Majors win 5-1
Get 'em on, get 'em over, get 'em in.
A simple formula for baseball success. On Canada Day 2017, the London Majors had it and the Toronto Maple Leafs didn't.
The annual July 1st classic between these two ballclubs almost didn't happen. En route to the insurance capital of Canada, Toronto's travelling caravan drove through two hard rainstorms. Two hours before first pitch, the infield at Labatt Memorial Park was patched with puddles. A heroic effort by the park's grounds crew -- probably the best in the league -- deployed all manner of blowers, brushes and brooms to get the field ready for play with no delay to the 6:05 start time.
Once the game got underway, Luis Sanchez took to the mound for the home side against Justin Cicatello for the visitors.
The aces traded scoreless innings until the bottom of the fourth. Byron Reichstein led off with a triple to the gap in left center, and he was driven home on a single by Cleveland Brownlee. A double by Michael Ambrose drove in Brownlee, and Ambrose scored a double by Brett Sabourin. The Majors led 3-0 through four innings.
Reichstein added to the lead with a solo home run in the fifth to make it 4-0 London.
The Majors tacked on another run in the sixth to take a 5-0 lead. Cicatello's day ended after six. He gave up all five runs on 10 hits and four strikeouts. Andrew Simonetti and Pedro De Los Santos each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game.
The Leafs spoiled a potential shutout in the eighth inning. First baseman Julian Johnson walked, moved to second on a groundout by left fielder Grant Tamane, then scored on an RBI single by centerfielder Connor Lewis.
Sanchez proved his ace credentials by pitching a complete game and locking down a 5-1 before a large, red-clad crowd in London. O Cana-darn.
Toronto 1-5-0
London 5-12-0
W - Sanchez (7-0, 2.73)
L - Cicatello (3-2, 2.38)
BOXSCORE
With the loss, the Leafs dip below .500 with a 10-11 record. They remain in fourth place in the IBL standings. An opportunity for revenge will be available to the Leafs as this home-and-home series against the Majors continues this afternoon at Christie Pits. First pitch is 2:00 pm.
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