Sunday Rained Out

                                                                                                                                                                              FILE PHOTO

Yesterday's scheduled game at Christie Pits was rained out.

The matchup between the Brantford Red Sox and Toronto Maple Leafs will be rescheduled.

Toronto's next game is a Wednesday nighter this July 25. They will welcome the Kitchener Panthers to Christie Pits.

The Malignance of Torpor*

Game 31: Toronto Maple Leafs at Guelph Royals, July 21, 2018

Royals win 1-0

It was a weird Saturday night at Hastings Stadium.

Steady winds whipped around the place and dark clouds swirled overhead as a nice afternoon turned to darkness.

The Guelph Royals -- back from the dead after folding last year -- honoured some of the celebrated players of their past in a pregame ceremony. It was in conjunction with the Intercounty Baseball League's 100th season here in 2018. The Royals then took the field to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, a ballclub caught in the depths of a seven-game losing streak.

The Leafs were looking to break out of their losing skid against what has turned out to be one of the bottom-half teams of the IBL. Bats at the ready, they were looking to put up some huge numbers against the hosts. Two big-swinging teams and a titanic battle for momentum in the later weeks of the season.

Instead, we got a pitchers' duel.

After the Royals had fêted some of their massive, record-breaking sluggers, their bats went as cold as those of the Leafs.

Two aces were on the mound. Yunior Yambatis for Guelph against Zach Sloan for Toronto. The starters traded scoreless innings until the fourth, when Justin Interisano hit a solo home run for Guelph. That made it 1-0 for the home side, a score that would hold for the rest of the game.

Over nine innings, the Leafs notched seven hits but stranded 12 men on base. They were getting hits and getting men on base, but not driving in any runs. It's the stuff that seven-game losing streaks are made of.

In between innings, I drifted over beside the Leafs dugout and exchanged greetings with team trainer Pedro Silva. I asked him to describe the mood of the club. 

"Energy," he said. "They're lacking energy, you know? If I was to ask you, right now, what's the best way to dispose of a dead body? How would you do it, right now?" He clapped his hands once, loudly.

"Uh..."

"You would bury it, right?"

"Sure."

"You would bury it, because already in your mind you know what needs to be done, right? Don't bother with acid or fires or complicated stuff like that. It takes no time to find a pair of gloves and a shovel, and in your mind you can come up with a good place, right? So you give yourself a maximum of six hours -- one for gathering the materials and travel, and five for digging. Digging with energy. And you've got a dead body stowed. Done."

"Yeah."

"That's what these guys need right now, energy. Energy. It's kind of slow tonight, can I offer you a theraputic massage?"**

I politely declined and backed away to watched Yambatis finish his complete game shutout. Then I made for the exit gate, hoping that the Leafs will find the energy that they are lacking at the moment.



* This will be the title of the first release from my off-season death metal band. Giving it a run-out here for feedback.

** This conversation took place entirely within my malignant mind, sunken with torpor.***

*** METAL.


Toronto 0-7-0
Guelph 1-8-2

W - Yambatis (4-3, 3.66)
L - Sloan (6-3, 3.45)


BOXSCORE


At 13-16, the Leafs are hanging onto 4th place in the IBL standings, 9 games behind the Barrie Baycats and just a game ahead of the Hamilton Cardinals. Their next game is back at Christie Pits this Wednesday, July 25 against the Kitchener Panthers.

One Man Gang

Game 30: Toronto Maple Leafs at Kitchener Panthers, July 19, 2018

Panthers win 6-3

                                                                                                                                                                                FILE PHOTO

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost their seventh game in a row last night at Jack Couch Park.

Despite racking up 13 hits, the Leafs were unable to put the Kitchener Panthers away, and ultimately fell by a score of 6-3.

All three Toronto runs were driven in by player-manager Damon Topolie (above), including a two-run home run in the fourth. It was Topolie's second homer of the year, as he played a one-man RBI machine on the night.

R.J. Page started on the mound for Toronto, and he went six innings, giving up six runs (two earned).

There was no shortage of opportunities for the visitors, who stranded 12 men on the bases over the course of the game. Dan Marra and Marcus Knecht each got three hits in the game. It was a case of Kitchener seizing their chances and making the difference.

Like Page, Kitchener starter Noelvis Entenza went six innings and was backed up by a strong Panthers bullpen. Miguel Lahera notched his sixth save of the season.

No word if Topolie took some bats out to the parking lot to demolish some trees or fenceposts after the game, but who could blame him.


Toronto 3-13-3
Kitchener 6-7-0

W - Entenza (5-0, 2.98)
L - Page (1-4. 5.33)
S - Lahera (6)


BOXSCORE


The Leafs are now 13-15 and holding at 4th place in the IBL standings, eight games behind the Barrie Baycats. Meanwhile, the Hamilton Cardinals have snuck up a game and a half behind them. This road trip continues on Saturday night, July 21 when the Leafs visit the Guelph Royals.

The Dry Spell Continues

Game 21: Barrie Baycats at Toronto Maple Leafs, July 17, 2018 (rescheduled rainout)

Baycats win 13-1

The hillsides are looking parched.

It's been a hot, dry summer and the slopes of Christie Pits look it. Brown and dusty instead of lush green.

Dominico Field is well-tended, but its defenders -- those lovable rogues the Toronto Maple Leafs -- are also in the throes of a dry spell.

Last night they lost their sixth in a row, falling 13-1 to the Barrie Baycats.

After both clubs traded scoreless frames for the first two innings, the visitors took the lead and never looked back. They roughed up starter Marek Deska for 14 hits and racked up ten runs (nine earned) through the first five innings. After that, they cruised to victory and back to sole possession of first place in the standings.

Barrie starter Santos Arias pitched six and held the Leafs to one run. It came off the bat of catcher Justin Marra (receiving high fives above), as he thrashed his ninth homer of the season. 

The Leafs scraped out just five hits on the night, as this late-season dry spell continues.

You've got to deal with it the best way you can. For some, it's drinks and loud metal.

Barrie 13-21-1
Toronto 1-5-2

W - Arias (4-2, 1.95)
L - Deska (1-4, 7.50)


BOXSCORE


The Leafs dip below .500 for the first time this season. Their 13-14 record keeps them in fourth place in the IBL standings, ahead of the Brantford Red Sox. They are now 6 1/2 games behind the Baycats. The lovable rogues depart for a two-game road trip starting in Kitchener on Thursday night, July 19.