Leafs win 9-8
Call him Willard the Thrillard.
The Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a five-run deficit and Will Richards delivered the winning hit against the Brantford Red Sox this afternoon at Christie Pits.
In the first game of a doubleheader, the Leafs pounded out 15 hits against Brantford's pitching, saving seven of them for the final two innings as the visitors' bullpen wilted under the summer sun.
They scored early and they scored late. Six different batters had a multiple-hit game. Raul Borjas led the RBI charge with three, while Richards and Damon Topolie each recorded two. Richards' hit in the bottom of the 7th* allowed Ryan White (above) to score from second with the walkoff run, sending the Pits into hysterics.
Amazingly, despite the 9-8 final score, there was only one long bomb in this game. It came off the bat of Brantford's Wayne Forman in the 2nd inning.
The weather was perfect and the Christie Crazies were out in full force today. They were vocal from the first pitch and mad as a bag of badgers. I love them.
I also loved watching this Leafs team battle back. This year in the IBL, every club will make the playoffs, so there's no elimination threat hanging over anyone's head in the second half of the season. Call it pride, call it fight, call it whatever, but the Leafs refused to go quietly against the BraSox**. They overcame one of the league's best bullpens for a legendary win on live national TV***.
* IBL doubleheader games are seven innings long.
** I promise not to use that term again.
*** Assuming the entire nation is hooked up to Rogers Community Cable (Toronto).
Game Recap:
The weekend series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Brantford Red Sox continued with a doubleheader at Christie Pits.
The home nine played a very sexy first inning, as starter Justin Lawrence retired the first three batters in a row. Meanwhile, the Leafs sent all nine batters to the plate against starter. Graham Tebbit. Shortstop Ryan White grounded out to start the inning, but then Tebbit gave up a single to second baseman Grant Tamane, and he walked rightfielder Will Richards and third baseman Johnathan Solazzo to load the bases. First baseman Damon Topolie then singled to score Tamane and Richards. Left fielder Raul Borjas followed with a single to score Solazzo. Catcher Brendan Keys was out on a fielder's choice, then Tebbit walked DH Sean Mattson. Centerfielder Tyler Mitchell flied out to end the 1st inning, but the Leafs were off to a good start with a 3-0 lead.
The Red Sox got it all back and more in the next inning. Lawrence gave up singles to first baseman Nic Burdett and DH Dan Jagdeo. Shortstop Brandon Dailey was up next, and he singled to score Burdett. Catcher Wayne Forman then delivered the big blow of the game, a three-run homer that put the Sox ahead 4-3 after two innings.
With two outs in the top of the 3rd, Lawrence walked centerfielder Terrell Alliman and Burdett. Jagdeo drove them both in with a single that made it 6-3 Red Sox after the 3rd inning.
Brantford padded their lead and seemingly put the game out of reach in the 6th. Kyle Redinger came in to pitch for Lawrence, but he quickly gave up singles to Forman and third baseman Jeff Hunt. Hunt's shot went into right field, where it was misplayed by Richards for an error, allowing Forman to score. Hunt also scored on a play that saw Topolie make an error at first, allowing right fielder Nate DeSouza to reach safely. 8-3 Brantford midway through the 6th inning.
After sending nine men to the plate in the 1st inning, the Leafs did themselves one better by sending up 10 men in the 6th. Stefan Strecker began the inning in relief, and he started by giving up a single to Mitchell. Mitchell went on to steal second and White reached first on a dropped third strike by Forman. Richards then singled and moved to second when Alliman committed an error. Mitchell and White both scored on the play. Solazzo singled next, knocking Strecker out of the game as Casey Howard was called in to put out the fire. He fared no better, walking Topolie to load the bases and then giving up a 2-RBI single to Borjas. Exit Howard, enter Christian Garcia. A single by Mattson scored Topolie to tie the game and the shell-shocked Red Sox finally walked off the field with their 5-run lead evaporated. 8-8 going into the 7th and final inning.
Redinger handed the ball over to Christian Botnick, who did what he's been doing all season. He put the Red Sox down in order.
With Garcia still on the mound for Brantford, White led off the bottom of the 7th with a single to centerfield. A perfect sac bunt by Tamane advanced the runner, setting the stage for Richards to drive home the winning run with a single. Boom went the dynamite on a 9-8 final for Toronto.
Brantford 8-9-1
Toronto 9-15-2
W - Botnick (1-0, 0.00)
L - Garcia (1-1, 1.47)
BOXSCORE
Everyone ducked out for a 30-minute break between games of this doubleheader. I found a Smoke's Poutinerie at Bloor and Bathurst. Beauty eh!
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