Leafs Edged Late by Panthers

Game 21: Kitchener Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs - June 29, 2016

Panthers win 7-5

On a night when Sean Reilly was poised to break the IBL's all-time home run record, his bat fell mostly silent.  Reilly went 1 for 4 with a single as the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted his Kitchener Panthers at Christie Pits last night.

The silent slugger had decimated the single-season IBL home run record as a member of the Maple Leafs in 2013, in an unforgettable three-homer game at the Pits.  As for the all-time record, it will likely be broken at another ballpark.

Instead, Reilly's teammates held a home run derby on his behalf.  They knocked four homers out of the park last night, including a game winning grand slam by Tanner Nivins.  The salami by Nivins allowed Kitchener to overtake the Leafs in the top of the 9th and hang on for a 7-5 victory.

It was a disappointing result after a feisty, closely-fought battle between two hard-slugging teams.  Kitchener and Toronto entered the night as the IBL's top two home run hitting clubs.  They would combine for five on the night, and the game was decided on the late blast by Nivins.

Brett van Pelt pitched six innings for the Leafs before handing a 3-3 tie over to Dillon Mulholland.  An RBI double by Sean Mattson in the bottom of the 8th gave the Leafs a 4-3 lead, but the Panthers rallied for 4 runs in the 9th and grabbed the win.  Marek Deska was hung with the loss after giving up the fateful pitch to Nivins.

Both clubs saw players ejected from the game.  Kitchener second baseman Mike Andrulis was tossed for questioning the home plate ump's career path, and Leafs DH Damon Topolie got the heave for being overly-critical of an infield ump's choice of cologne.  Touchy there, Blue.


Game Recap:


As a blazing sun set over Christie Pits, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Kitchener Panthers in a Wednesday night matchup.  Brett van Pelt took to the mound for the home side, facing off against Ian Rendon.

The first three innings of the game were scoreless.

Panthers first baseman David Whiteside broke the ice for Kitchener with a solo home run in the top of the 4th.

Leafs first baseman Johnathan Solazzo doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning.  He advanced to third on a single by shortstop Ryan White, and scored on a sac fly by centerfielder Connor Lewis.  1-1 after four innings of play.

The Leafs took the lead in the bottom of the 5th.  Rightfielder Jon Waltenbury led off with a single off Rendon.  Catcher Will Richards doubled him home for a 2-1 Toronto lead.

Kitchener demonstrated why they lead the IBL in home runs, hitting a pair of solo shots off van Pelt in the top of the 6th.  Rightfielder Terrell Alliman and second baseman Mike Gordner went back-to-back and gave the Panthers a 3-2 lead midway through the 6th.

The home run derby continued in the bottom of the 6th when Lewis bashed one out for Toronto to tie the game at 3 apiece.

Both clubs turned it over to their bullpens for the final three innings of the game.  Yuji Suzuki got one out in the 6th and pitched a scoreless 7th.  Dillon Mulholland relieved van Pelt and retired the side, keeping the score 3-3 through seven.

Mulholland pitched another scoreless frame in the top of the 8th.

Mike Schnurr came in to pitch the 8th for Kitchener.  After a couple of strikeouts to start the inning, Waltenbury battled him for a walk, then rampaged all the way home on a double by third baseman Sean Mattson.  4-3 Leafs headed into the 9th.

Mulholland gave up a single to catcher Frank Camilo Morejon to start the 9th.  Marek Deska then relieved him.  Deska walked pinch hitter Justin Interisano, and Kitchener loaded the bases when leftfielder Jonathan Brouse reached first on a sac bunt attempt that was fielded for an error by Solazzo at first.  That set the stage for centerfielder Tanner Nivins, who hit a grand slam that made it 7-4 Kitchener midway through the 9th.

The Leafs battled back in the bottom of the 9th.  Second baseman Dan Marra led off with a single off of new pitcher Iannick Remillard.  Solazzo hit into a fielder's choice, erasing Marra at second.  Pinch hitter Justin Marra flew out for out number two.  White then singled to keep the game alive, and Lewis drew a walk to load the bases.  A single by leftfielder Grant Tamane scored Solazzo.  But that would be all for the Leafs as Waltenbury flew out for the final out and Kitchener sealed a 7-5 FINAL over Toronto.


Kitchener 7-10-1
Toronto 5-15-1

W - Schnurr (1-0, 4.28)
L - Deska (0-1, 2.70)
S - Remillard (2)


BOXSCORE


The loss drops the Maple Leafs back to .500 with a 10-10 record.  They sit in 5th place in the IBL standings.  Their next game will be on the road in London on Canada Day, when they will play the Majors at Labatt Memorial Park.

Mid-Season Maple Leafs Leaderboard

As July approaches and the 2016 IBL season ticks past the halfway point, the Toronto Maple Leafs have posted a 10-9 record, good for 5th place in the IBL standings.

That is virtually identical to their record last year.  Fans will recall that the Leafs went on a decent playoff run in 2015, so there's that to look forward to.

Here is the Toronto Maple Leafs' mid-season leaderboard.


BATTING LEADERS

JON WALTENBURY

BATTING AVG.
.421  J. WALTENBURY
.417  M. BLAIR-BROWN
.412  C. LEWIS
.373  S. MATTSON
.360  D. TOPOLIE

ON BASE PERCENTAGE
.563  M. BLAIR-BROWN
.488  J. WALTENBURY
.457  S. MATTSON
.444  C. LEWIS
.444  J. GUZMAN

HOME RUNS
6  J. WALTENBURY
5  J. MARRA
5  S. MATTSON
4  J. SOLAZZO
3  R. WHITE

RBIs
19  J. WALTENBURY
17  J. MARRA
17  S. MATTSON
16  J. SOLAZZO
12  R. WHITE

STOLEN BASES
4  C. LEWIS
2  T. DARING
2  D. MARRA
2  G. TAMANE
1  J. SOLAZZO



PITCHING LEADERS


JUSTIN CICATELLO

WINS
3  J. CICATELLO
3  D. MULHOLLAND
1  D. ERTL
1  M. FIORINI
1  A. GARNER
1  B. VAN PELT

ERA (STARTERS)
4.00  D. ERTL
4.05  J. CICATELLO
5.21  D. MULHOLLAND

ERA (RELIEVERS)
0.00  A. GARNER
1.00  M. DESKA
4.50  M. WAGNER

STRIKEOUTS
27  J. CICATELLO
22  D. MULHOLLAND
21  H. RUMION

SAVES
1  M. FIORINI
1  A. GARNER
1  M. WAGNER



The Maple Leafs' next game will be tonight at Christie Pits, when they host the Kitchener Panthers. 

Cardinal Punishment

Game 20: Hamilton Cardinals at Toronto Maple Leafs - June 26, 2016

Leafs win 9-0

From the Mountain to the Pits, the Toronto Maple Leafs dished out a weekend of punishment to the Hamilton Cardinals.  

Following a 13-3 win Friday night in Steel City, the Leafs completed the home-and-home sweep this afternoon with a 9-0 victory at Christie Pits.

Dillan Mulholland mowed through the Cards lineup, surrendering just two hits over seven innings.  David Ertl and Adam Garner each pitched an inning to secure the shutout.

At the plate and on the basepaths it was a total team effort as everyone in the lineup made a contribution.

Justin Marra led the assault, driving in five runs off three hits including a home run.  Sean Mattson had a pair of hits and two RBIs.  Connor Lewis and Dan Marra each notched a pair of hits, and player-manager Damon Topolie drove in a run.

Just about the only thing that was "off" today was the Christie hillside itself.  A lack of rain this month has left the surrounding grass looking parched and pale.

For the Leafs, a pair of wins against the Redbirds was just what the doctor ordered, giving them some momentum heading into this week as they face the two clubs at the top of the IBL standings, Kitchener and London.  

Game Recap:

The Toronto Maple Leafs welcomed the Hamilton Cardinals to Christie Pits for the second game of a home-and-home weekend series.  Dillan Mulholland got the ball for the Mapes, against Robert Wilson for the Redbirds.

A pitchers duel ensued over the first four innings, as Mulholland and Wilson traded goose eggs.  After four innings, Wilson had given up three hits and Mulholland just one.

Toronto broke the ice in the bottom of the 5th.  Shortstop Ryan White singled to lead off the inning.  Centerfielder Connor Lewis followed with a single.  Leftfielder advanced the runners on a groundout.  Third baseman Sean Mattson was walked to load the bases and bring catcher Justin Marra to the plate.  Marra seized the opportunity and singled to drive in White and Lewis.  Second baseman Dan Marra was up next and he singled.  A fielding error by Hamilton allowed Mattson to score and make it 3-0 Leafs after five.

The Leafs doubled the score in the following inning.  DH Damon Topolie led off with a walk.  Benson Merritt then relieved Wilson on the mound for Hamilton.  White was up next, and he sac bunted Topolie to second.  Merritt then walked Lewis and Tamane to load the bases and end his afternoon.  Russ Burroughs was next in to pitch.  He got rightfielder Jon Waltenbury to fly out, but then gave up a 2-run single to Mattson, allowing Topolie and Lewis to score.  Justin Marra singled next to score Tamane and make it a 6-0 game through six.

First baseman Johnathan Solazzo doubled to lead off the bottom of the 7th.  A single by Topolie brought him home to make it 7-0 Leafs through seven.

After giving up just two hits over seven innings, Mulholland handed the ball over to David Ertl, who faced just three batters to get through the top of the 8th.

TJ Baker took over for Burroughs to start the bottom of the inning.  After getting a couple of outs on either side of a single to Waltenbury, Baker gave up a home run to Justin Marra.  That gave Marra five RBIs on the day and it brought Darek Bishop to the mound to relieve Baker.  There was no further damage, but the Leafs led 9-0 after 8 innings.

Adam Garner came in to pitch the 9th inning for Toronto, and he tossed a scoreless frame to lock down the 9-0 FINAL for the Leafs.  And there was much high fiving.

Hamilton 0-4-2

Toronto 9-13-2

W - Mulholland (3-2, 5.21)

L - Wilson (1-3, 8.60)

BOXSCORE

The Maple Leafs are now 10-9 and in 5th place in the IBL Standings.  Next up, they will welcome the league-leading Kitchener Panthers to Christie Pits on Wednesday, June 29th.

Forza Solazzo!

Game 19: Toronto Maple Leafs at Hamilton Cardinals - June 24, 2016

Maple Leafs win 13-3

A one-man gang by the name of Johnathan Solazzo rolled into Bernie Arbour Stadium last night and laid a beating on the Hamilton Cardinals.

Solazzo went 4 for 5 including a home run and two doubles.  He scored three runs and drove in three more.

His Toronto Maple Leaf teammates could have taken the night off as the hard-slugging third baseman did the job all by himself.  Instead, they ganged up on the Redbirds for a total of 13 runs off of 18 hits.

Damon Topolie got three hits and a couple of RBIs.  Sean Mattson also got three hits.  Jon Waltenbury hit a pair and scored three times.

On the mound, Justin Cicatello stymied the Cards over five innings.  He limited them to just two hits and a run.  Newcomer Mike Wagner pitched the final four innings and earned a save.

It was a rough night for the home nine.  They were marked for three errors, but some sloppy plays kept the boys in blue circling the basepaths all night.  Toronto put the game away with One Big Inning (eight runs in the third), leaving Hamilton fans with little to cheer about.  They responded with some sassy Bronx cheers the rest of the night.  Gotta stay entertained.


Game Recap:


It was a sunny summer evening as the Hamilton Cardinals hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at Bernie Arbour Stadium on the mountain.  Chris Lazar started on the mound against Justin Cicatello.

Lazar got two outs to start the first inning, but then gave up consecutive singles to Toronto right fielder Jon Waltenbury, DH Sean Mattson and catcher Will Richards.  The hit by Richards drove in Waltenbury to make it 1-0 for the Leafs after one inning of play.

Leading off the top of the 2nd inning, third baseman Johnathan Solazzo blasted a Lazar pitch for a home run to make it 2-0 for the visitors.

The game unravelled for Hamilton in the top of the 3rd.  Toronto sent 12 men to the plate, scored eight runs and knocked Lazar out of the game.  Waltenbury led off with a single and Mattson followed with a double.  A single by second baseman Dan Marra scored Waltenbury.  Solazzo struck again with another blast that bounced over the centerfield fence for a ground rule double.  Mattson scored on the play.  First baseman Damon Topolie was up next, and he hit a single to left field that plated Marra and Solazzo.  Shortstop Ryan White kept the line moving with a single.  Centerfielder Connor Lewis smashed a double to score Topolie and end Lazar's night.  He was relieved by Rhys Tapper.  Waltenbury reached first base on an error, allowing White and Lewis to score.  A flyball by Mattson was misplayed for another error in centerfield, and Waltenbury crossed home plate to make it 10-0 Leafs after the 3rd inning.

Cicatello cruised along into the 5th inning, when he encountered his only spell of bother.  He gave up a leadoff double to DH Chris Beer, followed by a walk to first baseman TJ Baker.  He hit leftfielder Nate Mastervick with a pitch to load the bases.  A groundout at first by second baseman David Vanderby brought Beer in to score and make it 10-1 Leafs through five.

Mike Wagner came in to pitch for the Leafs in the bottom of the 6th.

The Cardinals scored a run in the bottom of the 7th.  Beer was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  Pinch hitter Luke Molleson singled next.  Beer moved to third on a fielder's choice hit by shortstop Geoffrey Seto, and a sac fly by Mastervick brought him in to score.  That made it 10-2 Leafs through seven.

Jake Foden relieved Tapper on the mound for Hamilton to start the 8th.  Foden walked Richards, then gave up an RBI double to Solazzo.  A single by Topolie scored Solazzo and made it 12-2 Leafs after eight innings.

Mitch Gardiner relieved Foden to pitch the 9th.  He walked leadoff man Matt Blair-Brown, who had been subbed in for Grant Tamane in the 7th.  Blair-Brown then enjoyed himself a stroll around the bases, as Foden and catcher Darek Bishop conspired on three passed balls.  The third one allowed Blair-Brown to score and make it 13-2 Toronto.

A single by rightfielder Dre Celestijn to start the bottom of the 9th was followed by a couple more singles off the bats of Molleson and Seto.  Celestijn scored on Seto's hit, but that would be all as Wagner closed out his fourth inning of relief to clinch a 13-3 FINAL for Toronto.


Toronto 13-18-0
Hamilton 3-7-3

W - Cicatello (3-1, 4.05)
L - Lazar (1-3, 9.60)
S - Wagner (1)


BOXSCORE


Back to .500, the Maple Leafs are in 5th place in the IBL Standings.  They will look to lay another beating on these same Cardinals on Sunday, June 25 at Christie Pits.