Reality Check

Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - June 19 to 25, 2023

A rough Week 6 saw the Leafs drop two in a row to a couple of the league's top contenders.

Wilgenis Alvarado: the Venezuelan's ERA keeps going down as his innings count goes up.  He pitched his strongest outing of the year on Sunday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened the 2023 IBL season with lots of bigtime scoring, pitching, fielding and wins.  

Oh how they racked up the wins.  We on the hillsides had not seen this incredible display of power for some time.  Each dominant win left us roaring with laughter.

Hahahah! we roared.  Hahah!

But after a dominant May -- a month the Leafs closed out with a battle for first place -- the scoring slowed, the pitching sagged, the fielding lost some of its crispness.  The laughter stopped.

Hah, we forced out through clenched teeth.  Hah.  It didn't feel the same.

A month after battling for the league lead, the Leafs have slipped to fourth place.  They are still having a hell of a season, and lots of Leaf players are having fantastic individual seasons.  But it's a team game, and this year there are a lot of teams to contend with.  

Pre-pandemic, the IBL was ruled by two dynasties spanning a dozen years.  Post-pandemic, the top ranks were reshuffled as the dynasties declined and new contenders stepped up.  2023 is looking to be one of the most competitive seasons in a long time.  Five clubs enjoy winning records, and any one of them could make a run for the pennant before August draws to a close.  The Leafs are still in the thick of things.  Maybe this week's reality check will be just what they need to get back on track.

And now here's the recap of Week 6 in Toronto Maple Leafs baseball.

Thursday, June 22, 2023 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Barrie Baycats

Justin Marra blasts a first inning home run to put the Leafs on the board in Barrie. It was all downhill from there. (image: Barrie Baycats TV)

The Baycats are back.

They may not be the dynastic terrors who ruled the IBL for six straight championship seasons, but the club's latest iteration is good enough to put some scares into the league this year. 

Twice already, the Toronto Maple Leafs have ventured up to the dark wilderness of northern Canada, and twice they have returned defeated.

This week's trip was a disaster.  The Leafs played an error-riddled game (five errors!) and managed to score just three runs.  Barrie batters literally battered Leafs pitching for 15 hits and 15 runs.  

Starter Julian Valdez suffered most of the damage, giving up seven runs off eight hits while striking out two.

Relievers Zach Sloan, Julian Tymochko, Ryan Wells, James Wilson and Adam Marra combined to surrender another eight runs on a forgettable night for the visitors.

The Leafs might have had a chance if they fielded nine Justin Marras.  The MVP catcher was a one-man RBI machine this night.  He drove in all three Toronto runs, including two solo homers.

Toronto 3 8 5

Barrie 15 15 2

W - Nunez (2-1, 3.42)

L - Valdez (1-2, 7.42)

BOXSCORE 

Saturday, June 24, 2023 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Brantford Red Sox - RAINED OUT

 (image: @IBLRedSox)

The Saturday night affair between Toronto and Brantford was rained out.  No makeup date has been announced.

Sunday, June 25, 2023 - Welland Jackfish at Toronto Maple Leafs

A familiar scene on Sunday, as another Jackfish crosses home plate and the Leafs look for answers.

The supercomputer that creates the annual IBL schedule spat out a good one for the finale of Week 6.

On Sunday at Christie Pits, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the league-leading Welland Jackfish.

Both clubs have been off to great starts this season, but both were coming off embarrassing losses to the Barrie Baycats, the latest hot streaking team of 2023.  Which side would bounce back right away?

Well it was not Toronto.

From the start of the game, Starter Daniel Procopio was swarmed by a school of 'Fish.  Leadoff man Gianfranco Morello opened the game with a triple and his side were on their way.  Over the first three innings, they tagged Procopio for six runs off eight hits and they struck out only twice.

Wilgenis Alvarado took over on the mound starting in the fourth inning and he cooled the Welland bats.  Over four innings, the Venezuelan import would strike out seven and give up a pair of runs.

The Leafs got on the board in the bottom of the fifth.  Welland second baseman Matteo Porcelatto commited a pair of fielding errors to put two Toronto runners on base to start the inning.  Welland starter Adam Jafine then walked the bases loaded.  A single by second baseman Dan Marra brought in a couple of runs, and a single by Garrett Takamatsu brought in two more.  The Jackfish led 6-4 through five.

With the Bushmen chanting "No Lead Is Safe" from their bushy hillside perch, the Leafs made it a one-run game in the sixth.  Centerfielder Connor Lewis hit a single, then moved to third on a double by DH David Alvarez.  Left fielder Yoichi Ishihara was up next.  Jafine uncorked a wild pitch, Lewis steamed for home and slid across the plate in a cloud of dust.  Lewis was called out, sparking some unrest among Toronto players and fans.  Alvarez, who had moved to third, scored on another wild pitch by Jafine.  That made it a 6-5 game through six.

That would be as close at the Leafs got.  Welland scored three more runs late in the game, two off Alvarado and one off reliever Ryan Wells.  The 'Fish swam away with a 9-5 win and Toronto's crummy week came to an end.

Huge shoutout to the tribe over at the Christie Pits Skateboard Park.  They hosted a BBQ fundraiser at the same time as the Leafs game, featuring live metal.  LIVE METAL.  This needs to be a regular feature at Toronto Maple Leafs games and Toronto's next mayor needs to make this happen!

Welland 9 13 2

Toronto 5 10 2

W - Jafine (2-0, 5.01)

L - Procopio (2-1, 8.14)

S - Mendez (6)

BOXSCORE

After Week 6 of this IBL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs are 10-7 and tied for 4th place in the standings with the Kitchener Panthers, whom they battled for first place just a month ago.

The week ahead:

Wednesday, June 28 - Barrie Baycats vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits

Saturday, July 1 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Guelph Royals, 1:00 pm at Hastings Stadium

Sunday, July 2 - London Majors vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 2:00 pm at Christie Pits

SCHEDULE UPDATE: June 14th's rained-out Wednesday nighter against the Barrie Baycats has been rescheduled to Wednesday, August 2, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits.