Short End of a Slugfest

Game 26: Brantford Red Sox at Toronto Maple Leafs, July 8, 2018

Red Sox win 12-6

Another sweltering Sunday afternoon at Christie Pits saw the Toronto Maple Leafs renew their rivalry with the Brantford Red Sox.

Last year, the Red Sox sent the Leafs crashing out of the post-season with a dramatic victory in game seven of their opening round series. The Torontos were looking to exact a measure of revenge on Brantford.

Things did not go as hoped.

Everything was okay for the first few innings. The teams traded leads in the second inning. Brantford put a run on the board with three singles off starter Zach Sloan. Toronto responded in the bottom of the inning. Third baseman Zac Orchard (above) led off with a solo home run. Brantford starter Kurt Horne then gave up a single and two walks to load the bases. He plunked the next man up, second baseman Grant Tamane, and another run crossed home plate to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead through two.

Brantford tied the game in the top of the third. Sloan hit third baseman Andris Rizquez with a pitch to start the inning. Rizquez then stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. He scored when David Mendham reached first on an error, and it was 2-2 through three.

Matt Betts took over for Horne to start the fourth inning, and promptly loaded the bases. Centerfielder Connor Lewis and rightfielder Marcus Knecht walked, and Tamane got plunked again. Catcher Mike Reeves then singled in a run and the Leafs were back ahead, 3-2 through four.

The visitors exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth. Mendham (solo) and new signing DeAndre Asbury-Heath (two-runs) both homered. After loading the bases, Sloan was relieved by Will Newton. The Leafs' newest arm battled out of the inning, but not before Brantford scored two more to take a 7-3 lead.

Asbury-Heath homered again in the top of the sixth. After Newton loaded the bases, manager Damon Topolie called for Jackson Jones out of the pen. The momentum was with the Red Sox as they ended up scoring four runs in the inning, giving them a commanding 11-3 lead through six.

The Leafs put three runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth. Orchard and Topolie each hit RBI singles, and first baseman Daniel Szpik drove in a run with a sac fly. 11-6 Brantford after eight.

Capping off an epic day at the plate, Asbury-Heath hit his third home run of the game off of Dustin Richardson in the ninth.

The Leafs were unable to mount a big comeback in the ninth, and ended up on the losing end of this 24-hit slugfest, 12-6.


Brantford 12-12-1
Toronto 6-12-3

W - Betts (2-0, 7.24)
L - Sloan (6-2, 4.12)


BOXSCORE


The Mapes have a 13-10 record and hold 4th place in the IBL standings, three games behind the Kitchener Panthers. This week, they will hit the road for a stop in Hamilton on Tuesday night, before returning to Christie Pits for a Wednesday nighter.