Testicular Fortitude

Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - July 25 to 31, 2022

Week 11 was a roller coaster for the boys of the Pits - big games, big losses, big wins. 

Dylan Jacober went five strong on Sunday as the Maple Leafs beat the Welland Jackfish to split their weekend series.

Somebody start up one of those online petitions.

The IBL needs to schedule more Wednesday nighters at Christie Pits.  

Expand the season to 50 games.  Award more franchises.  Have the little leaguers from the diamond next door play the Leafs, I don't care.  More night games, more baseball, more fun!

This week's sunset clash between the Leafs and the Barrie Baycats was the funnest of the year.  A massive crowd descended on the Pits.  Those courteous idols in the home whites administered a shitkicking to their old rivals.  Good game, good peeps, good music, and good vibes carried through the night.  

We all of us need more of this.  Are you hearing me Mr. Kastner sir?

Week 11 wrapped up with a home-and-home series that tested the Leafs' mettle against the league's top team, the Welland Jackfish.  A harrowing away experience on Saturday could have thrown the boys into a brutal skid.  However they bounced right back on Sunday with a great win to cap the week.

Here's how it all went down.

Wednesday, July 27 - Barrie Baycats at Toronto Maple Leafs

Connor Lewis greets Damon Topolie after the wiliest of veterans reached base on a bunt single and scored as part of a three-run second inning.

Testicular fortitude.  

These two words best describe the Maple Leafs' Wednesday night performance against the Barrie Baycats.

From both sides of the plate, the boys put on some ballsy displays to win in a rout.

The Leafs faced and overcame adversity right from the first inning.  Not gone are the days when the Baycats would rock up to Christie Pits and take an instant lead.  It's practically a cliché, and there they were again, grabbing a 2-0 lead on a home run by Ryan Rijo.  Singed but not burned, Zach Sloan hunkered down after that, pitching five strong innings and striking out six en route to his fourth win of the season.

In the bottom of the 1st, catcher Justin Marra put the Leafs on the board with a solo home run, his team-leading eleventh on the year.  Third baseman Johnathan Solazzo followed with a double.  Throughout the month of July, Solazzo demonstrated that he simply cannot be contained.  After the double he advanced and roared home on a wild pitch by Barrie starter Adam Khan.  Just like that it was tied 2-2 after one.

The Mapes moved ahead in the bottom of the 2nd.  Second baseman Dan Marra and left fielder Luca Boscarino both singled.  DH Damon Topolie, the wiliest of veterans, dropped a beautiful bunt down the third base line, rumbled to first and beat the throw.  The bunt seemed to catch the entire ballpark off guard.  Up in the broadcast tent, Leaf announcers Thomas West and Ryan Eakin erupted in deranged laughter at the audacity of it all.  Everyone felt the same way.  With the bases loaded, right fielder Gregory Carrington singled in Marra.  Up next, shortstop Jose Vinicio singled in Boscarino.  Justin Marra then launched a sac fly that brought Topolie home and put the Leafs ahead 5-2.

In the bottom of the 4th, Solazzo and first baseman Aidan McAskie both singled off Khan.  Centerfielder Connor Lewis drove them both in with a 2-RBI single and extended the Leafs' lead to 7-2.

The Baycats scored one more run in the top of the 5th to make it 7-3.  Only a fool would have thought this lead was safe.  

Toronto kept pressing and got to reliever Brad Grieveson in the bottom of the 7th.  Lewis and Dan Marra both singled to start the inning.  Boscarino then delivered the fatal blow to the 'Cats, hitting a three-run missile over the centerfield fence that sent people in the skatepark scrambling for their lives.  As he rounded second, Boscarino gave the now-familiar power point to the Bushmen up on the hillside.  In reality he was saluting a small village whose population had grown with each inning, probably the largest contingent of fans in that section of the ballpark all season.  The Leafs now led 10-3 and the festive mood was dialed up.

The ballsiest display of them all came in the 8th inning.  Dylan Jacober had relieved Sloan after the 5th, pitching two scoreless innings.  He handed the ball to Ryan Wells, who got into a jam by giving up a pair of walks and a single.  Wells then showed nerves of steel by striking out the next three batters in a row.  The final two went down swinging, the ballpark collectively exhaled and the festivities resumed.

The Leafs put two more on the board in the bottom of the 8th, and Franklin Hernandez mopped up in the 9th for a 12-3 FINAL.

Barrie 3 7 2

Toronto 12 18 1

W - Sloan (4-2, 3.49)

L - Khan (3-3, 5.24)

BOXSCORE

Some pix from the Wednesday nighter...

Saturday, July 30 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Welland Jackfish

Dan Marra leaves the game after taking a hard-hit grounder to the face.  (image: Welland Jackfish YouTube)

Worst defeat of the season.  What else is there to say, other than...

Six, count 'em, six errors, that sunk any hopes the Maple Leafs might have had to win at the Pond in Welland.

That, and losing starting second baseman Dan Marra to injury when they already had a short bench.

That, and losing their DH for the final third of the game.

That, and running smack into the ballclub with the IBL's highest scoring differential at +144 compared to the Leafs' +45.  

That, and getting pounded for 14 hits and 13 runs.

That, and being one-hit by the Jackfish.

It was real horrorshow.  Better to happen now than in September I guess?

It didn't begin this way.  Starters Jake Harford and Angel Castro cruised through two scoreless innings to start the game.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Castro surrendered a double and a run to give the Jackfish a 1-0 lead.

Toronto tied the game in the top of the 4th.  Catcher Justin Marra drew a leadoff walk and was eventually driven in on a single by brother Dan.

Welland retook the lead with two runs in the bottom of the 4th, then steadily pulled away.  They scored two more in the 5th, before a nightmare 6th inning for the Leafs when eight more runs went on the board.

It was in the 6th inning when Dan Marra took a hard-hit grounder to the face and had to leave the game.  

Skipper Damon Topolie shuffled his fielders, sending DH Dawson Parks to the outfield as Grant Tamane moved in to play second.  Castro was forced to bat in the 7th and he flew out.  Reliever Adam Marra batted in the 9th and struck out to end the game.  A game best forgotten as soon as possible.

Toronto 1 1 6

Welland 13 14 2

W - Harford (9-1, 2.87)

L - Castro (2-3, 7.82)

BOXSCORE

Sunday, July 31 - Welland Jackfish at Toronto Maple Leafs

It would take more than a mere baseball to the face to keep Dan Marra away from the Pits on Sunday.

People naturally assume a holiday long weekend will bring huge crowds to local attractions and sporting venues.  

In Toronto it's the opposite -- the city clears out.  A sparse crowd was on hand the Sunday before the civic holiday, but the hillsides filled in as the game went on.  Everybody witnessed a great bounce back win by the Maple Leafs after the previous evening's dark interlude.

Speaking of testicular fortitude.  Holy Chumbawamba, Dan Marra got knocked down and he got up again.  

Less than 24 hours after a baseball to the face took him out of a game, Marra was back on the Leafs bench, in uniform though not in the lineup.  His presence clearly lifted his teammates, who shut down the Welland Jackfish in the final game of this season's Pond-Pits series.

Manager Damon Topolie drew up a bullpen game, sending Sam Greene to the mound to pitch the first two innings.  Greene retired all six batters he faced.

The Leafs scored in the bottom of the 1st.  Catcher Justin Marra singled and moved to second on a walk by third baseman Johnathan Solazzo.  Left fielder Aidan McAskie then drove him in with a single and it was 1-0 Leafs.

The lead was extended in the bottom of the 2nd.  Second baseman Grant Tamane reached on a walk, advanced on a walk by shortstop Jose Vinicio, and scored on an RBI single by Justin Marra.

After two innings, Greene handed the ball to Dylan Jacober who received a rude welcome by the league's hottest hitting team.  The Jackfish tallied two runs on a pair of hits, an error and a wild pitch.  The score was 2-2 after three innings.

The Leafs broke the tie in the bottom of the 5th.  Solazzo, McAskie and Topolie all singled to load the bases, and a fielder's choice by Tamane brought Solazzo across the plate.  3-2 Leafs through five.

Jacober shut down the Jackfish after the third inning, and he ended up going five strong.  Franklin Hernandez came on to pitch the 8th and he struck out three.

The Leafs gave Hernandez some breathing room in the bottom of the 8th.  Justin Marra walked and DH Jordan Castaldo singled.  They both came in to score off the bat of McAskie, who reached second on an error by the Jackfish.  5-2 Leafs was the score with three outs to get.

Hernandez got those three outs, retiring Welland in order to secure the 5-2 FINAL and a win for Jacober.  

This one might go as one of the most important wins of the season.  A bounce back after a bad loss, with everyone stepping up.

Welland 2 7 1

Toronto 5 12 2

W - Jacober (4-0, 4.73)

L - Bouillere-Howard (2-1, 5.49)

S - Hernandez (1)

BOXSCORE

With a 20-13 record, the Leafs sit 4th in the IBL standings, 4 games behind both the Welland Jackfish and London Majors. 

As the schedule enters August, it's going to be a dogfight among the league's top clubs.

ALERT - The final Wednesday nighter of the regular season is this week.

Wednesday, August 3 - Kitchener Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits

Friday, August 5 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors, 7:35 pm at Labatt Park

Sunday, August 7 - Hamilton Cardinals vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 2:00 pm at Christie Pits

Bringer of Trains, Bringer of Pain

Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - July 18 to 24, 2022

Week 10 saw the Leafs win two in a row thanks to some monster performances at the plate.

Johnathan Solazzo sends a power point to the Christie hillsides after hitting a sixth inning grand slam on Sunday, his second homer of the game.

Week 10 was a light one for the Toronto Maple Leafs with only two games on the schedule.

Friday night in Hamilton, they overcame some early adversity and sent the struggling Cardinals to their tenth straight defeat.

Sunday was another steamy Christie Pits classic.  It started with Angel Castro on the mound.

"We needed a horse, so we're bringing in the horse."  Those were skipper Damon Topolie's words back in June when the Maple Leafs signed the Dominican pitcher.

Since then, the horse has been run out a few times, getting better each time around.

Sunday saw Castro's best performance yet.  He held the Guelph Royals to three runs, and he also demonstrated his talent as a different kind of two-way player.  Whenever the Leafs were at the plate, Castro hollered a steady stream of encouragement to his teammates.  Whether in Spanish or English or some combination of both, he was LOUD and got under some of the visitors' skins.  On the mound and on the bench, the noisy horse won the day.

Meanwhile, Johnathan Solazzo is winning the month.  After a slow start to the season, the most famous employee in the history of CN Rail has been on a rampage.  In the month of July, he raised his batting average 77 points to .343 while racking up 19 hits, 13 runs, 5 home runs, 18 RBIs and 10 walks.  The bringer of trains has been a bringer of pain for IBL pitchers.

Justin Marra is right there with him.  The Leaf catcher's July has been almost a carbon copy: 18 hits, 18 runs, 5 home runs, 18 RBIs and 9 walks.

Together, Solazzo and Marra terrorized their opponents all weekend, hitting 6 home runs and 10 RBIs in two games.

The Leafs overtook Barrie in the standings and climbed closer to third place.  As the final month of the season approaches, the team keeps getting stronger.

Friday, July 8, 2022 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Hamilton Cardinals

Justin Marra is greeted by Jordan Castaldo after he bombed the soccer field beyond Bernie Arbour Stadium on Friday night. (image: IBLCardinalsBaseball YouTube)

Rough start, great finish.  

Friday night at Bernie Arbour Stadium, the Maple Leafs faced multiple deficits after just one inning of play.

Road warrior Marek Deska started on the mound for the Leafs, but he faced only two batters before leaving the game.  He gave up a leadoff single to Tristan Osika, then got hit on the hand by a line drive off the bat of Luis Jean.  Third baseman Johnathan Solazzo grabbed the ricochet and fired to first, where Jean collided with Jordan Castaldo.  Three players injured on one play.  Deska left the game immediately, replaced on the mound by Dylan Jacober.  Jean remained on the bases long enough to come around to score the second run of the inning for Hamilton.  He left the game at the end of the inning.  Castaldo hung around three more innings before he too left the game.

In the top of the 2nd, second baseman Dan Marra and left fielder Grant Tamane both singled, and Marra came around to score on a fielder's choice by Jose Vinicio.  It was 2-1 Hamilton after two.

The Leafs took the lead in the top of the 3rd.  Castaldo singled, Solazzo doubled, and DH Aidan McAskie singled to drive them both in.  A single by centerfielder Connor Lewis moved McAskie to third, and another single by Dan Marra plated him.  4-2 Leafs through three.

With Jacober dealing on the mound, the Leafs put the game out of reach thanks to solo home runs by catcher Justin Marra and Solazzo. That made it 6-2 Leafs and they never looked back.

Jacober surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the 4th, but he pitched four solid innings and struck out seven en route to the win.  Relievers Zach Sloan, Ryan Wells and Franklin Hernandez combined for four shutout innings and Chris Nagorski locked the birdcage again for his third save of the season.

Vinicio drove in one more run for the Leafs in the 7th, as they won a 7-4 FINAL and the Cards crashed to their tenth straight defeat.

Mad props to Cable 14 Hamilton for providing fantastic camera work for the Cardinals' YouTube broadcast.  Whatever happened to Cable 14 in Toronto?  Team up some on-field camera operators with the Leafs broadcast team and it would make for unstoppable viewing.

Toronto 7 15 2

Hamilton 4 10 3

W - Jacober (3-0, 5.51)

L - Salcedo (1-3, 12.76)

S - Nagorski (3)

BOXSCORE

Sunday, July 24, 2022 - Guelph Royals at Toronto Maple Leafs

Angel Castro had his best outing yet on Sunday, going seven strong on the mound, and nine strong on the bench.

Sunday at Christie Pits, a daylong threat of rain held off and a not huge crowd gathered around the hillsides.  The Leafs burst right out of the gate and overwhelmed the visiting Guelph Royals.

Starter Angel Castro retired the side to start the game.  Royals starter Ben Braun did not fare as well.  Catcher Justin Marra and third baseman Johnathan Solazzo both tagged him for solo home runs.  First baseman Aidan McAskie singled, centerfielder Connor Lewis doubled, and McAskie scored on a groundout by second baseman Dan Marra.  After one inning, the Leafs were ahead 3-0.

The Leafs kept the pressure on in the 2nd inning.  DH Luca Boscarino drew a leadoff walk, then came all the way around to score on a double by right fielder Gregory Carrington.  The ball was played for an error by the Guelph infield and Carrington wound up at third.  A sac fly by shortstop Jose Vinicio brought him in and the Leafs led 5-0.  

Braun's day did not last much longer.  He was relieved in the third by Emilis Guerrero in the bottom of the third.  

Castro gave up two earned runs in the 4th and another in the 5th, letting the Royals draw within two runs.  The score was 5-3 through five.

Guerrero kept the Leafs off the board until the bottom of the 6th.  He gave up two singles and a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Solazzo to crush a grand slam, his fifth RBI of the game and third home run of the weekend.  9-3 Leafs after six.

Castro, who had been cheering his teammates on during the bottom of every inning, was done after seven innings during which he gave up three runs off six hits with three K's.  Franklin Hernandez pitched the top of the 8th and gave up a pair of runs to make it a 9-5 ballgame.

In the bottom of the 8th, the Leafs put the game away for good with a seven-run explosion at the expense of relievers Evan Kiser and Ben Reid.  Firestarter Jose Vinicio reached first on an error, then promptly stole second and third, giving him four stolen bases on the day.  Justin Marra followed with a two-run homer -- his third of the weekend -- and the rout was on.  The Leafs got six hits in the inning, the Royals committed two errors and hit a batter, and when the dust settled it was a 16-5 blowout.

Chris Nagorski gave up a garbage time grand slam in the 9th but put the Royals away with a 16-9 FINAL and a win for Damon Topolie's noisy horse, Angel Castro.

After the game there were some warm scenes as fans around the park expressed their love and appreciation for future first ballot Hall of Famer Sean Reilly, whose Royals were making their final regular season appearance of the year.  

Rumours have been rumoured that this will be ex-Leaf Reilly's final season, so I put the question to him directly.

"It's looking that way," Reilly said.  What he left unsaid was what many IBL followers know, and that's just how hard it is to let go for good.  

The IBL life is not easy to walk away from.  Countless players have announced their retirement only to join a new club or return to play after a brief absence.  Reilly may be going for now, but he would certainly be welcomed back for another season or more.

Guelph 9 13 4

Toronto 16 16 0

W - Castro (2-2, 6.67)

L - Braun (1-4, 7.31)

BOXSCORE

The Leafs' 18-12 record gives them sole possession of 4th place in the IBL standings, 4 1/2 games behind the Welland Jackfish.

The week ahead:

Wednesday, July 27 - Barrie Baycats vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits

Saturday, July 30 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Welland Jackfish, 6:05 pm at Welland Pond

Sunday, July 31 - Welland Jackfish vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 2:00 pm at Christie Pits