On the Christie Hillside: Back in Business

Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - June 26 to July 2, 2023

The Leafs got back in the win column at the end of a challenging Week 7 in the IBL.

Jesse Hodges, revelation. On Sunday, the Leafs newcomer started his first game on the mound since 2012, won his Christie Pits debut and lifted Toronto out of a four-game losing streak.

It ain't getting any easier.

The IBL is shaping into a five-team battle for the 2023 pennant. Teams are surging, sliding, and surprising as the midpoint of the season approaches.

The white-hot Welland Jackfish were supplanted by the red-hot Barrie Baycats, who clobbered your Toronto Maple Leafs this week en route to a brief appearance atop the standings.

The Hamilton Cardinals are hot, the Kitchener Panthers are hot. These clubs are all trading haymakers, and you can't predict the outcome of any game.

Where did all this heat leave the Leafs? Down in fifth place and mired in their worst losing streak of the year.

When things are down and the boys are slumping, it begs the question: "WWJD?" What would Jack do? Well, you could practically hear the violent thuds coming from the pressbox after each missed play or surrendered run this week. Even though there's really no reason to panic, a dismayed Jack would have been yelling at his charges to "Wake up!" At week's end, they did. Laying a pasting on the London Majors was a good way to get back in the win column and head into the second half of the season.

And now here's the recap of Week 7 in Toronto Maple Leafs baseball.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023 - Barrie Baycats at Toronto Maple Leafs

Jordan Castaldo kicked off a home run parade against his former team Wednesday night, but it wasn't enough to stop a hot Barrie Baycats team from winning big.

After last week's 15-3 mauling by the Barrie Baycats, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcomed them to Christie Pits for a rematch.

The Wednesday Nighter was a big-swinging battle until the seventh inning, when the visitors exploded for seven runs and made off with a 17-8 victory.

After a couple of quiet seasons, the Baycats have retooled and resumed their place as one of the IBL's danger teams. That means the Barrie-Toronto rivalry is back at high volume. This was demonstrated both on the field and on the hillsides of the Angry Confines. The Bushmen were at full voice all night long, heckling and jeering the other side while cheering on the boys in white. Their commentaries on opposing players' names, mannerisms, glove colours and pants styles continue to amuse and delight, and get into a few heads on the other side.

On the mound it was a grudge match. Starters Jeifry Nunez and Sam Greene traded runs and innings over the first half of the game. Nunez lasted four innings, giving up nine hits and five earned runs whlie striking out six. Greene lasted into the sixth, giving up nine hits, five earned runs and striking out six.

At the plate it was a home run derby. Nine round trips were launched out of Dominico Field, five by the Baycats and one each by Leafs stars Jordan Castaldo, Johnathan Solazzo and Justin Marra. The big beasts also led the Leafs in RBIs, with Castaldo driving in three, Solazzo and Marra two each, and Aiden McAskie joining them with one.

Until the 7th inning, it was a close 10-8 game. Then the wheels came off. Relievers Julian Valdez and Julian Tymochko were assaulted for seven runs over the seventh and eighth innings as the Baycats pulled away for good.

With the score 17-8, Yoichi Ishihara, the pride of Okayama Prefecture, pitched a scoreless ninth, one final highlight in a game that got away.

Barrie 17 17 0

Toronto 8 13 5

W - Khan (1-0, 4.15)

L - Valdez (1-3, 8.67)

BOXSCORE

Saturday, July 1, 2023 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Guelph Royals

Marek Deska pitched a great inning, and a not-so-great inning, as the Royals put a couple more runs on that scoreboard for a win on Canada Day.

Canada Day in Guelph saw a packed house at Hastings Stadium and many celebrities -- including Toronto Maple Leafs ticket legend Al Ross -- sprinkled among the crowd.

The Leafs looked to ruin the party and break their three-game slide. Decked out in red jerseys, the Royals gave their fans something to celebrate. They spotted the Leafs a one-run lead, then scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to take a 5-4 win.

The game should have been Toronto's but for a couple of fluky innings.

Over the first three innings, the Leafs built up a 2-0 lead thanks to a couple of errors and a balk by Guelph starter Hector Yan.

The pitchers were in a giving mood this holiday Saturday. In the bottom of the third, Leaf starter Wilgenis Alvarado gifted the Royals three runs with a combination of two wild pitches and a passed ball by catcher Justin Marra. Guelph led 3-2 through three.

Alvarado went six innings and his ERA continues to drop with each outing. Yan also went six and handed the lead to reliever Yuki Narita.

In the top of the seventh, the marvelous Mapes tied the game on two consecutive doubles by Justin Marra and DH Jordan Castaldo.

Marek Deska relieved Alvarado and pitched a perfect seventh inning.

In the top of the eighth, the Leafs retook the lead. Singles by left fielder Jesse Hodges and second baseman Dan Marra brought centerfielder Connor Lewis to the plate. Lewis stroked the third Leaf hit of the inning to score Hodges and the visitors went up 4-3.

Deska returned to the mound in the eighth, but could not shut the Royals down again. He gave up three singles and two runs and the Royals grabbed the lead again, 5-4.

Toronto mounted a comeback attempt in the ninth, tagging Brandon Deans for a couple of singles. They could not get a run across the plate and Deans sealed the 5-4 final and a win for Narita. The Leafs' losing streak reached four games, their longest slide of the season.

Toronto 4 10 0

Guelph 5 5 3

W - Narita (3-1, 4.05)

L - Deska (1-1, 11.04)

S - Deans (3)

BOXSCORE

Sunday, July 2, 2023 - London Majors at Toronto Maple Leafs

Aiden McAskie's home run was the opening shot in a big inning that led to a big win on Sunday.

Never would have guessed that the London Majors would be just what the doctor ordered for the 2023 Toronto Maple Leafs.

Yesterday at a soggy Christie Pits, the Leafs snapped a four-game losing streak thanks to an 11-5 win over the struggling champs.

A light drizzle fell all afternoon, and the long weekend crowds were sparse. The Leafs let none of this dampen their sense of urgency.

Jesse Hodges made his Pits debut as a starting pitcher, facing London's Anfernee Benitez. The starters swapped scoreless first innings.

London threatened in the top of the second. Three singles loaded the bases and the defence got to work. Slugger Cleveland Brownlee was thrown out at home on a grounder, and a double-play ended the threat.

Toronto threatened in the bottom of the second. They racked up four hits, including RBI singles by centerfielder J.J. Dutton, catcher Justin Marra, and DH Garrett Takamatsu. Shortstop Jose Vinicio added a sac fly, and the Leafs were off to a 4-0 lead through two.

The Majors scored a run in the third to make it 4-1.

The Leafs scored a run in the fifth to make it 5-1. Dutton doubled off Benitez and was driven in by pinch hitter Ryan Santos.

After giving up just one run (unearned) and striking out four Londoners over five innings, Hodges was relieved by Daniel Procopio and Ryan Burnside the rest of the way.

The game was put away for good in the bottom of the seventh when the Mapes exploded for six runs. Pinch hitter Aiden McAskie walloped a two-run homer. Santos walked, stole a base, and scored on a single by Vinicio. Takamatsu delivered the cherry on top by hammering a three-run rocket to make it an 11-1 blowout and the most metaphor-choked sentence of this recap.

The Majors scratched out four runs in garbage time but the game was long over. Hodges earned the decision in an 11-5 final and the Leafs returned to the win column.

London 5 7 1

Toronto 11 12 3

W - Hodges (1-0, 0.00)

L - Benitez (0-2, 11.73)

BOXSCORE