Gunfire and Bombs, That's a Wrap

Game 36: Barrie Baycats at Toronto Maple Leafs - July 31, 2016

Baycats win 9-6






At Christie Pits, the final weekend of the 2016 IBL regular season ended with flying bullets and soaring bombs.

By now most people will be aware that there was a shooting at the park yesterday morning. Details have emerged over the last 36 hours and the suspect remains at large, but the incident did not dampen the atmosphere on the final day of the season.

What did dampen the atmosphere was an hour-long rain delay.  It had rained hard in the morning, and it started raining again just before the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Barrie Baycats.  Two batters in there was a downpour, bringing play to a halt and bringing the tarp onto the field.

Rain delays make for collegial times.  Hillside fans bunched together under trees; family and friends hung out in their cars; the players hung out in their clubhouses; and the remaining crazies (me among them) clustered under the overhang outside the clubhouse building, trying to stay dry.

When play resumed, the eternal contest between Leafs and 'Cats resumed.  It was a classic battle in which the lead exchanged four times.  The teams combined for 23 hits, and eight home runs sailed over the fence.

Three homers were hit by Leafs batsmen: Jon Waltenbury, Sean Mattson and Justin Marra (above). For Marra, it was his 16th of the season, giving him an edge in the race for the 2016 IBL home run title.*

In the 9th inning, Barrie pounced for four runs to retake the lead for the final time.  Toronto could not respond, and the visitors claimed a 9-6 victory.

* It was a short-lived edge.  Tanner Nivins of the Kitchener Panthers hit a pair of home runs later in the evening to win the title with 17.



Game Recap:


The skies were grim this day my friends.  

Rain, and a lot of it, came down from the morning hours.  After a respite, the rains returned to Christie Pits just as the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Barrie Baycats got underway.  After a one hour delay, the field was deemed playable by the umpires and the teams returned to the field before a sparse crowd.

Brett van Pelt was on the mound for Toronto, and he got into some early trouble.  He had issued a one-out walk to shortstop Kyle DeGrace prior to the rain delay.  When play resumed, DeGrace stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error on the attempt. Rightfielder Jeremy Walker advanced to first on another error, allowing DeGrace to score and give the Baycats an early 1-0 lead.

Toronto equalized in the bottom of the inning, when catcher Justin Marra smashed his 16th home run of the season.

After a scoreless 2nd, there was some more scoring in the 3rd.  DH Kyle Nichols hit a solo home run that made it 2-1 for Barrie.  In the bottom of the inning, Justin Marra led off with a double off Barrie starter Matthew St. Kitts.  Third baseman Sean Mattson followed by drilling a 2-run homer.  Later in the inning, shortstop Ryan White drew a walk, then scored on a loud double by rightfielder Brendan Keys.  That made it 4-2 Leafs through three.

After a scoreless 4th, Barrie retook the lead in the 5th.  Third baseman Kevin Atkinson led off with a single, and centerfielder Jeff Cowan drew a walk.  That brought catcher Zach Sardellitti to the plate, and he launched a 3-run home run off of van Pelt.  A single and two walks later, the bases were loaded and Adam Marra came in to pitch.  He induced a pair of outs to get out of the inning, but Barrie led 5-4 after five innings.

Marra went on to pitch 3.2 innings of lights-out baseball.

In the bottom of the 7th, DH Jon Waltenbury smashed a solo home run off reliever Brett Lawson to tie the game 5-5.

In the bottom of the 8th, Adam Hawes relieved Lawson.  Hawes gave up a single to Keys, who was replaced by pinch-runner Matt Blair-Brown.  Centerfielder Connor Lewis was up next, and his routine single turned into a scoring play.  A throwing error allowed Lewis to move to second, and Blair-Brown came all the way around to score.  The Leafs were back ahead 6-5 going into the 9th.

Adam Garner came in to pitch the 9th inning for Toronto, and it started raining home runs. Atkinson hit a solo shot.  After walking Cowan, Garner gave up a two-run shot to Sardellitti. Another solo shot by first baseman Jordan Castaldo made it 9-6 Barrie.

Chris Nagorski came on in the 9th.  He surrendered a single to Mattson, but that would be all as the Baycats sealed a 9-6 FINAL and the regular season came to a close.


Barrie 9-12-1
Toronto 6-11-4

W - Hawes (2-0, 3.46)
L - Garner (2-1, 5.40)
S - Nagorski (5)


BOXSCORE


The Mapes finish the 2016 season with a 19-17 record, their first winning season since 2011.  They clinch 5th place in the IBL standings and will face the Brantford Red Sox in the first round of the playoffs.  The schedule is still TBC, but keep it locked here for updates and previews, my babies.

Red Sox Stymied by Yankees

Game 35: Toronto Maple Leafs at Brantford Red Sox - July 29, 2016

Leafs win 6-1






The Toronto Maple Leafs' late season hot streak continues.

The V-necks secured their first winning season since 2011 with a 6-1 victory over the Brantford Red Sox last night at Arnold Anderson Stadium.

The pitching tandem of Justin Cicatello (above) and Mike Wagner -- both from New York state -- shut down the Sox' offence.  Cicatello gave up just one earned run while striking out five over six innings, and Wagner pitched three scoreless innings to finish it out.

Justin Marra continued his charge for the IBL home run title, bashing his 15th of the year.  He had a couple of RBIs, as did Ryan White.  Sean Mattson and Dan Marra each drove in a run.

The story of the game was told on the mound.  If Cicatello wasn't mowing down the side, he was escaping jams with runners in scoring position, including a bases-loaded situation in the sixth.  Nerves of a cat burgler -- a curious expression* but one befitting the pitcher's cool demeanour.  When Wagner came on in relief, he was lights out.  Even the Brantford Red Sox are haunted by Yankees.

The Leafs finish the season at home tomorrow, then look to continue their winning ways against the Brant Sox when they meet in the playoffs next week.

* Honestly, who steals from cats?


Game Recap:


With the season series on the line, the Brantford Red Sox welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs to Arnold Anderson Stadium.  Each club had won two games at home prior to the evening's tilt.  Riley Barr was on the mound for the home side, against Justin Cicatello.

Catcher Justin Marra put the Leafs on the board in the first inning when he hit a two out home run.

Brantford got a hit off of Cicatello in the bottom of the 1st, but no further damage was done.  Both pitchers started strong and pitched scoreless innings in the 2nd and 3rd.

The Leafs scored again in the top of the 4th.  Justin Marra walked to lead off the inning.  First baseman Johnathan Solazzo and DH Damon Topolie each singled to load the bases.  A single by second baseman Dan Marra scored his brother, and then shortstop Ryan White grounded out but Solazzo scored on the play.  3-0 Leafs through four.

Cicatello was solid all night.  He gave up seven hits but shut the Sox out through six innings.  Brantford loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 6th, but Cicatello escaped with a flyout and groundout to end the threat.

Toronto added to their lead in the top of the 7th.  Jose Vasquez replaced Barr on the mound for Brantford.  Centerfielder Connor Lewis singled, moved to second on a balk, then advanced to third on a flyball out by leftfielder Grant Tamane.  Rightfielder Jon Waltenbury walked next, and then went first to third on a single by Justin Marra that drove in Lewis.  A single by third baseman Sean Mattson drove in Waltenbury and that made it 5-0 Leafs midway through the 7th.

Mike Wagner relieved fellow New Yorker Cicatello in the bottom of the 7th.  He gave up a double to DH Lee Delfino, who then moved to third on a wild pitch.  Delfino scored when leftfielder Josh McCurdy grounded out, but Wagner finished the inning with a strikeout.  5-1 Leafs after seven.

The Buds added one more run in the top of the 8th, courtesy of a single by Dan Marra and an RBI double by White to make it 6-1.

The Red Sox left two men stranded on the bases in the bottom of the 8th, and Wagner retired the side in the bottom of the 9th to secure the classic three-inning save and a 6-1 FINAL for Toronto.


Toronto 6-11-0
Brantford 1-10-0

W - Cicatello (5-4, 4.97)
L - Barr (1-2, 6.39)


BOXSCORE


With their 19th win of 2016, the Maple Leafs clinch their first winning season in five years.  They still have a shot at 4th place and homefield advantage for the first round of the playoffs.  To do so, they will have to beat the Barrie Baycats at Christie Pits on the regular season finale, Sunday, July 31.

Leafs With the Weekend Sweep

Peaking at just the right moment?  

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on a three-game win streak following last weekend's IBL action.

They put on a midsummer Toronto Air Show, bombarding all comers with nine home runs in three days.  Three from Justin Marra, and two each from Jon Waltenbury, Johnathan Solazzo and Sean Mattson.

The offensive engines revved high, scoring 38 runs.

The scoring explosion and win streak come as the regular season winds down, boding well for the oncoming playoffs.



Maple Leafs 9, Cardinals 5 - July 22 at Hamilton

The Leafs hit the Hamilton Cardinals with One Big Inning, scoring six runs in the 2nd and holding on for a 9-5 win. 

Jon Waltenbury hit a home run and drove in four runs.  Johnathan Solazzo also homered and drove in a pair.  Ryan White drove in two, and Connor Lewis drove in one.  

On the mound, Justin Cicatello struck out eight over eight innings and surrendered four earned runs for the win.

Toronto 9-10-1
Hamilton 5-9-3

W - Cicatello (4-4, 5.31)
L - Tapper (0-6, 5.23)

BOXSCORE



Maple Leafs 15, Bandits 13 - July 23 at Burlington

The Leafs overcame a 6-1 1st inning deficit and battled the Burlington Bandits to a 15-13 final score. 

Jon Waltenbury homered and drove in four runs for the second consecutive game.  Justin Marra also drove in four and homered.  RBIs were also notched by Sean Mattson, Connor Lewis and Damon Topolie, who had four hits on the day.

Adam Garner pitched 4.1 innings in relief of David Ertl, who was unable to get out of the 4th inning.  Johnathan Solazzo came in to pitch the bottom of the 9th and earned a save.

Toronto 15-14-2
Burlington 13-21-2

W - Garner (2-0, 3.63)
L - Hauck (3-4, 4.81)
S - Solazzo (1)

BOXSCORE



Maple Leafs 14, Red Sox 13 (10 innings) - July 24 at Christie Pits

The Leafs saved the freshest dramatics for last, as Sean Mattson hit a two-run walk off home run in the bottom of the 10th to beat the Brantford Red Sox.

For the second day in a row, the Leafs battled back from a 6-1 deficit.  The lead exchanged hands a couple of times before the Red Sox scored the potential game-winning run in the top of the 10th.  That set the stage for Mattson's two-out blast with a man aboard.

The winning shot was Mattson's second round trip of the day.  Justin Marra also clouted a pair and Solazzo added a homer of his own.  Mattson racked up five RBIs, Marra, Solazzo and Grant Tamane each had two, and Damon Topolie and Ryan White each drove in one.

Mike Wagner and Riley Barr made the starts for Toronto and Brantford respectively, but neither figured in the final decision.  Adam Marra was pitcher of record in the 10th and grabbed the win.

W - A. Marra (1-1, 4.50)
L - Betts (3-1, 4.12)

BOXSCORE 



The Maple Leafs are now 18-16 and in 5th place in the IBL standings.  

The Leafs have two games remaining in the regular season, and they are on a playoff collision course with the Brantford Red Sox. They are 1.5 games behind Brantford, where they will travel next on Thursday, July 28. 

Heads Up! On The Hill!

Your humble picture taker/note maker will be away on holiday starting Friday, so there won't be any coverage of this weekend's Maple Leaf baseball action here on this site.

Regular service resumes next week.

Bandits Make Off With a Win

Game 11 (rescheduled game): Burlington Bandits at Toronto Maple Leafs - July 20, 2016

Bandits win 11-5

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost battles on two fronts last night at Christie Pits.

A dubious strike zone resulted in verbal exchanges with the home plate ump that led to two Leaf ejections.

Meanwhile, the Burlington Bandits kept sneaking runs onto the board, compiling a victorious final score of 11-5.  They did a better job than Toronto of "hitting 'em where they ain't" all night long.  A large hillside audience on hand that hoped to catch the Christie Mystique spark a walkoff win melted away into the night as that hope dwindled.

The Bandits scored runs in small bunches.  Five off of starter Brett van Pelt, four off of Dillon Mulholland and two off of Adam Garner.  

Jon Waltenbury and Justin Marra put runs on the board for Toronto in the third inning, with Marra smashing a 2-run homer.  

Waltenbury was tossed out after his at bat in the third, and Will Richards earned an early shower in the eighth.

The Leafs scratched out a couple more runs late, but it wasn't enough this night.


Game Recap:


It was Rock 'n' Roll Night at Christie Pits, as an assortment of classic tunes filled the air on a warm summer evening.  The Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Burlington Bandits in a makeup of their rained out June 5th game.  On the mound were Brett van Pelt for the V-necks against Jack Dennis for B-town.

The Bandits struck first right off the top.  Centerfielder Justin Gideon drew a walk to start, and then DH Canice Ejoh singled.  Van Pelt struck out the next two, but a single by third baseman Robert Tavone loaded the bases.  Rightfielder John Whaley was up next, and he hit a two-RBI single that gave the Bandits an early 2-0 lead.

The Leafs went down in order in the bottom of the 1st, and both pitchers tossed scoreless innings in the 2nd.

In the top of the 3rd, first baseman Julian Johnson doubled.  Whaley also doubled, driving in Johnson for a 3-0 Bandits lead midway through three.

The Leafs mounted a comeback in the bottom of the frame.  Leftfielder Grant Tamane led off with a walk, then stole second and ended up at third on the play.  Shortstop Ryan White drew a walk to get aboard.  After centerfielder Connor Lewis struck out, DH Jon Waltenbury grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Tamane to score.  Waltenbury was then ejected by the home plate ump, after mistaking him for a cricket umpire.  Words were exchanged.  Waltenbury hit the showers.  Catcher Justin Marra was next man up, and he absolutely decimated a pitch from Dennis, blasting it over the fence in right-center.  The fielders barely moved.  That tied the game at 3-3 after three.

Both starters settled down and threw scoreless innings in the 4th and 5th.

Whaley led off the top of the 6th with a single.  That was followed by another single, hit by leftfielder Carlos Villoria.  A double by shortstop Nolan Pettipiece brought home Whaley.  A groundout by Gideon scored Villoria and that made it 5-3 Bandits after six.

Burlington pulled away for good in the top of the 7th.  Dillon Mulholland came on in relief of van Pelt.  Catcher Kevin Hussey led off with a double, and then Johnson was hit by a pitch.  A single by Whaley scored Hussey, and then a single by Villoria scored Johnson.  A fielder's choice by Pettipiece wiped Villoria off the basepaths but moved Whaley to third.  Second baseman Kaleb Leff then walked to load the bases.  Gideon singled next, driving in Whaley and Pettipiece, but Leff was gunned out a third on a throw from Tamane to end the inning.  The Bandits had put four more on the board and led 9-3 midway through the 7th inning.

The Leafs loaded the bases in the bottom of the 7th, but Dennis got out of the jam without surrendering a run.

Adam Garner came in to pitch the top of the 8th.  After giving up a single to Hussey, Johnson hit a two-run homer that made it 11-3 Bandits midway through eight.

Luke Melymick relieved Dennis to start the bottom of the 8th.  After recording two outs, he surrendered a single to rightfielder Will Richards, and walked first baseman Damon Topolie and Tamane.  With the bases loaded, White appeared to ground into an out, but the throw to first was misplayed, allowing Richards to score.  Richards was then heaved for questioning the umpire's eyesight.  The rattled umpiring crew actually needed to be directed back into position by the veteran Topolie before play could resume, but the inning ended on a groundout by Lewis and three more baserunners stranded.  11-4 Bandits after eight.

In the bottom of the 9th, Justin Marra singled and third baseman Johnathan Solazzo was hit by a pitch from Melymick.  Second baseman Dan Marra singled to load the bases again.  Pinch hitter Brendan Keys then grounded to the shortstop, who threw the ball away at first.  That allowed two runs to score but Topolie made the final out, and that would be all as the Bandits made off into the night with an 11-5 FINAL.*


* That's as best I could make out from the chaotic description of events on Pointstreak.  I was on the subway by the time the 9th rolled around.  Worst fan reporter ever.


Burlington 11-5-1
Toronto 5-5-0

W - Dennis (2-4, 7.94)
L - van Pelt (1-5, 8.03)


BOXSCORE


The Maple Leafs are now 15-16 and have probably mathematically clinched 5th place in the IBL standings.  They hit the Golden Horseshoe this weekend, starting with a game against the Hamilton Cardinals at Bernie Arbour stadium this Friday night, July 22.

Schedule Note: Makeup Game vs Burlington Tonight

The Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Burlington Bandits tonight at Christie Pits, in a makeup of their June 5th rainout.  

Game time is 7:30 pm.

Early Surge Burns Leafs

Game 31: London Majors at Toronto Maple Leafs - July 17, 2016

Majors win 5-3

Weird day at the Pits.  Hot, sluggish.  

The park is jam-packed with people enjoying a Sunday afternoon.  Sunbathers and picnickers.  Frisbees and soccer balls.  Kids and dogs.

Something feels off, though.  

Why isn't that pool open?  Something in the water?

Apparently they are still working on it.  Soon come pool. 

At the diamond, the "off" feelings resonate strongest.  All the familiar faces are there.  The crazies encircling the infield, the old man on the hill, the owner in his box.

The game starts, and time accelerates.  The London Majors jump out to an early lead in the first.  They add another run in the second.  The Leafs have barely gotten into it.  The owner starts hurling thunderbolts like Zeus from Mount Olympus.

Weird game.  There's no clock in baseball, but the innings speed by.  The Leafs wait until the eighth and ninth before putting some runs on the board, but by this point it's too late.   The game is over, London has won 5-3, but it feels like things had barely gotten started.

Even this entry is weird.  Take that photo above -- Dan Marra, bending down to tag out a basestealer.  That was in the ninth inning, when things already felt decided and the play didn't make any difference to the score.  

But there's Marra in a classic pose, bent down with the quiet calm of a man plucking a weed from his garden.  I like the image.  

Wait, is that Drew Taylor warming up in the pen?

Maybe this whole day was a dream.  Maybe it's time to WAKE UP!


Game Recap:


A hot and partly cloudy afternoon saw the Toronto Maple Leafs host the London Majors at Christie Pits.  Justin Cicatello was on the mound for Toronto against Elis Jimenez.

The first two innings set the pace for London.  Centerfielder Chris McQueen led off the top of the 1st with a walk.  Cicatello then hit shortstop Keith Kandel with a pitch.  Both runners advanced on a double steal, and a single by catcher Michael Ambrose drove in McQueen.  First baseman Cleveland Brownlee was up next, and he singled in Kandel.  Rightfielder LeJon Baker then grounded into a double play, but Ambrose crossed home plate to make it 3-0 Majors after one.

In the top of the 2nd, third baseman Carlos Arteaga reached first on a single, then advanced two bases on a throwing error by Cicatello.  A single by second baseman RJ Fuhr drove in Arteaga and it was 4-0 Majors after two.

Jimenez made short work of the Leafs' bats on the afternoon, holding them to five hits over the first seven innings.  The home side missed their best opportunity of the day in the bottom of the 5th when they loaded the bases with none out.  Jimenez then struck out two batters and escaped the inning on a groundout.

London tacked on one more run in the top of the 8th.  McQueen reached first safely, on Cicatello's second error of the day.  That was followed by a single by Kandel.  The Majors attempted another double steal, but McQueen got caught in a rundown and was eventually tagged out by third baseman Grant Tamane.  With Kandel standing on second, Brownlee drove him in again with his third single of the day.  That made it 5-0 Majors midway through the 8th.

The Leafs offence finally cracked Jimenez in the bottom of the 8th.  Centerfielder Connor Lewis led off with a single and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Tamane.  He moved to third on a put out by DH Jon Waltenbury, and scored on an RBI single by catcher Justin Marra.  5-1 London through eight.

David Ertl relieved Cicatello and pitched a scoreless 9th for Toronto.

Cory Hammond came in to close it down for London in the bottom of the 9th, but not before the Leafs mounted a late rally.  Second baseman Dan Marra singled to start the inning.  First baseman Damon Topolie drew a walk, and Matt Blair-Brown took his place at first as a pinch runner.  Leftfielder Brendan Keys then singled, and Marra stormed home when the ball was misplayed in the outfield.  Blair-Brown moved to third on the play, and he raced home on a wild pitch by Hammond.  But there would be no magical comeback this day, as London wrapped it up for a 5-3 FINAL.


London 5-12-2
Toronto 3-9-2

W - Jimenez (6-1, 2.97)
L - Cicatello (3-4, 5.43)


BOXSCORE


The loss drops the Maple Leafs back to .500 with a 15-15 record, good for 5th place in the IBL standings.  They will return to the Pits this Wednesday night, July 20, to play a rainout makeup game against the Burlington Bandits.