Return of the Stopper

Game 17: Toronto Maple Leafs at Brantford Red Sox, June 20, 2018

Leafs win 9-0

The stopper is back.

Justin Cicatello (above) made his first appearance for the Toronto Maple Leafs last night at Arnold Anderson Stadium. "Cic" shut down the Brantford Red Sox and helped the Leafs snap a two-game mini-slump with a 9-0 win.

It was Toronto's most dominant performance this season.

Cicatello set the tone, pitching six shutout innings while scattering six hits, walking one, and striking out six. He was backed up by Zach Sloan, who came in to pitch a scoreless seventh after an abbreviated start last Sunday. Newcomer Dustin Richardson finished off the Sox by pitching a pair of scoreless innings to end the game. Toronto's hurlers combined for 11 strikeouts on the night.

As stifling as the Leafs were on the mound, they were irresistibly thunderous at the plate.

Cicatello had not yet thrown a pitch before second baseman Grant Tamane went on an adventure around the bases. He led off the first inning with a grounder that was airmailed to first, putting him nicely on second. Catcher Mike Reeves drove him in with his first of four hits on the night to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead after a half inning of play.

After Brantford starter Matt Martinow loaded the bases in the top of the second, Reeves returned to the plate and blasted a grand slam over the fence in right-center. 5-0 Leafs through two.

It was a beautiful, windless night in Brantford and Cicatello whirled through the middle innings effortlessly. He departed with the five run lead intact after six innings, having thrown 64 pitches in his season debut.

Despite the urgings of the stadium announcers, the local crowd grew more and more quiet as the game went on. The eighth inning prompted most of them to the exits. DH Garrett Takamatsu stepped up to the plate against reliever Matt Betts, and the Leaf rookie absolutely demolished a pitch for his first home run of the season.  Takamatsu smashed the ball over the left field chain-link monster, beyond the house behind it, and possibly into the Grand River. We have no way of knowing where it finally landed.

Betts remained in the game, and put a couple of Leafs runners on base, bringing centerfielder Connor Lewis to the plate. Lewis joined the home run derby, crushing a three-run doorslammer. That was also Lewis' first homer of the season and made it a 9-0 game in favour of the visitors.

The Sox and their fans went gently into that good night, and the Leafs' three-city road trip got off to a booming start.


Toronto 9-14-0
Brantford 0-6-3

W - Cicatello (1-0, 0.00)
L - Martinow (0-2, 5.87)


BOXSCORE


The Leafs' tenth win of the season moves them into a tie for second place in the IBL standings, 2 games behind the Kitchener Panthers. This dirty road trip continues at a new venue on Friday night, June 22nd. With Hamilton still awaiting the go-ahead for their newly planted field, they will play a "home game" against the Leafs at Welland Stadium.