two sides will face off at the Pits tomorrow night, July 27, with 6th place up for grabs.

Leafpocalypse Rocks Guelph

Game 35: Toronto Maple Leafs at Guelph Royals - July 25, 2015

Leafs win 17-2

The Toronto Maple Leafs ended their seven game losing streak in riotous fashion this evening, charging into Guelph like a mob of angry gorillas and tearing the place apart.

Twenty-two hits off Royals pitching.  Seventeen runs scored.  Every man in the starting lineup got a hit, most getting two or three.  The scoring assault was led by Brendan Keys (above) who drove in three runs on two doubles.  Will Richards also had three RBIs, with a double and a home run.  Johnathan Solazzo had three RBIs and Jon Waltenbury was right behind with two RBIs. 

Justin Cicatello pitched seven scoreless innings.  The Royals picked up a couple of meaningless runs late in the game, but the outcome of this one was never in doubt as the Leafs secured a 17-2 final.

The Royals got rocked.  By night's end the citizens of Guelph might have deposed their monarchs and declared a republic.

 

Toronto 17-22-1

Guelph 2-6-0

W - Cicatello (3-3, 4.53)

L - Amelotte (1-5, 9.07)

 

BOXSCORE

 

The Leafs are now 14-19 and remain in sixth place, 12 games behind the Barrie Baycats.  They return home to Christie Pits to take on the London Majors on Sunday, July 26.

 

Toronto TKO'd by Wild Pitch

Game 34: Toronto Maple Leafs at Kitchener Panthers - July 23, 2015

Panthers win 11-10 (10 innings)

As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Kitchener Panthers slugged it out at Jack Couch Park last night, I decided that the working title for this entry would be: "Solazzo!"

That's it, just: "Solazzo!"

The Leafs' infielder (above) led the club's run-scoring breakout with three RBIs off three hits, including two home runs. 

"Solazzo!"

More than mere home runs, the two pitches he smashed were hit with such combustible force that you could see the smoke trails following them out of the park.  One of the screaming missiles banged off the top of a trailer and into a wooded area.  Plumes of smoke appeared back there not long after.  The game was briefly halted as the Kitchener Fire Department came in to douse the small fire that had been started by the flaming baseball. 

"Solazzo!"

The strongman squared off against Kitchener's basher Sean Reilly.  Like two heavyweights, they traded haymakers.  Each man blasted two home runs and they combined for seven RBIs.

Both clubs joined in, thrashing each other's pitching and ringing up a total of 20 runs - 10 to each side at the end of nine innings.

The stars aligned.  Excitement mounted as it looked like Solazzo and Reilly would each get one more turn at the plate - one final chance to end this bout with the swing of a bat.  It would be the perfect ending to this slugfest.  The raucous Kitchener crowd was eager for drama.

But neither man would stamp his mark on the final outcome.

In the top of the 10th, with runners on first and second, the Panthers' Phil Owen pitched his way out of a jam and Solazzo was left standing on deck.

In the bottom of the 10th, the bat was taken out of Reilly's hands as he was intentionally walked.

Tanner Nivins had doubled off Adam Garner to start the deciding inning.  A sac bunt moved him to third.  After Reilly was walked, Christian Botnick relieved Garner.  His appearance lasted all of one pitch.  With David Whiteside at the plate, Botnick hurled a wild pitch that got past Brendan Keys.  Nivins raced home from third and the heavyweight tilt ended with the home side winning 11-10 on a surprise TKO.


Game Recap:

Balls were jacked, runs were scored.  The Panthers got one more than the Leafs.  What else needs to be said after a tough luck night?


Toronto 10-9-0
Kitchener 11-18-6

W - Owen (2-0, 0.87)
L - Garner (0-1, 5.03)

BOXSCORE


The Maple Leafs' losing streak is at seven games.  Their record is 13-19 and they are in sixth place, 13 games behind the Barrie Baycats.  Their road trip continues with a stop in Guelph on Saturday, July 25 to face the Royals.