Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - August 9 to 15, 2021
A doubleheader demolition job in Kitchener was the highlight of a wild Week 6 for the Toronto Maple Leafs
 |
| After blowing out the Kitchener Panthers twice on Saturday, the Leafs were stuck for answers yesterday at Christie Pits. |
As the 2021 IBL season hit the midpoint last week, one very noticeable statistic stood out on the Toronto Maple Leafs' ledger.
Midway through August, they still had not won a game on the road.
The Leafs played on the road in Barrie last Thursday night, and lost again. They then travelled to Brantford on Friday night. There, they not only lost again, but ended up leaving Telephone City with fewer players than they went in with; more on that below.
The pressure of an 0-7 road record was too much to contain, and it produced an explosion on Saturday. In Kitchener for a doubleheader, the Leafs let out all their frustrations and blew out the Panthers in both games, racking up a combined score of 35-9.
The relief was felt throughout Christie Pits on Sunday. Relieved but also feeling the effects of playing five games in four days, the Leafs fell behind to the visiting Welland Jackfish and were unable to mount a Christie comeback. They suffered a rare home loss, rounding out the week with two wins and three losses.
The Leafs' season record now stands at 9-9 and they have slipped down the IBL standings. The good news is that players like Zach Sloan and Ryan Santos have returned to action, bolstering the roster at just the right time.
As a sprint to the finish of this short season begins, here's a quick look back at the week that was.
Thursday, August 12, 2021 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Barrie Baycats
 |
| The Leafs took a lead against Barrie three times, but failed to hold on. Image from Barrie Baycats YouTube |
This one looked promising for a while. Several whiles.
Visiting the torture chamber known as Coates Stadium in Barrie, the Maple Leafs looked like they might break out. They grabbed leads of 2-0, 4-2, and 6-4, but each time the Baycats scratched back into it.
Third baseman Garrett Takamatsu enjoys his visits to the great white north. He put the Leafs ahead 2-0 in the first inning when he hit his second home run at Coates this summer. The Baycats tied the score in the bottom of the inning.
In the top of the 3rd, DH Sean Reilly and right fielder Marcus Knecht each drove in a run to give the Leafs a 4-2 lead. The Baycats tied the score in the bottom of the 4th.
In the top of the 5th, Takamatsu ripped an RBI double, then came around to score on a single by second baseman Dan Marra. For the third time, Toronto was ahead and the score was 6-4.
For the third time, the Baycats came back to tie the game, then went ahead for good.
Andrew Hyde started on the mound for the Leafs and he left after five innings clinging to a 6-5 lead. The bullpen could not hold on. The 'Cats scratched up Adam Marra and Kyle Perrett for a combined seven runs and ran away with a 12-6 final score.
Toronto 6 10 4
Barrie 12 13 1
W - Grieveson (3-2, 3.44)
L - A. Marra (0-1, 5.06)
Friday, August 13, 2021 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Brantford Red Sox
"Eventful," was how the Brantford Red Sox Twitter account described it.
It being the seventh inning at Arnold Anderson Stadium on Friday night. An incident at home plate caused the benches to clear, and after everybody hugged it out and exchanged Instagram handles, play resumed. The Leafs found themselves having to replace DH Sean Reilly, who left the game.
It was a close one throughout.
Jacob English started on the mound for the Red Sox and held the Leafs scoreless until the top of the 5th. With two outs, he proceeded to walk two batters and hit the next one to load the bases. Left fielder Garrett Takamatsu then drew a walk to put a run on the board for the visitors.
Starter Marek Deska motored through the first half of the game before giving up two runs in the bottom of the 5th.
The Red Sox tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the 6th to take a 4-1 lead.
Mackenzie Major relieved English to start the top of the 7th. With one out, Major gave up a single to Reilly and then hit Takamatsu with a pitch. Whatever unfolded next was so distressing to the scorekeeper that they recorded four outs in the inning on Pointstreak. The Red Sox have yet to post the game on YouTube, so there's no footage to see. Third baseman Johnathan Solazzo apparently hit into a fielder's choice and right fielder Marcus Knecht apparently hit into a double play for the fourth out. Somewhere along the way Reilly ran for home and there was an incident that those who were not there have to imagine without the help of video.
Lots of substitutions followed. In the top of the 8th, the fired up Leafs put three runs on the board to tie the game.
In the bottom of the 9th, the Red Sox took advantage of a single, stolen base, wild pitch, and a walkoff single to win the game 5-4.
Following the game, the league announced that Reilly would be suspended for three games.
Toronto 4 8 2
Brantford 5 10 0
W - Pineda (1-0, 0.00)
L - Asta (0-2, 12.46)
Saturday, August 14, 2021 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Kitchener Panthers - Doubleheader
 |
| A Maple Leaf baserunner crosses home plate, something the crowd at Jack Couch Park watched happen 35 times on Saturday. Image from Kitchener Panthers YouTube |
The frustration of losing every game on the road boiled over on Saturday and the Leafs let it all out.
In game one of a doubleheader at Kitchener, the Leafs exploded for nine runs in the third inning and never looked back. They kicked three Panthers pitchers around for 14 hits and 20 runs in the seven inning game.
With all the cannonfire going on around him, Leafs starter Matthias Trondson quietly put together a seven-inning gem. He went the distance in game one, surrendering just two runs on three hits and two walks.
The nightcap saw the Leafs reload and resume the heavy barrage. They racked up 11 runs in the first two innings and cruised to a 15-7 win. Brandon Lyons pitched five innings for the Leafs, giving up four earned runs and Evan DiMichele wrapped up the game.
The Leafs' bats were off the chain. The combined stats from this doubleheader is a sight to behold. They bashed out 31 hits and 35 runs. Among the team leaders on the day, check out DH Damon Topolie leading the charge.
Hits
6 - Damon Topolie
5 - Ryan Santos
4 - Justin Marra, Ryan Johnston
3 - Jordan Castaldo, Garrett Takamatsu
2 - Johnathan Solazzo, Marcus Knecht, Jeff MacLeod
Runs
5 - Damon Topolie
4 - Jordan Castaldo, Garrett Takamatsu, Johnathan Solazzo, Jeff MacLeod, Ryan Johnston, Ryan Santos
3 - Justin Marra, Marcus Knecht
RBIs
6 - Damon Topolie
5 - Justin Marra, Ryan Santos
4 - Johnathan Solazzo
3 - Jordan Castaldo
2 - Garrett Takamatsu, Marcus Knecht
1 - Ryan Johnston
Home Runs
2 - Damon Topolie, Justin Marra, Johnathan Solazzo
1 - Garrett Takamatsu, Marcus Knecht
GAME 1
Toronto 20 14 0
Kitchener 2 3 3
W - Trondson (1-1, 4.29)
L - Millar (0-1, 27.00)
GAME 2
Toronto 15 17 3
Kitchener 7 7 1
W - Lyons (1-1, 7.00)
L - Stoddart (2-1, 8.23)
Sunday, August 15 - Welland Jackfish at Toronto Maple Leafs
 |
| The Maple Leafs scored plenty of runs on Sunday, but gave up one too many in a rare home loss. |
After whaling on the Panthers on Saturday, the Leafs got harpooned by the Jackfish on Sunday, and I just wrote the worst sentence of my life.
It was that kind of day. Nobody on top form, the effects of a beating hot sun and nonstop baseball four days in a row being felt.
Zach Sloan took to the mound at Christie Pits and pitched the first two innings. He gave up two runs to the visitors and handed the ball to Adam Marra, who pitched the next four.
In the meantime, the Leafs played a game of catch up all afternoon. Down 3-0 in the 5th, they got back a run as catcher Justin Marra scored on a fielding error. No sooner were they on the board than they coughed up three more runs in the top of the 6th.
But as the Bushmen in their leafy perch reminded everyone, no lead is safe. The Leafs cranked out a big inning in the bottom of the 6th. Center fielder Ryan Santos singled to drive in left fielder Jeff MacLeod. Later in the inning, Marra hit a bases-loaded double to drive in three runs. Second baseman Garrett Takamatsu followed with a single that scored Marra. After batting around, the Leafs had put five runs on the board and the game was tied 6-6 through six.
Those Wellanders were pesky all day. In the top of the 7th, they jumped on reliever Kyle Perrett for three runs to make it a 9-6 game.
The Leafs refused to die, and battled back in the bottom of the 8th. Right fielder Marcus Knecht singled in a run, and a sacrifice fly by DH Damon Topolie brought the V-necks to within a run.
The Leafs battled to the final out, loading the bases in the bottom of the 9th, but Zachary Cameron slammed the door shut and preserved a 9-8 win for Welland.
Welland 9 10 5
Toronto 8 13 1
W - Jackman (3-2, 3.08)
L - Perrett (2-1, 13.17)
S - Cameron (2)
Halfway through the 2021 season, the Leafs are 9-9 and have slipped to fifth place in the standings, 3.5 games behind the league leading London Majors.
The week ahead:
Tuesday August 17 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Hamilton Cardinals, 7:35 pm at Bernie Arbour Stadium
Wednesday August 18 - Barrie Baycats at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits
Friday August 20 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Hamilton Cardinals, 7:35 pm at Bernie Arbour Stadium
Sunday August 22 - Brantford Red Sox at Toronto Maple Leafs, 2:00 pm at Christie Pits
No comments:
Post a Comment