Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - July 20 to 26, 2026
Week 11 saw the Leafs' offence rev up but winnable games slipped away.
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| Yasiel Puig, Brando Leroux and Crix Taveras had a monster week at the plate, combining for 17 hits, 15 runs, 14 RBIs and 8 home runs over four games. |
The other day, I thought about my ex-wife Bombadina Muñoz, a voracious Uruguayan woman whose appetites I could never satisfy.
The Leafs brought back some memories. They flew out of the gate to open the second half of the 2026 season. Two road games against top opponents, two wins. It was like the early days of my marriage, heady stuff.
This week, the Leafs mostly flopped.
They played the Guelph Royals and got blown out by a team they are supposed to overtake for a postseason spot. It reminded me of the Forgot to Pick Her Up at the Airport Incident.
After winning a crucial game in Kitchener, the Leafs then had three chances in three innings to beat the Welland Jackfish, but blew all three chances. It reminded me of the Booked a B.C. Golf Weekend on Our Anniversary Incident.
Lastly, they faced the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers, blew a four-run lead, came back, then blew the game by four runs. It reminded me of Bombadina's myriad other complaints that we will group as Performance Issues.
The Leafs might have been blown out four times were it not for some monster performances at the plate. Yasiel Puig, Brando Leroux and Marcus Knecht all had a big week. There was none bigger than that of Crix Taveras, who racked up 6 hits, 6 runs and he drove in 6. He also hit four home runs. Taveras's power surge kept the Leafs in it but they couldn't put their opponents away. It reminded me of the Got Home From Casino Rama and Found All My Clothes and Baseball Cards Strewn Across the Parking Lot Incident.
Bombadina! Why?!
And now, here's the recap of Week 11 in Toronto Maple Leafs baseball.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 - Guelph Royals vs Toronto Maple Leafs
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| Crix Taveras opened his four-home-run week with a solo blast against the Royals. |
Old habits die hard.
After a solid couple of road wins last week, the Toronto Maple Leafs reverted to their "one blowout a week" form and lost to the Guelph Royals 17-4.
The visitors wasted no time. In the top of the first inning they knocked Leafs starter Yadian Martinez for four hits including a home run, and took advantage of three walks and an error to run up a 5-0 lead. Jerks!
Guelph starter Elvin Liriano held the Leafs to just one hit through five innings. Meanwhile the Royals built up a 7-0 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, second baseman Crix Taveras broke through by blasting a solo home run over the Solazzo fence. Liriano was replaced on the mound by Brandon Deans, who immediately got into trouble. Deans hit shortstop Brando Leroux with a pitch, then served up a two-run homer to right fielder Yasiel Puig. That made it a 7-3 game through six innings but the Leafs would get no closer.
The Royals scored 10 more runs in the late innings. DH Marcus Knecht drove in one more run for the home side, but this one ended with a gaudy 17-4 FINAL score.
Liriano with the win, Martinez with his fifth loss of the season.
Guelph 17 17 0
Toronto 4 6 3
W - Liriano (4-2, 4.10)
L - Martinez (1-5, 8.76)
Thursday, July 23, 2026 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Berlin Keg Tappers (Kitchener)
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| Brando Leroux cracked a pair of home runs as the Leafs spoiled Oktoberfest night in Kitchener. |
This was a close one until it wasn't.
The Toronto Maple Leafs came away from Jack Couch Park with a 9-3 victory thanks to late home runs by Brando Leroux and Marcus Knecht.
It was an Oktoberfest-themed night in Kitchener. German music played, volunteers wore traditional garb and festival mascots mingled with fans. The home side debuted their alternate "Berlin Keg Tappers" identity as Panthers players took to the field in lederhosen-inspired uniforms. It was a sight to behold. The park was packed.
The Leafs put a damper on the fun. Fresh from his CBL Player of the Week honours, shorstop Leroux led the game off with a solo home run off starter Jorge Minyety. Later in the inning, with centerfielder J.J. Dutton on second base and creeping towards third, a throw over by Minyety was misplayed and Dutton scored easily. That gave the Leafs a 2-0 lead to open the game.
Toronto's All-Star pitcher Nick Veselinovic started on the mound. In the bottom of the second, he gave up an RBI single that made it a one-run game.
Top of the third, the Mapes added to their lead. Left fielder Dennis Dei Baning and right fielder Knecht each rapped an RBI single to make it a 4-1 game.
Bottom of the fifth, the Leafs gifted the Keg Tappers a run. With a runner on first, a flyball was dropped by Dutton and a throw to first was misplayed by Mike Cecchetto. The runner came all the way around to score. 4-2 Leafs through five.
Veselinovic was relieved by Frankie Gulko for the bottom of the sixth. A home run by the Bavarian Yosuke Fujie made it 4-3 and the Leafs were hanging on.
They hung on long enough. In the bottom of the seventh, Gulko gave up a one-out double. Reinaldo de Paula came in and struck two batters out to end the threat.
In the top of the eighth, the Keg Tappers gifted a run to the Leafs. With runners on first and second and dancing on the basepaths, a throw from the catcher to first sailed away. Second baseman Yordan Manduley came all the way around to score. With a runner still aboard, Leroux launched his second round trip of the game. That gave Toronto some breathing room with a 7-3 lead.
In the top of the ninth, Knecht put this one to bed with a two-run blast.
And that was how it would end. De Paula pitched a scoreless eighth and then Luis Florentino got three quick outs including a strikeout to tap out the Keggers.
9-3 FINAL. Veselinovic got his club-leading fourth win of the season, and Minyety got the loss.
Leroux continued his hot streak with two home runs and three RBIs. Knecht also drove in three.
Toronto 9 12 2
Berlin 3 7 4
W - Veselinovic (4-2, 4.20)
L - Minyety (1-2, 3.15)
Friday, July 24, 2026 - Welland Jackfish vs Toronto Maple Leafs
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| Yasiel Puig hit his league-leading eleventh home run. |
Catch and release.
Three times in this game, the Toronto Maple Leafs brought the Welland Jackfish to the brink. Three times, they were one clutch at bat away from sending Christie Pits into a frenzy. Three times, they let the 'Fish off the hook.
Over the first five innings, the visitors built up a 5-0 lead at the expense of starter Wilgenis Alvarado.
In the bottom of the fifth, first baseman Crix Taveras singled, worked his way over to third, then scored on a wild pitch that Welland starter Yoilan Quinonez did not cover at home. 5-1 Jackfish through five.
Alvarado pitched seven innings. His final line was nine hits, one walk, five earned runs and eight strikeouts. The Venezuelan kept his team in the game.
In the bottom of the seventh they nearly completed the comeback. Taveras hit a solo home run and DH Yasiel Puig followed with a two-run blast. That brought Quinonez's night to a close. Danny Howat struck out second baseman Yordan Manduley to end the inning, but the Leafs had made it a 5-4 ballgame.
In the bottom of the eighth, Deivy Mendez took over on the mound for Welland. The Leafs loaded the bases but could not get a run across the plate.
Top of nine, the Jackfish extended their lead to 7-4 when Ethan Mann hit a two-run homer off Luis Florentino.
Down to their final three outs, the Leafs made the most of it. They drew three walks out of Mendez to load the bases with one out. Christie Pits was ready to blow up. People were ready to scale the fences and storm the field. But once again, the Leafs couldn't cash in. Mendez struck out the final two batters to seal the 7-4 FINAL. Instead of wild celebration, only quiet agony circled the Pits.
Mendez earned the save for Quinonez's win, while while Alvarado took his fifth loss of the season.
Welland 7 11 2
Toronto 4 8 2
W - Quinonez (3-1, 5.61)
L - Alvarado (1-5, 7.63)
S - Mendez (6)
Sunday, July 26, 2026 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Chatham-Kent Barnstormers
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| Decked out in their city connect uniforms, the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers rallied and rallied again. |
Another see-saw battle saw the Toronto Maple Leafs drop an 11-7 game at Chatham-Kent.
The Leafs made their first visit of the year to Fergie Jenkins Field and made the most of it early on.
Through the first five innings, an RBI double by shortstop Brando Leroux, a two-run homer by first baseman Crix Taveras, and an RBI single by second baseman Yordan Manduley gave the Leafs a 4-0 lead over the Barnstormers.
Cam Dimidjian was looking for his first win in his fourth start with Toronto. He held the home side scoreless until they rallied to tie the game 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth. A three-run home run by Yushin Ohta was his eleventh of the season, tying him with Yasiel Puig for the league lead.
The final four innings became a battle of the bullpens.
In the sixth inning, Dwayne Matos, already pitching his third inning of relief for Chatham-Kent, and Frankie Gulko for the Leafs exchanged scoreless innings.
Bottom seven, the Barnstormers struck for three runs and a 7-4 lead.
Top of eight, the Leafs tied the game 7-7 thanks to an RBI by Manduley and another two-run homer by Taveras.
In the bottom of the eighth, Yadian Martinez took to the mound for the Leafs. The Barnstormers rallied and tagged the Cuban for four hits and a walk. Four runs crossed the plate and the Leafs had no response in the ninth.
Chatham-Kent took the 11-7 FINAL. Garret Day grabbed the win and Martinez was stuck with his second loss of the week.
The following day, the Leafs released Martinez.
Toronto 7 13 0
Chatham 11 11 0
W - Day (1-2, 5.49)
L - Martinez (1-6, 9.47)
With a record of 9-20, the Leafs remain in 8th place in the CBL standings. They are 11.5 games behind the Welland Jackfish and 7.5 games away from a postseason berth.
The week ahead:
Wednesday, July 29 - Brantford Red Sox vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits
Saturday, August 1 - Chatham-Kent Barnstormers vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits
Sunday, August 2 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Chatham-Kent Barnstormers, 1:05 pm at Fergie Jenkins Field
