Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - June 3 to 9, 2025
Four home runs by Number 4 made a mark in Week Four
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| Marcus Knecht's Week Four hot streak included four home runs in three games. He currently leads the league with 15 RBIs. |
Get hot. Stay cool. Never look back.
Like three pillars of Buddhist wisdom, these are Marcus Knecht's lessons for hitting.
Since his 2018 debut in the IBL, the Toronto Maple Leafs outfielder has stood out as a cerebral figure. He thinks about hitting baseballs a lot. So much so that he compiled his thoughts into a guidebook on hitting. During the offseason he released Hotstreak Mechanics: 3 Step Plan to Catch Fire in the Batters Box. It's available via his Instagram account, and you can receive a free copy in seconds.
The guidebook provides clear instructions to stop overthinking, eliminate distractions, focus on the ball, and hit, hit, hit.
Knecht puts theory into practice each time he takes bat in hand. He begins his at bats with a zen-like routine, stepping into the box, extending his arm, pointing his bat to the heavens and holding it like a yoga pose. Eyes, mind and body converge in total focus.
The results speak for themselves. This week, they were shouting.
Over the past three games, Knecht has gone 6-for-13 at the plate, hit four home runs, driven in nine and scored five. His batting average is up to .370 on the season, third on the Leafs behind Jhon Javier and Jordan Castaldo.
The Leafs are making noise up and down the order. They have scored 77 runs on the season, one shy of the first place Welland Jackfish, who reminded us on Sunday why they are tops in the IBL.
Here is the recap of Week Four in Leafs baseball.
Friday, June 6, 2025 - Guelph Royals vs Toronto Maple Leafs
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| Rando Moreno plows through a pandemonium of smoke spray, glow sticks, flag wavers and photographers after hitting a go-ahead grand slam. The ground was shaking, or maybe the camera. |
It was the first Friday Nighter of the season, and the bats on both sides provided a dazzling light show.
The Toronto Maple Leafs outlasted the Guelph Royals in a 14-11 game reminiscent of the old style at Christie Pits.
Eight home runs left the park, six of them hit by the Leafs including two grand slams.
It was a perfect night for detonating pitches. The atmospheric conditions at game time were a unique combination of mild, muggy and windless. "Smoky," as Leafs photog Craig Aikin put it.
Neither starting pitcher made it through two innings. The first to get beat up was Guelph's Brandon Deans. He walked the first three batters faced to load the bases, then turned things around and struck out two in a row. He might have escaped the jam but Leafs right fielder Marcus Knecht put a jolt into one and it cleared the fence in left. Grand Slam. 4-0 Leafs. As Knecht completed his circuit, the home plate umpire ejected Deans from the game. The pitcher left the field escorted by manager Dino Roumel, but not before rolling the ball at the ump and hitting his shoe.
Welcome to the IBL, Jeff Liu. The Royals reliever entered the game right off the bench instead of the bullpen, and managed to record the third out to end the inning.
In the top of the second, the Royals stormed back. Wilgenis Alvarado had pitched a scoreless first, but was tattooed for six runs off four hits and a pair of walks. His night was also ended by a grand slam, this one off the bat of J.D. Williams. With six runs on the board and no outs, newcomer Luis Florentino of the Dominican Republic entered the game and recorded three outs in a row. Midway through the second inning, the Royals were on top 6-4.
The Leafs immediately tied the score with a pair of solo home runs off the bats of centerfielder Spencer MacInnis and second baseman Dan Marra. That added up to four home runs in the first two innings, just like old style Christie Pits baseball. The game was tied 6-6 through two.
Florentino posted goose eggs in the third and fourth.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Leafs reclaimed the lead. Connor King relieved Liu on the mound and the home side managed to load the bases again. With two outs, shortstop Rando Moreno shook the Pits with a towering home run over the monster in right. It was another grand slam and it gave the Leafs a 10-6 lead. The slam moved Moreno into the team lead with 12 RBIs (and also tied him for the league lead).
Moreno's HR trot was a spectacle. As he rounded the bases, a group of Leafs staffers gathered around third base. Some waved glow sticks and a flag, some operated a smoke blaster, others snapped photos up close. There's a growing - and welcome - pandemonium about these things. By season's end I'm wondering if home runs at Christie Pits will look like this:
In the top of the fifth, Matthew Ward almost re-tied the game by hitting a three-run homer off Florentino. 10-9 Leafs through five.
In the bottom of the sixth, MacInnis showed that he's getting a taste for the old style. He drilled his second dinger of the night to make it 11-9 Leafs.
Top of seven, Guelph got the run back when Ward drew a bases-loaded walk off reliever Taylor Lepard. With the sacks still packed, Dustin Richardson took to the mound and recorded three swinging strikeouts in a row to electrify the Pits again. 11-10 Leafs through seven.
In the bottom of the inning the Mapes made some breathing room for themselves. Catcher Jhon Javier hit a two-run homer, his team's sixth round trip. With the bases loaded later in the inning, Ryan Dos Santos drew his league-leading three-millionth walk to bring another run home. Heading into the eighth Toronto enjoyed a 14-10 lead.
Richardson pitched a scoreless eighth, then handed the ninth to junior call-up Alex Uher. The young rightie showed grace under pressure. After striking out the lead off man, the Royals taxed him with three straight singles. A fielder's choice made it two outs but a run scored. Uher summoned his anti-monarchist tendencies and got J.D. Williams to swing at three pitches in a row. Ballgame. 14-10 Leafs. Florentino took the win, and the aptly-named King took the loss.
At the plate, Moreno went 3 for 4 and raised his average to .368. All the Leaf runs but one came via the longball, the Dos Santos walk scoring the final one.
After the game, Moreno was presented with player of the game honours on the field. This included a presentation of the Toronto turbo chain of office, and an invitation to blast some kind of Dominico Death Ray into the skies.
The Leafs gameday team led by Michael Roudbari keeps introducing wilder and wilder experiences to the Pits, making each game a must-see. Just like the old style.
Guelph 11 12 0
Toronto 14 14 1
W - Florentino (1-0, 6.75)
L - King (0-2, 18.00)
Saturday, June 7, 2025 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Chatham-Kent Barnstormers
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| Marcus Knecht touches home after hitting his second home run of the game. (image: Chatham-Kent Barnstormers YouTube) |
On Saturday night in Chatham, an old nemesis greeted the Toronto Maple Leafs.
I don't mean former London Major Fergie Jenkins. The MLB Hall of Famer was on hand for a pre-game ceremony that saw his number 31 retired at the ballpark that bears his name.
No, the nemesis I'm talking about is One Big Inning. Over the seasons, that big beast has wrecked many a game for the Leafs.
The evening presented an intriguing matchup on the mound. It was Leafs rookie Josh Berenbaum coming off a win at Kitchener facing wily IBL veteran Christian Hauck of the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers. Over five innings, each man took his share of body blows.
Evan Morrison wasted no time and homered on the first pitch of the game. The Barnstormers scored two more to take an early 3-0 lead.
Right fielder Marcus Knecht made it a 3-2 ballgame by hitting a two-run rocket in the top of the second inning.
Bottom two, Morrison scored again on an RBI single by teammate Mitsuki Fukuda. 4-2 Barnstormers through two.
The Leafs punched back in the top of the third. Left fielder Ryan Dos Santos reached first on an error, then raced to third on a single by second baseman Dan Marra. Shortstop Rando Moreno reached first on a error that allowed Dos Santos to score. Moreno was caught trying to steal second, but Dan Marra scored on the double steal. That tied the game 4-4 through three.
Morrison was at it again in the bottom of the fifth, driving in one of two runs that put the home side ahead 6-4.
Knecht was at it again in the top of the sixth, hitting a solo homer to make it 6-5.
In the bottom of the sixth, the ogre appeared. Chatham-Kent assailed relievers Adam Marra and Ayami Sato. Eight runs went on the board in all sorts of ways. Eleven men went up to the plate, racking up three walks and five hits, including a bases-clearing double and a two-run home run. It was gross to look at. The Barnstormers pulled away with a 14-5 lead and that was how it ended.
Hauck took the W, Berenbaum took the L. Knecht's two dingers were a highlight. Dan Marra and catcher Jhon Javier each recorded three hits in the losing effort.
Toronto 5 9 3
Chatham-Kent 14 17 2
W - Hauck (1-0, 6.54)
L - Berenbaum (1-2, 5.40)
Sunday, June 8, 2025 - Welland Jackfish vs Toronto Maple Leafs
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| Jhon Javier went 3 for 5 on Sunday, raising his team-leading batting average to .442. |
In his short career as a Toronto Maple Leaf (just nine games), Jhon Javier has been impressive.
Overshadowed by other signings, Javier has emerged as that most cherished piece in a manager's arsenal: the super utility guy. He's played outfield, infield, and catcher, slotting in wherever the Leafs have had a need. His .442 batting average leads the club and he's fourth in the IBL.
Sunday at Christie Pits, the Dominican import played behind home plate and went 3-for-5 on the other side.
That's most of the good news. The Leafs hosted the first-place Welland Jackfish, who treated the game like a home run derby.
A leadoff homer by Jonah Weisner off starter Drew Howard set the tone. The Jackfish hit six home runs in the game, but five of them were solo shots. Instead of One Big Inning, the Leafs fell victim to an onslaught of small blasts, dropping a 12-6 final score. Howard completed four innings, giving up four runs on five hits while striking out five and walking three.
Trailing the entire game, the Leafs chipped away at starter José DomÃnguez.
Left fielder Ryan Dos Santos scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the first.
Center fielder Spencer MacInnis scored on a fielding error in the bottom of the fourth.
The Leafs put two on the board in the bottom of the fifth. First baseman Justin Marra drove in a run on a ground ball out. Second baseman Dan Marra scored on another Jackfish error.
In the bottom of the sixth, shortstop Rando Moreno hit an RBI single and Dos Santos slid home ahead of the ball.
In the bottom of the ninth, right fielder Marcus Knecht capped off a stellar weekend by hitting his fourth home run in three games.
Howard took the loss, DomÃnguez took the win, and Scott Gillespie pitched three-plus innings to close the game and earn a save.
Welland 12 16 3
Toronto 6 9 0
W - DomÃnguez (2-0, 3.37)
L - Howard (0-1, 13.50)
S - Gillespie (1)
A 5-5 record puts the Leafs in a tie for 5th place in the IBL standings, 3 1/2 games behind the 8-1 Jackfish. A challenging Week Five is on tap, with four games in six days.
The week ahead:
Tuesday, June 10 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Brantford Red Sox, 7:15 pm at Arnold Anderson Stadium (rescheduled rainout)
Wednesday, June 11 - Barrie Baycats vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits
Friday, June 13 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Hamilton Cardinals, 7:35 pm at Bernie Arbour Stadium
Sunday, June 15 - Chatham-Kent Barnstormers vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 2:00 pm at Christie Pits
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