Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - August 30 to September 5, 2021
The boys in blue went 4-1 in the final week of the regular season to clinch 2nd place and rumble into the playoffs with a whole head of steam
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| Justin Marra follows Jordan Castaldo home after hitting his league-leading 13th home run of the season. This summer, the Leafs launched 59 home runs. The next-closest team hit 32. |
When it mattered the most, the Maple Leafs got it done.
With five games left in the 2021 regular season, the Leafs had the potential to finish anywhere from 2nd to 7th in the IBL standings. A sudden slump might have wrecked what has been a ball-bashing, fence-smashing, scoreboard-sizzling season.
Instead, the Leafs went on a tear, winning four out of five and clinching 2nd place, their highest finish since 2011.
It was definitely the most thrilling week of the season, not just because of all the wins.
Garrett Takamatsu made a stab at the triple crown. Sean Reilly reached a new all-time milestone. The pitching continued to get sorted, and the hits kept on coming.
Here's a quick look at the week when the Leafs made it matter.
Tuesday, August 31, 2021 - London Majors at Toronto Maple Leafs
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| Bombs were flying out of Christie Pits all Tuesday night, as the Leafs launched seven over the fence for a big win. |
What behooves a man to play baseball all his adult life, all the way to the age of 44?
By that age, his contemporaries are mostly gone. Every year he looks around the field and sees more new faces and fewer of the old ones.
The toll of sports - the training, the driving, the weeknights in places like Oshawa, Barrie and Welland, the injuries and recoveries and starting all over again every year.
The tolls of real life - job, family, house, bills. Real life intervenes and draws his focus away. Why not let baseball go and focus on the other things?
What behooves a man to keep playing?
Quite simply, the chance to hit bombs. And rip some ribbies. And stand in against some swaggering youngster, take an inside pitch, let him get cocky, then calmly hit one right between two outfielders. How'd you like that one, punk ass?
Sean Reilly has done everything in the IBL. He is the all-time league leader in hits, home runs and RBIs.
On Tuesday night at Christie Pits, Reilly reached another incredible peak when he recorded his 1,000th hit.
The term "GOAT" was meant for a player like Sean Reilly.
Fans of Maple Leafs baseball warmly welcomed Reilly's return to the Pits this season. It was there in 2013 that he set the IBL single-season home run record and the IBL single-season RBI record as a Leaf. With the postseason looming, there is no more valuable player this team could have.
First things first. On this historic Tuesday, the league-leading London Majors marched into town having clinched the 2021 IBL pennant. The Leafs' playoff situation was still far from clear. With five games left to play in the regular season, a sudden hot or cold streak could determine their place in the standings and fate in the postseason.
Great thunderation! Both sides started blasting away from the top of the first inning. Former Leaf Julian Johnson hit a three-run homer to put the visitors ahead.
The home side responded with five singles in a row to take a 4-3 lead after one inning.
London scored two in the top of the 2nd and the Leafs responded immediately. Second baseman Garrett Takamatsu and right fielder Marcus Knecht each belted a two-run homer and after two innings the Leafs led 8-5.
A Majors counterattack tied the game at eight in the top of the 4th. Once again the Leafs responded, and pulled away for good. Takamatsu and Knecht both homered again to make it a 10-8 game through four.
In the bottom of the 5th, catcher Justin Marra launched a 2-run bomb to make it 12-8.
Johnson hit his second homer of the game in the top of the 6th to make it 12-9.
The Leafs went-all out in the bottom of the 6th. They sent 11 men to the plate and scored six more runs. Marra doubled to score two. DH Sean Reilly singled in a run, and third baseman Johnathan Solazzo smashed a three-run shot over the fence. 18-9 Leafs through six.
In the bottom of the 7th, Reilly stepped up to the plate, took a few inside pitches, fouled one off, then calmly recorded his 1,000th IBL single. Takamatsu followed him to the plate and made it a night to remember by crushing a three-run homer in the bottom of the 7th. The Pits had been rocking all night. Reilly's historic hit and Takamatsu's third bomb of the game lit the place up again.
On the mound, Zach Sloan, Justin Cicatello, Michael Asta, Evan DiMichele and Mateos Kekatos combined to strike out 13 Majors. Cicatello earned the win and the Leafs kicked off their most demanding week with a big win.
Toronto 21 20 2
W - Cicatello (1-0, 0.00)
L - Kelley (1-1, 6.50)
Wednesday, September 1, 2021 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Brantford Red Sox
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| The Maple Leafs kicked off their three-game road trip with victory in Brantford. Image from Brantford Red Sox YouTube |
After demolishing the Majors at home, the Mapes embarked on a three-games-in-three-nights road trip.
It would be their toughest test of the season with playoff rankings still in play for most teams in the league.
The pesky Brantford Red Sox gave the Leafs a rough welcome to Arnold Anderson Stadium. In the bottom of the 1st, they put three runs on the board off starter Brandon Lyons.
The Leafs came back to tie it in the top of the 2nd. The first half of the game was a back-and-forth battle with each club taking and then retaking the lead.
Midway through the game, the Leafs held a 10-8 lead, but it was totally precarious. This was where the bullpen came through.
Adam Marra came in relief of Lyons and pitched four solid innings, giving up just one run.
The Leafs' big blue scoring machine put the game away in the top of the 8th with four more runs.
DH Sean Reilly led the Leafs' scoring with a home run and three RBIs. Marcus Knecht also homered, and drove in two runs off three hits. Third baseman Jordan Castaldo and left fielder Grant Tamane also drove in two runs each.
Mateos Kekatos pitched a scoreless 8th and closer Dustin Richardson mowed down the Red Sox with three strikeouts in the bottom of the 9th to wrap up a 14-8 victory.
Brantford 8 11 2
W - A. Marra (2-1, 5.19)
L - Major (1-3, 5.60)
Thursday, September 2, 2021 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Welland Jackfish
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| Connor Lewis bops one over the IBL logo and into right field for a bases-clearing triple. Image from Welland Jackfish YouTube |
This was a game with massive postseason implications.
The Maple Leafs arrived at Welland Stadium neck-and-gills with the Jackfish, and both clubs game out swinging.
Right fielder Marcus Knecht hit a two-run single in the top of the first to give the Leafs an early lead.
Cosplaying as the Welland Roses, the home side struck back for two to tie the game after one inning.
Welland added another run off Toronto starter Justin Cicatello in the 2nd.
The Leafs struck for four runs in the top of the 3rd, all courtesy of center fielder Connor Lewis. With the bases loaded, Lewis belted a triple to bring three runs in, and then dashed home on a wild pitch to make it a 6-3 score in the Leafs' favour.
Once again, Welland struck back right away, putting five runs on the board to take an 8-6 lead.
Toronto tied the game in the top of the 5th when catcher Justin Marra hit a two-run single.
Kyle Perrett relieved Cicatello after four innings, and he pitched into the 7th. The Leafs had added a run on a sac fly by second baseman Garrett Takamatsu, and the Jackfish got that run right back in the bottom of the inning. After seven innings, this battle was tied 9-9.
The previous night in Brantford, Adam Marra got the win. This night, he'd get tagged with the loss. The Jackfish jumped all over him in the bottom of the 8th inning. They scored six runs and swam away with a 15-9 final.
Welland 15 17 1
W - Mackie (1-0, 0.00)
L - A. Marra (2-2, 7.08)
Friday, September 3, 2021 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Hamilton Cardinals
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| Jordan Castaldo commenced hostilities in Hamilton with a leadoff homer in the first inning. Image from Hamilton Cardinals YouTube |
Down to the second-last game of the season, the Maple Leafs continued their battle for position in the IBL standings. On Friday night, they rolled up the mountain to Bernie Arbour Stadium to face the Hamilton Cardinals for the final time this season.*
First baseman Jordan Castaldo commenced hostilities with a leadoff home run to start the game.
The Cardinals responded with a brutal barrage. They scored six runs in two innings off Leafs starter Marek Deska.
It was an uncharacteristic outing for the longtime Leafs pitcher, but he hung in and pitched two scoreless innings after that. Deska left the game after four innings, and he left with a lead.
The Leafs responded to the Cards' six-run barrage with one of their own in the top of the 3rd. Center fielder Connor Lewis drove in two-runs with a bases-loaded single. Castaldo followed with a two-run single of his own. Catcher Justin Marra and DH Sean Reilly continued the hit parade, each driving in a run with a single. All of this came with two outs. It was 7-6 Leafs through three innings.
In the top of the 5th, the Leafs pulled away for good when Marcus Knecht blasted a grand slam to make it 11-6.
Hamilton scored one more run, and Toronto added nine more late in the game to make it a blowout.
In the 8th, Lewis hit an RBI single. Third baseman Johnathan Solazzo scored from third on a wild pitch, and Reilly drove in two more with a single.
In the 9th, pinch hitter Chandler McLaren hit a sac fly to bring home a run, and Justin Marra put a cherry on top of this one when he hit the second Leafs' grand slam of the game.
Dustin Richardson took to the mound in the bottom of the 9th and struck out the side to seal a 20-7 win for the Leafs. In Richardson's last four appearances he has faced 13 batters and struck out 12 of them.
* Not so fast!
Hamilton 7 12 0
W - Hyde (1-3, 7.02)
L - Braun (3-3, 6.09)
Sunday, September 5, 2021 - Brantford Red Sox at Toronto Maple Leafs
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| In a season when the explosive Maple Leafs offence topped every IBL leader board, it was a sac fly by Dan Marra that gave the Leafs a lead they would not relenquish. |
Is there any scene more tuggy-heart-stringy than the regular season finale at Christie Pits?
There's always a "greatest hits" feel to this game. On Sunday, the Leafs provided the hits - in quality if not quantity. Home runs screamed over the fence. Umpires provided their usual dismaying assortment of bad calls. Heckling rained down from the hillsides. The visitors took a lead and then watched helplessly as the latest Christie comeback ran them over. All in all a great day of baseball.
It began with a spectacular flyover by a formation of jets. As they soared over Toronto's sunken ballpark, the jets dipped their wings in tribute to the boys in powder blue. Real top gun stuff.
And then, like some jobber ambushing the fan favourite before they've even entered the ring, the Brantford Red Sox tagged Leafs starter Zach Sloan for two runs. What audacity!
The Leafs tied the game in the bottom of the 4th. Second baseman Garrett Takamatsu clubbed a two-run homer and the comeback was on.
You'd think that this was the beginning of an all-out aerial assault from the home side.
Instead, the Leafs took the lead in the bottom of the 6th on the noblest of plays, a sacrifice fly. With the bases loaded, shortstop Dan Marra lifted one into the outfield and Takamatsu came home. Center fielder Connor Lewis followed with another sac fly to make it a 4-2 ballgame. The non-pyrotechnics of it all was nice.
But just for the hell of it, catcher Justin Marra set off some pyrotechnics with a two-run homer in the bottom of the 7th. Marra smiled all the way around the bases, having retaken the lead in the IBL home run race from teammate Takamatsu. Love how the Leafs drove each other to greater heights all season.
And cue the bullpen. Michael Asta, Brian Sewell, Kyle Perrett and Mateos Kekatos combined to throw the game's final five innings. The Red Sox were able to scrounge up just two hits and one run over that stretch. Kekatos closed it out in the 9th for his second save of the season and a 6-3 final.
Toronto 6 7 3
W - Sewell (1-0, 0.00)
L - Lombardi (0-3, 12.65)
That wraps up the regular season. The Leafs' 2nd place finish earns them a first round playoff matchup against the Hamilton Cardinals.
Keep it locked here for the postseason preview and schedule.
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