Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - June 24 to 30, 2025
The Leafs lose four in a row in Week Seven
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| Up in Smoke: The Toronto Maple Leafs' four-game win streak was extinguished Wednesday night at the Pits. |
This time last year, the Toronto Maple Leafs were mired in a five-game losing streak and dead last in the IBL standings.
So there's some solace to their current four-game losing streak. They are nowhere near the cellar. They sit at a respectable fifth place, not far from those above them. This skid was preceded by a four-game win streak, after all.
No need to smash the panic button. The bats are there, the arms show flashes of brilliance. The real IBL season is about to begin, as the drive to the postseason revs up.
Here is the recap of Week Seven in Leafs baseball.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - Hamilton Cardinals vs Toronto Maple Leafs (rescheduled rainout)
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| Now departing: Johnathan Solazzo opens Hamilton's scoring with a solo home run. |
Last year it was Tak. This year it was the Conductor.
Returning to Christie Pits for the first time as members of the visiting team, both Leaf legends marked the occasion with monster home runs.
Both did it in their first plate appearance. Last June, Garrett Takamatsu hit a solo home run in the second inning off Max Lanoue. Last Wednesday, Johnathan Solazzo hit a solo home run in the second inning off Taylor Lepard.
Solazzo, Lepard and everyone else watched the ball sail over the chainlink monster in right field. It was the beginning of a scoring rampage that would ultimately see the Hamilton Cardinals win the ballgame 18-6.
Lepard battled through four innings, giving up four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out one.
Six relievers would take the mound for Toronto, trying to halt the Cardinals' scoring assault. However, the story of this game was Redbirds scoring early and often.
Leaf bats were tasked with making a dent in Hamilton ace Owen Boon.
In the bottom of the fourth and down 4-0, the Leafs made their first dent. Right fielder Marcus Knecht and shortstop Rando Moreno singled, and catcher Justin Marra drove in a run on a groundout. Second baseman Dan Marra drove in a second run with a single and it was a 4-2 Hamilton lead after four innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, Knecht doubled in a run, but the Cardinals were pulling away at that point. They led 7-3 after five.
DH Jhon Javier hit a two-run homer in the seventh and first baseman Jordan Castaldo hit an RBI single in the eighth to round off the Leafs' scoring. Meanwhile, Hamilton went to town on almost every pitcher they faced. They ended up notching 18 hits including five home runs en route to an 18-6 drubbing.
Boon took the win, Lepard took the loss, and Toronto's four-game win streak came to an end.
Friday, June 27, 2025 - Guelph Royals vs Toronto Maple Leafs
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| Guelph Royals at Toronto Maple Leafs. (file photo) |
Two nights after the Hamilton drubbing, the Mapes had a chance to bounce right back against the Guelph Royals.
Instead, they blew a 4-1 lead and had no response to a five-run fourth inning by the visitors. Guelph took this one 7-4.
Wilgenis Alvarado was on the mound for Toronto. He opened the game with a perfect frame.
The Royals countered with former Leaf Sebastian Rodriguez. He gave up a leadoff double to left fielder Ryan Dos Santos, then a two-run home run to DH Jhon Javier. That put the Leafs ahead 2-0 after one.
In the top of the second, the Royals loaded the bases and managed to score a run on a fielder's choice.
Bottom of the third, catcher Justin Marra launched a two-run bomb that put the Leafs ahead 4-1.
Alvarado cruised until the fourth. He loaded the bases, then let four runs cross the plate thanks to a single, error and double. Luis Florentino was called on to put out the fire, but he allowed one more run across the plate. With that, the Royals pulled ahead 6-4 after four innings.
The Leafs were unable to respond. After four innings, Rodriguez was relieved by Nelson Mercado who pitched two scoreless. He was followed by Owen Newman who also pitched two scoreless. Gaku Ueda wrapped things up with a scoreless ninth to clinch a 7-4 FINAL for the visitors. Mercado got the win and Alvarado took his first loss of the season.
Saturday, June 28, 2025 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Guelph Royals
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| Jhon Javier drove in the lone Leaf run at Guelph. (file photo) |
Blink and you missed it.
A return engagement between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Guelph Royals took place Saturday night at Hastings Stadium.
A fast-moving pitchers' duel saw the Royals score early, the Leafs score late, and plenty of goose eggs on the scoreboard.
Adam Jafine made the start for the Mapes. He hit the leadoff batter with a pitch, and gave up a single. The Royals took advantage of that, along with an error and a sactifice fly to put two runs on the board. That was Jafine's only rough patch, as he went six innings on the day, scattering three more hits and keeping the home side from scoring any further.
Making his sixth start of the season was Jacob Kush, and over eight innings he served steady doses of indica to Leafs bats. They were limited to just two hits while striking out 10 times.
After six innings, Marek Deska took over on the mound for Toronto, pitching the final two innings of the game.
DH Jhon Javier delivered the Leafs' lone run of the game with a single in the eighth.
Gaku Ueda pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second save in as many days. The game was over in two hours and twelve minutes. Kush with the win, Jafine with the loss.
Sunday, June 29, 2025 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors
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| Drew Howard pitched five solid innings at London but ended up on the wrong side of the decision. (image: London Majors YouTube) |
The Leafs' last chance to salvage something of this week came Sunday afternoon at Labatt Park.
Over five innings, Toronto starter Drew Howard went toe-to-toe with Jose Arias of the London Majors. It would be Arias who went further and gave up fewer runs en route to a 6-3 home win.
DH Justin Marra opened the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the first.
London responded noisily, sending their entire order to the plate and racking up four runs on three hits. 4-1 Majors after one inning.
In the top of the third, a double by third baseman Ryan Dos Santos scored a run to make it 4-2.
After his rude welcome, Howard surrendered just two more hits and his day was done after five innings. Jeremy Newton pitched a scoreless sixth for Toronto.
Shortstop Spenser Ross opened the top of the seventh with a single off Arias. He moved to third base on a double by catcher Jhon Javier. The Majors chose to intentionally walk first baseman Jordan Castaldo to load the bases with two outs. The move backfired when Arias walked Justin Marra and Ross trotted home. Ryan Beitel relieved Arias and ended the inning, but the Majors' lead was down to 4-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, London grabbed a pair of insurance runs off reliever Matt Brown, making it a 6-3 game. That was how it ended. Skylar Janisse pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down the win for Arias and earn a save for himself. The loss was hung on Howard, and the Leafs limped out of Week Seven on a four-game losing streak.
Javier went 3-for-5 at the plate, raising his batting average to an IBL-leading .411.
Toronto 3 10 2
London 6 9 2
W - Arias (2-1, 3.43)
L - Howard (1-2, 6.00)
S - Janisse (4)
The Leafs' record slips to 10-11 and they dip down to fifth place in the IBL standings, five games behind the Welland Jackfish. A short turnaround sees them right back in action on Canada Day.
The week ahead:
Tuesday, July 1 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Welland Jackfish, 6:35 pm at Welland Stadium
Friday, July 4 - Barrie Baycats vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits
Saturday, July 5 - Kitchener Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 2:00 pm at Christie Pits (rescheduled rainout)
Sunday, July 6 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Kitchener Panthers, 5:00 pm at Jack Couch Park
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