The Kitchener Panthers got a full-on dose of the Christie Mystique last night, as they got beaten 17-8 by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After falling behind early, the Leafs replied with a relentless assault on Kitchener pitching. They knocked the starter out in the third inning. They knocked out his replacement after two more, then the next reliever after that, pounding out 17 hits in total. Every Leafs starter but one got an RBI. Raul Borjas and Sean Mattson got three apiece. Branfy Arias got five. Will Richards went 4 for 4 with an RBI.
Meanwhile on the mound, Jas Shergill was The Man. He relieved starter Franco Pace and completely shut down the Panthers, pitching 4 scoreless innings, and giving up just one hit for the win.
Through it all, the crazies were out in force. I have mentioned the Christie crazies in passing before, but they deserve some credit for last night's win. There is a group of hardcore fans who come to every game. They make noise. They distract. They give the home team a little edge that you don't see in other parks.
There's the old man who sits near home plate and chatters and chatters all game long. He's got a nickname for every home player, and a jeer for every visiting batter. He's repetitive - really repetitive - but if he gets into the head of one batter, even for one pitch, he's done his job. Then there's the loud guy. He's not loud through the entire game, maybe once or twice over nine innings, but you know when he's at a game. At the top of his lungs, he will yell "YEEESSS!!!!!" at a random pop up, yell it with so much passion you'd think the ball had just been hit into the swimming pool beyond centerfield. He is awesome. His counterpart is the loud lady. She's somewhere in between the old guy and the loud guy. She carries on throughout the game, yelling at players, yelling at people, yelling random shit to no one in particular. She is excellent.
These people are insane. But you have to deal with them when you play at Christie Pits. They are one part of the Mystique, along with the ominous surrounding slopes, the killer infield dirt, and the lethal short fences.
And so the Leafs continue their win-lose-win streak that feels like it's been going on for most of the season. It probably has. We'll see if they can break out of it with another win tonight, this time at the Panthers' home park in Kitchener. There are some vocal fans and short fences there too. We'll see if the Leafs can win two in a row, or fall victim to the Sausageland Mystique instead.
Recap:
It was a rocky start for a Toronto Maple Leafs starter once again, as Franco Pace got the call against the Kitchener Panthers. Pace was tagged for four hits and four runs and the Panthers leaped to an early lead.
Despite the feeling of "here we go again" among some observers at Christie Pits, the Leafs responded with an opening assault of their own. Centerfielder Glenn Jackson and DH Jon Waltenbury each hit solo home runs off starter Shaun Hancock. First baseman Will Richards singled and third baseman Sean Mattson walked, then shortstop Branfy Arias hit a three-run shot to give the Leafs a 5-4 lead after just one inning. Fans started clucking about the slugfest that was under way.
Fans were silenced quickly, as Kitchener sent nine men to the plate for the second inning in a row. Another agonizing inning unfolded, as Pace again gave up four runs on four hits and the Panthers suddenly led 8-5.
The Leafs responded immediately. Jackson walked, rightfielder Raul Borjas singled, and Waltenbury walked. With the bases loaded, leftfielder Sean Reilly hit a sacrifice fly to score Jackson. Richards singled to load the bases again, then Mattson hit a double that scored two more runs. It was 8-8 after two innings, but the Panthers were done scoring for the night.
Jas Shergill came on to start the 3rd inning, and the Panthers went down in order. No more fires would be lit this night.
The Leafs' scoring attack continued in the bottom of the 3rd. Catcher Damon Topolie and second baseman Dan Marra both singled. That knocked Hancock out of the game and he was replaced by Mike Gatchene. Jackson singled to load the bases, then Borjas drove in Topolie and Marra with a single. Waltenbury walked to re-load the bases, then Gatchene walked in two runs in a row, clearly rattled by the Christie Mystique. 12-8 Leafs after three.
Borjas drove in another run in the bottom of the 4th to make it 13-8 Leafs, while Shergill cruised through to the end of the 6th, keeping the Panthers in check. Adam Garner came on in relief for the final three innings to preserve the win for Shergill.
But not before the Leafs put four more runs on the board. Reilly doubled, Richards singled, and Mattson walked to load the bases. Arias then drove in a pair, with Topolie driving in two more later in the inning. By then, the Panthers were unravelling. Their uniforms were shredded, their bench was berating the home umpire, and their bats were going down quietly. The final score was 17-8 and the crazies hailed their hometown winners.
The Maple Leafs are now 12-15, in fifth place and 12 games behind the Brantford Red Sox. Their next game is right back in Kitchener tonight, against these same Panthers.
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