On the Christie Hillside: Opening Statements

Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - May 14 to 21, 2023

The 2023 IBL season kicks off and the Leafs handle a tough early schedule to start 3-1.

On Sunday afternoon, Justin Marra and manager Rob Butler got creative for Marra's second home run celebration in as many days.

Year Two of the post-Dominico era of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball got under way this past week.

With a new general manager (Jeff Lounsbury) and new manager on the field (Rob Butler), the Leafs unveiled a balanced roster of core players who made it to the IBL championship series two years in a row, and a slate of newcomers to add depth for another title run.

The 2023 Leafs faced a challenging first week schedule, facing the IBL champion London Majors twice, longtime rivals the Barrie Baycats on the road, and 2022 pennant runners-up the Guelph Royals.

Fans accustomed to a sleepy start to the season were treated to a sweep of London, a near-miss barnburner in Barrie, and a victorious blowout against the Royals. With these opening statements, this new era is off to a brisk start.

Sunday, May 14, 2023 - London Majors at Toronto Maple Leafs

Ryan Santos, one of Toronto's opening day heroes. (Photo: Craig Aikin)

On Mother's Day, the pomp and ceremony of baseball's home opener returned to Christie Pits for the 54th time.

Toronto's legendary sunken ballpark exploded with sound and colour. Pipes and drums in the outfield, celebrity first pitches, RCAF flyover. I wasn't there but can only imagine.

As for the Maple Leafs, they emerged from the clubhouse like bears out of hibernation. Slowly shuffling as if still half-asleep. Over the first seven innings, the visiting London Majors put four runs on the board. The Leafs posted three errors.

Manager Rob Butler sent four different men to the mound over the first seven. Julian Valdez, Sam Greene, Marek Deska and Chris Nagorski each gave up one run (Nagorski's the only one that was unearned).

The defending IBL champions seemed to be cruising to victory until both sides experienced a reversal of fortune in a fateful eighth.

Dan Procopio pitched a scoreless top of the eighth. In the home half, Pedro De Los Santos took to the mound for a third inning in relief of starter Owen Boon. After making two outs, the Leafs finally awakened. Third baseman Julian Russell reached on a fielder's choice and right fielder Justin Murray drew a walk. DH Yoichi Ishihara doubled to score Russell and spoil London's shutout bid. Braeden Ferrington replaced De Los Santos on the mound, but a wildfire erupted. Second baseman Dan Marra singled in a run. Left fielder James Dutton doubled in two runs to tie the game. Centerfielder Ryan Santos singled next, and Dutton roared around third to score the fifth run of the inning. The Leafs seized a 5-4 lead through eight.

Curiously, neither team homered on the day.

In the ninth, Adam Marra was the goat in the 21st century sense of the word. He made quick work of the Majors to earn his first save of the season, and secure an Opening Day come-from-behind win for the Leafs.

London 4 7 2

Toronto 5 7 3

W - Procopio (1-0, 0.00)

L - Ferrington (0-1, 54.05)

S - A. Marra (1)

BOXSCORE

Thursday, May 18, 2023 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Barrie Baycats

Ryan Rijo celebrates his game-winning hit as the Baycats win a wild walk off in Barrie. (image: Barrie Baycats TV)

Thursday evening, the Maple Leafs travelled to Barrie for their first road game of the season. The last time these two clubs faced off was in the 2022 postseason and the Leafs celebrated a walk off series win.

Having shaken off the cobwebs late against London in their season opener, the Leafs picked up right where they left off. In the first inning, first baseman Jordan Castaldo, centerfielder Gregory Carrington and right fielder James Dutton notched hits off Baycats starter Emilis Guerrero. Carrington's triple scored two runs and got the Leafs rolling to a big lead. All told, those three batsmen would rack up seven hits and six RBIs on the night.

All told, the Leafs racked up 10 runs in the first five innings.

Zach Sloan and Julian Valdez combined to give up four runs over seven innings while the Leafs' bats did the rest. RBIs were recorded by Castaldo (3), Carrington (2), and one each by Dutton, catcher Justin Marra, third baseman Johnathan Solazzo and DH David Alvarez.

In the bottom of the eighth, Julian Russell relieved Valdez on the mound. He gave up two runs off three hits and the Baycats made it a 10-6 game through eight.

In the ninth, Adam Marra was the goat in the 20th century sense of the word. He gave up four hits, a couple of walks and hit a batter. Baseball is a cruel game. The Baycats got some walk off revenge when Ryan Rijo singled in the winning run. The final score was 11-10 as the Leafs lost a stunner.

Toronto 10 14 3

Barrie 11 14 4

W - Hillier (1-0, 0.00)

L - A. Marra (0-1, 33.76)

BOXSCORE

Saturday, May 20, 2023 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors

Saturday afternoon in London, Ryan Burnside stymied the Majors over six innings and won his mound debut with the Leafs. (image: London Majors YouTube)

It's a long drive to London. The seemingly endless kilometres of straight highway and bland scenery would have provided plenty of time for the Maple Leafs to brood over the outcome of their previous game in Barrie.

By the time the team got off the 401 and made their way to Labatt Park, they fully intended to be the skunks at the Majors' home opener party.

In the top of the second inning, left fielder Gregory Carrington singled in a run, second baseman Yoichi Ishihara doubled in a run, and shortstop Jose Vinicio tripled in two more. The Mapes were on their way with four runs on the board.

Ex-Hamilton Cardinal Ryan Burnside made the start on the mound and kept the Majors scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. They scored two runs to make it a 4-2 game but Toronto scored them right back.

In the top of the seventh, centerfielder Ryan Santos drew a bases-loaded walk, and Vinicio followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2 for the visitors.

Catcher Justin Marra put an exclamation point on this one with a three-run homer in the ninth inning. Burnside got the win, London starter Abdiel Velasquez took the loss and the Leafs cruised back home with a 9-3 victory.

Toronto 9 11 0

London 3 7 0

W - Burnside (1-0, 3.00)

L - Velasquez (0-1, 9.81)

BOXSCORE

Sunday, May 21, 2023 - Guelph Royals at Toronto Maple Leafs

Johnathan Solazzo launches a missile, and also possibly takes out a Russian jet, with one swing of the bat on Sunday.

The Maple Leafs continued their solid start to the season by demolishing the Guelph Royals 12-2 at Christie Pits.

Jose Vinicio, firestarter. The Leafs' shortstop led off the game with a single, moved to second on a walk, swiped third, and dashed home on first baseman Jordan Castaldo's sacrifice fly. 1-0 for the local heroes after one inning of play.

The Leafs extended their lead in the bottom of the third. Jose Vinicio, pyromaniac. Leading off the inning, he raced to first on a dropped third strike, moved to second on a Castaldo single, swiped third, and scored on a sac fly off the bat of left fielder Jesse Hodges. Third baseman Johnathan Solazzo drove in Castaldo with a single and the Leafs led 3-0 through three.

In the bottom of the fifth, Guelph starter Yomar Concepcion was relieved by Nelson Mercado and the Leafs blew the game open with four more runs. Catcher Justin Marra led off with his second home run in as many days. It was the first round trip hit at the Pits this season. Après Marra, le deluge. Right fielder Gregory Carrington hit a three-run bomb to give the Leafs a 7-0 lead through five.

While the Leafs were pelting the Royals, home starter Sam Greene pitched five crisp, hitless innings before turning the game over to Dan Procopio.

The Royals managed to get one run off Procopio, who pitched three innings of relief.

Midway through the game, Yoichi Ishihara replaced Hodges in left. In the bottom of the sixth, he drew a walk, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and came home on an RBI single by Solazzo. After six innings it was 8-1 for the Leafs.

Solazzo was not finished yet. In the bottom of the eighth, Justin Marra walked, moved to second on another walk, then came all the way around to score on an error. With two men on, Solazzo launched a screaming missile into the sky over left field. It cleared the fence easily and continued out of sight. Russian authorities later issued a statement denying that one of their jets had been shot down by a mysterious projectile. The sizeable Sunday crowd at the Pits basked in the warm weather and a beatdown by the Leafs.

Julian Russell came on to pitch the ninth. He gave up one run before putting the Royals out of their misery. Greene got the win in a 12-2 final.

Guelph 2 3 4

Toronto 12 8 0

W - Greene (1-0, 1.28)

L - Concepcion (0-1 2.25)

BOXSCORE