Majors win 7-3
The Toronto Maple Leafs can't catch a break whenever they play on July 1st. I mean seriously, it feels like they've lost about a thousand Canada Day games in a row.*
After jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead against the London Majors at Labatt Memorial Park, the Leafs got shut down for the rest of the game. London starter Elis Jimenez held the Leafs to just five hits over eight innings while striking out nine.
Justin Marra and Will Richards combined for a single and a double to put a run on the board in the second inning. The Leafs squeezed two more runs out of Jimenez, first when he hit Ryan White with a pitch with the bases loaded, and then on a Connor Lewis groundout with the bases still loaded.
Justin Cicatello got off to a strong start on the mound for Toronto, but the Majors started chipping away in the third and fourth innings to take the lead and never look back. The Leafs could only muster two hits after the second inning, and fell 7-3 in the Forest City.
* It's been three.
Game Recap:
On a sunny but cool Canada Day Friday, the London Majors hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs for their annual July 1st classic. The Majors took the field in blazing red hats and jerseys, and the Leafs worse their traditional blues.
Elis Jimenez was the starter for London against Justin Cicatello for the Mapes. Each man pitched a perfect inning to start the game.
Toronto got on the board first in the top of the 2nd. DH Justin Marra led off with a single, advanced on a wild pitch by Jimenez, then scored on a double by catcher Will Richards. Jimenez got into some more trouble as he gave up a walk to third baseman Johnathan Solazzo and a single to first baseman Damon Topolie to load the bases. He then hit shortstop Ryan White with a pitch. That brought in the second run of the inning. With the bases still loaded, centerfielder Connor Lewis hit into a groundout, but that brought in another run and the Leafs were off to a 3-0 lead after two innings.
The Majors tied the game in the bottom of the 3rd. Leftfielder Humberto Ruiz led off with a walk, then stole second (the first of six stolen bases by London on the day). A single by third baseman Carlos Arteaga drove in Ruiz. Arteaga then stole second, and he came in to score on a double by second baseman RJ Fuhr. The next man up was centerfielder Byron Reichstein, and he drove in Fuhr with a single to make it 3-3 through three.
The bottom of the 4th saw London put three more runs on the board. Catcher Michael Ambrose was hit by a Cicatello pitch to start the inning. Rightfielder LeJon Baker singled next, and a single by Ruiz would bring both runners in to score. Ruiz stole second again, then scored on a single by Arteaga that made it 6-3 London after four innings of play.
London added another run in the bottom of the 5th. Reichstein led off with a single, then advanced to second on a sac bunt by first baseman Kyle Gormandy. A single by Ambrose plated Reichstein, and the Majors led 7-3 through five.
Jimenez cruised through eight innings and struck out nine before handing the ball over to Brett Sabourin. He struck out the side and finished off a 7-3 FINAL for the Majors.
Toronto 3-5-0
London 7-10-0
W - Jimenez (5-0, 2.81)
L - Cicatello (3-2, 5.16)
BOXSCORE
With the Canada Day loss, the Leafs dip below .500 with a 10-11 record. They remain in 5th place in the IBL standings, and their next game will be back home at Christie Pits on Sunday, July 3rd against the Bandits of Burlington.
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