On the Christie Hillside: Hot Boy Summer

Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - July 4 to 11, 2022

Week 8 saw some veteran Maple Leafs light up the scoreboards, and a couple of memorable battles thrilled the masses at Christie Pits.

Grant Tamane launches his first home run of the season on a scorching Sunday at the Pits.

Did that just really happen?

A Wednesday night barnburner that sent the Christie Crazies into the furthest reaches of collective madness?

A Sunday scorcher that left the hillsides sunstroked and chanting up a storm?

Yes, and yes. And it was amazing.

Every week, the boys on the field have put on a show and the fans at the Pits have been loving it.

It starts with that hashtag, #UnfinishedBusiness. Everyone is all-in, from the front office to the fans to those swaggering charmers in the clean white unies.

The Leafs have been having A Very Maple Leaf Season, neither running away with the pennant nor licking the basement floor. They are positioned in the middle of the pack, and in every game they give us flashes of greatness to come.

Every man on this Maple Leafs roster is a fan favourite.

I mean seriously, these guys could make a mint recording Cameos for fans. I would order several for myself. Imagine getting a video from Justin Marra or Connor Lewis telling you to buck up and hang in there because even though the demons in your head tell you that everything you do is a LIE, it's just not true brother. IT'S JUST NOT TRUE!

Gone way off course there so let's reel it back in.

There's a feeling to this season that something special is brewing.

If you have been following along here and haven't made your way to the Pits yet, what are you waiting for?

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 - Kitchener Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs

Connor Lewis and Johnathan Solazzo prepare for an explosive arm bash after Solazzo's first inning grand slam on Wednesday night. Lewis doubled and scored in the same inning.

Among the amenities at Christie Pits Park are the baseball fields, swimming pool, splash pad, skate park, soccer field and outdoor hockey rink.

Up until this past Wednesday night, there was also a barn on the property. But it was burned down in a baseball bonfire for the ages.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Kitchener Panthers wasted no time lighting the blaze. The visitors tagged starter Zach Sloan for two runs in the top of the first inning.

In the bottom of the 1st, the Leafs rocked Panthers starter Jacob Douglas for five runs. Long overdue, Johnathan Solazzo hit his first home run of the season and made it hurt. Douglas put three men aboard before facing the Leafs third baseman, who walloped a grand slam over the left field fence. Centerfielder Connor Lewis doubled, then scored on a double by right fielder Gregory Carrington and it was 5-2 Leafs after the first frame.

Kitchener scored a run in the top of the 2nd, and the Leafs got it right back on a solo home run by first baseman Jordan Castaldo. 6-3 Leafs through two.

Things settled down until the 6th inning, when the Panthers hit Sloan with a single and a barrage of three doubles, tying the game 6-6.

The Leafs struck back in the bottom of the inning. Lewis drew a leadoff walk, stole second, then scored on a single by shortstop Jose Vinicio. The next man up was catcher Justin Marra, who launched a two-run homer to give the Leafs a 9-6 lead through six.

The back-and-forth continued to the delight of the Christie Crazies. Led by the persistent heckling of the Bushmen, everyone around the Pits exercised their lungs as the night continued.

In the top of the 7th inning, Sam Greene took over on the mound for Sloan. Greene gave up a leadoff single and double, then struck out the next two batters. With men on second and third, the Panthers' rally was snuffed out. Dreyden Sloat powered a shot to left field, easily scoring the runner from third. It looked like both runners would score, only, left fielder Luca Boscarino had something to say about that. Boscarino hurled a javelin throw all the way to the plate and Marra nailed the second runner. GOT HEEEEEEEM. Inning over, 9-7 Leafs.

Once again, the Leafs fired right back, this time with a cannon shot off the bat of DH Aidan McAskie. The solo homer made it a 10-7 ballgame.

The eighth inning blew the lid off the joint, but it was bad news for the Leafs. The Panthers mauled Greene and Chris Nagorski for six runs on four hits, an error and a couple of hit batsmen. All of a sudden Kitchener was ahead 13-10.

By now the Pits was engulfed in noise and that barn was about to collapse in flames. Amped by some bonus sound effects from the press box, the place was sounding like a madhouse on every pitch. At one point, Kitchener catcher Simon Grinberg developed a case of the yips. The Christie Crazies got into his brain and kicked all the furniture around. He began making errant throws back to the mound after each pitch, which eventually led to a pair of Leafs runs in the bottom of the 8th to make it a 13-12 game.

Kitchener added another run in the top of the ninth, and the Leafs were down to their last chance.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Pits raised the volume to 11. Reliever Christian Hauck had to contend with wild animal howling from all directions. Your humble scribe has never heard such a racket. Neighbours on the surrounding streets had to be wondering what the hell was going on. On the mound, it looked like Hauck might crack as well. He gave up a leadoff walk to McAskie, but pulled himself together to get three outs in a row and the Panthers fled the blazing hellhole with a 14-12 FINAL.

Toronto Fire arrived shortly after the final out to clean up the smouldering cinders that remained. Massive respect to our first responders.

Kitchener 14 18 2

Toronto 12 13 2

W - Shantz (1-0, 6.75)

L - Nagorski (3-1, 8.48)

S - Hauck (1)

BOXSCORE

Some pix from the Wednesday nighter.

Thursday, July 7, 2022 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Barrie Baycats

Umpires and coaches momentarily play traffic cop as players head in the wrong direction midway through the eighth inning at Vintage Throne Stadium. (Image: Barrie Baycats TV YouTube)

One night after the Christie Crazies got into the heads of the opposition, it was Angel Castro's turn.

Since arriving in Canada, the stocky Dominican has been a constant Presence. On the mound, he looks like a bull about to charge a toreador, finishing each pitch with a flourish. On the bench, he urges on his teammates in a constant stream of Spanglish and is first to his feet to congratulate or console. Canadian ballplayers tend to be reserved, quiet. Castro is anything but.

His first couple of starts have been less than stellar, but no one in the Leafs braintrust seems worried. The postseason is where he's expected to shine.

In the meantime, he made the start for the Leafs against the Barrie Baycats in blackfly country on Thursday night.

The first inning was rough. The Baycats put three runs on the board for an early lead. After that, Castro settled down and the Leafs began the long pursuit back.

Down 4-0 in the top of the 5th, the Leafs scored four times to tie the game.

Barrie took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the 7th, but the Leafs tied it 5-5 in the top of the 8th.

It was after the 8th that Castro's gamelong vocalizing boiled over in the minds of the Baycats. After the third out the players were leaving the field and some jawing took place. Players moved at each other, the benches slowly emptied, but the umpires held the two sides back. Nothing to see here.

Castro threw 132 pitches and might have gone the distance had the Baycats not put three more runs on the board in the bottom of the 8th. Ryan Wells recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

There would be no late comeback by Toronto, who lost an 8-5 FINAL.

Recap is kind of vague because the full in-game details have not appeared on Pointstreak. For the Leafs, catcher Justin Marra led the way with a pair of hits and an RBI. Left fielder Aidan McAskie had two RBIs and centerfielder Gregory Carrington also drove in a run.

Toronto 5 8 1

Barrie 8 13 0

W - Hillier (1-0, 2.91)

L - Castro (0-2, 9.18)

S - Grieveson (4)

BOXSCORE

Friday, July 8, 2022 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors

Adios Pelota! Jose Vinicio's three-run homer stunned Labatt Park and was the highlight of the Leafs' 13-run onslaught Friday night. (Image: London Majors YouTube)

The Toronto Maple Leafs' two-night road trip to hell and back continued Friday night at Labatt Park against the London Majors.

After dropping their first two meetings with the reigning champs this season, your heroes roared back with a booming win.

Dylan Jacober, fresh face on the mound for the new wave Leafs. Pedro De Los Santos, ghost of Leaf teams past on the mound for the Majors.

De Los Santos got off to a shaky start, committing two errors and coughing up four unearned runs. The Leafs scored off singles by third baseman Johnathan Solazzo, centerfielder Connor Lewis and second baseman Dan Marra, and it was 4-0 after half an inning.

The Majors sliced the lead in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 1st.

Things got rough for Jacober in the bottom of the 3rd. He gave up five hits including two home runs as the Majors jumped ahead 8-4.

In the top of the 4th, Dan Marra doubled and scored on an RBI single by right fielder Gregory Carrington to make it an 8-5 ballgame.

The Leafs exploded in the top of the 5th. After catcher Justin Marra drew a leadoff walk, first baseman Jordan Castaldo crushed a two-run homer. Up next was Solazzo and he homered. DH Aidan McAskie then reached first on an error, and Dan Marra singled for his third hit of the night. That chased De Los Santos, who was replaced on the mound by Bo Lewington, who fared no better. A couple of wild pitches allowed McAskie to come around to score. Carrington walked, then shortstop Jose Vinicio belted a three-run bomb - his first round trip as a Maple Leaf. The onslaught continued. Justin Marra returned to the plate and doubled. Castaldo walked, and then Solazzo doubled to drive in Marra. Lewington was relieved by Braeden Ferrington who finally got the third out for London. But the Majors were as good as done as the visitors took a 13-8 lead.

Ryan Wells pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief. The Majors got to him for a couple of runs in the bottom of the 8th. Adam Marra came in to slam the door. He retired four Majors in a row with two strikeouts along the way, preserving the win for Wells and a 13-10 FINAL.

Toronto 13 14 0

London 10 13 3

W - Wells (2-0, 3.60)

L - De Los Santos (1-3, 5.40)

BOXSCORE

Sunday, July 10, 2022 - Hamilton Cardinals at Toronto Maple Leafs

Former Brewers prospect and newest Maple Leafs pitcher Franklin Hernandez takes flight at the Pits on Sunday afternoon.

Hot boy summer.

It comes at you out of nowhere. It busts through the tedium of this life and it gives you purpose. It elevates you.

It's a sunny day in July and you head out to catch a ballgame at Christie Pits. The anticipation mounts as you approach the park. You arrive and there they are, on the field in their Sunday whites, smiling and striking poses.

The Toronto Maple Leafs. Men want to be them, women want to be with them.

Hot boy summer.

A few ticks after two o'clock, an oompah trio steps over the third base line to perform the anthem live. It's another of this season's fan-friendly upgrades. Maybe that old 45-rpm record can finally be retired, the one they've been playing before games since 1969.*

Brass Eruption has barely gotten off the field when you feel the heat pressing down. It's a scorcher at the Pits.

Sam Greene is on the mound with one thing in mind: to deal. And he deals. Through the first four innings, he makes rapid work of the Hamilton Cardinals, giving up just two hits while striking out five.

In the bottom of the 4th, fans start reaching for their second or third drinks to cope with the heat. Second baseman Dan Marra raps a double off starter Aaron Duffy, who had also been dealing early on. That brings the walking embodiment of hot boy summer to the plate: Grant Tamane. Moms love him, dogs adore him. Calm as ever, Tamane smacks an RBI single and the Leafs take a 1-0 lead.

Greene hands the ball to Kyle Smythe, who pitches a scoreless 5th inning.

Smythe hands the ball to Dominican Franklin Hernandez, the Leafs' newest arm, freshly arrived from the Milwaukee Brewers system. Leafs pitching has stymied the Cards all afternoon and Hernandez racks up four K's over three innings. He also surrenders the game-tying run in the top of the 7th when Sean Pettener doubles in a run.

The heat is getting to everyone. Fans stir sluggishly, dogs lay panting, even the players are moving a gear slower than usual.

Look who's back to lead off the bottom of the 7th. Grant Tamane. Cards reliever Drew Mainprize wobbles and hits Tamane with a pitch. Not cool. Mainprize gets the next two batters out, then intentionally walks catcher Justin Marra. Not cool. That brings first baseman Jordan Castaldo to the plate and he delivers a punishing blow. Castaldo blasts a shot to centerfield that bounces for a ground rule double. Tamane trots home with the go-ahead run. It's 2-1 Leafs and the Pits comes alive with hot boy summer feelings.

If people weren't going loopy from the heat by now, the 8th inning gets everyone redlining. DH Aidan McAskie leads off with a single. Centerfielder Connor Lewis reaches first on a fielder's choice that wipes out McAskie. With two outs and the Pits ready to blow, Tamane returns to the plate to light the match. POW! He thumps a Daury Torrez offering over the fence in left and everyone loses their minds. Fans roar, dogs howl, children boogie. As Tamane rounds third with the power point to the hillsides, the Bushmen start chanting "HOT BOY SUMMER! HOT BOY SUMMER!" It's another unforgettable, hallucinatory moment at the Pits.

Tamane's blast was the backbreaker. In the 9th, Chris Nagorski relieved Hernandez and the Cards withered under the sun. Nagorski locked the birdcage for a 4-1 FINAL, his second save of the season and a debut win for Hernandez.

When it's hot boy summer at Christie Pits, everybody wins.

* According to the Leafs, the oompah trio was a brass flash mob that asked to perform the anthem 10 minutes before game time.

Hamilton 1 6 1

Toronto 4 7 0

W - Hernandez (1-0, 3.00)

L - Mainprize (1-1, 4.50)

BOXSCORE