Leafs Rally the Pits

 

2022 IBL Championship Series - Game 2

September 15 - London Majors at Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs win 9-6, series tied 1-1

The Maple Leafs slap hands after winning Game 2 of the championship series, to the delight of fans and rally skunks alike.

Rally rally!

After a quiet opener on the road, the Toronto Maple Leafs lit up Christie Pits with the kind of performance we have come to love.  The Leafs rallied early and stayed ahead the rest of the way to take a 9-6 victory over the London Majors.

For the Leafs' power quad of Jordan Castaldo, Justin Marra, Marcus Knecht and Johnathan Solazzo, the first two games of the IBL Championship Series were night and day.

In Game 1, they struck out a combined 10 times and recorded only two hits.  After the game, Solazzo said it was time to hit the reset button and did they ever.

Last night, in front of a lively and behoodied crowd, the quad drove in five runs off eight hits with only three strikeouts.  By the 4th inning they drove London starter Pedro De Los Santos off the mound in a disheveled state, his jersey hanging out of his pants, his glasses misting over and six earned runs beside his name.

London's Byron Reichstein opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd with a two-run homer off starter Sam Greene.

The Leafs rallied in the bottom of the inning.  Singles by centerfielder Connor Lewis and DH Damon Toplie put them aboard, and second baseman Dan Marra was hit by a De Los Santos pitch.  With the bases loaded, shortstop Jose Vinicio hit an RBI single.  Catcher Justin Marra then whacked a bases-clearing double to give the Leafs a 4-2 lead.  

Both teams traded runs in the 3rd to make it a 5-3 ballgame.

Greene pitched three tidy innings.  He gave up two earned runs, two hits, two walks and struck out one.  Dylan Jacober, the calmest baseball player in Canada, took over on the mound and greeted the Majors with three swinging strikeouts.

Bottom of the 4th: "Marra, Marra, give it to ya!"  The Leafs' big-swinging catcher walloped a solo homer to put his team ahead 6-3.  He rounded second with double finger points to the Bushmen who serenaded him from the Christie hillside.  The Pits did not go quiet the rest of the night.

In the top of the 5th, the Majors' Cleveland Brownlee doubled in two runs to make it a 6-5 ballgame.  

The power quad hit up reliever Daniel Gore in the bottom of the 6th.  Four straight singles from Castaldo, Justin, Knecht and Solazzo -- who cashed in two runs -- made it 8-5.

Jacober calmly tightened his grip on the game and retired nine men in a row in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings.

The Leafs added one more in the bottom of the 8th to make it 9-5.  Jacober returned to the mound to close it out.  A walk and two singles put another run on the board for the Majors.  Manager Garrett Takamatsu made the call to the pen for closer Franklin Hernandez, who got the job done.  A couple of groundouts ended the game with a 9-6 FINAL score, much to the delight of the masses.

London 6 7 2

Toronto 9 12 1

W - Jacober (3-0, 2.91)

L - De Los Santos (1-2, 4.11)

S - Hernandez (4)

BOXSCORE

The series continues later this evening at Labatt Park in London.  Game 3 goes at 7:35 pm.

Flat Finals Opener for the Leafs

2022 IBL Championship Series - Game 1

September 13 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors

Majors win 12-2, lead the series 1-0

Toronto Maple Leafs starter Angel Castro leaves the field after giving up six runs over six innings in the championship series opener.

Flat start to the Toronto Maple Leafs' quest to reclaim the Dominico Cup.

Last night at Labatt Park, the London Majors began the 2022 IBL Championship Series with a 12-2 blowout win.

The game felt closer than the final score, if only because the Leafs kept scrapping and the Majors piled on six runs in the late innings.

It was Owen Boon versus Angel Castro on the mound.  Boon demonstrated why he is one of the league's elite pitchers, giving up just one earned run over seven innings while striking out 13.  Castro did what Castro does, battling his way through tight spots, lighting up the ballpark with his passion, but on this night Leaf bats were unable to lift him to a win.

Bottom of the 2nd inning was where the Majors did most of their damage.  They sent 10 men to the plate and racked up a 6-0 lead.

"Chip away, chip away" was the buzz in the Leafs dugout, and they set out to do just that.

Top of the 3rd, second baseman Dan Marra led off with a single.  Left fielder Gregory Carrington followed with a single, and then shortstop Jose Vinicio hit an RBI double to make it 6-1.

Top of the 6th, first baseman Jordan Castaldo doubled, then scored on a single by right fielder Marcus Knecht.  That made it 6-2 Majors through six.

The Majors put the game away for good in the bottom of the 7th, pouncing on relievers Zach Sloan and Chris Nagorski to the tune of five runs.  They added one more run in the 8th and strolled away with a 12-2 FINAL score.

Toronto 2 7 1

London 12 13 2

W - Boon (2-0, 0.64)

L - Castro (2-1, 7.71)

BOXSCORE

The Leafs will look to even up the series on Thursday night.  Game 2 goes at Christie Pits with a 7:30 pm start time.

2022 Postseason - IBL Championship Series Sked

All in: the Toronto Maple Leafs will try to reclaim the Dominico Cup starting this week.

And here it is.  The IBL Championship Series.

It all comes down to this, the sensational Toronto Maple Leafs will try to dethrone the reigning champs and win the Dominico Cup.

It's literally a case of "to be the best you gotta beat the best".  Not only are the London Majors the defending title-holders, but they emerged with the league pennant after finishing in a three-way tie on the final day of the season.

The championship series starts Tuesday night in London.  

All games this series are night games.

Here's the full schedule:

Game 1 - Tuesday, September 13 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors, 7:35 pm at Labatt Park

Game 2 - Thursday, September 15 - London Majors at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits

Game 3 - Friday, September 16 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors, 7:35 pm at Labatt Park

Game 4 - Sunday, September 18 - London Majors at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits

*Game 5 - Tuesday, September 20 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors, 7:35 pm at Labatt Park

*Game 6 - Thursday, September 22 - London Majors at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits

*Game 7 - Friday, September 23 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors, 7:35 pm at Labatt Park

* If necessary

As ever, keep it locked here for all the boxscore links, reasonably accurate game recaps and big effort photos.

Send Them Victorious, Happy and Glorious

2022 IBL Semifinals - Game 4

September 8 - Welland Jackfish at Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs win 9-5 and win the series 3-1

26 finished what 36 started.  Together, Franklin Hernandez and Angel Castro spelled the dub that returned the Toronto Maple Leafs to the IBL Championship Series.

For most of the 2022 regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs got battered by the Welland Jackfish.

The season series went 4-2 in favour of the Fish, and included the Leafs' worst defeat of the season, a 1-hit, 13-1 battering at Welland Stadium back in July.

But as they say, the postseason is a new season.  In their semifinal series, it was the Jackfish who got battered, fried, salted, sprinkled with lemon and smeared with tartar sauce to the delight of a ravenous Leafs fanbase.

Last night at Christie Pits, a 9-5 victory by the marvelous Mapes eliminated Welland and clinched their place in the IBL Championship Series.

Dalashous!

Head chef for the night was Angel Castro.  He battled through seven innings, giving up five runs on eight hits and four walks, while striking out 12.

Sous chef was Franklin Hernandez, who came in with a lead and pitched the final two innings.  In his now-familiar style, he allowed a few inconsequential baserunners before mowing down the Jackfish with six strikeouts, five of them swinging.

Chef's kiss!

From the very first inning, the Leafs made it clear that this series would end, here, now.

Nine men came to the plate against Jake Harford, scoring four runs on four hits.  Second baseman Dan Marra tallied two RBIs, while right fielder Marcus Knecht and centerfielder Connor Lewis each drove in one.  4-0 Leafs after one.

The teams traded runs in the 2nd.  James Smibert hit a solo home run off Castro, while Knecht drove in another with a single.  5-1 through two.

A single and a walk to start the 3rd ended Harford's night and the Jackfish went to the bullpen to try and save their season.  The Leafs remained in "Here! Now!" mode and rallied again.  Left fielder Gregory Carrington drew a bases loaded walk to cash in a run.  A sac bunt by shortstop Jose Vinicio cashed in another.  First baseman Jordan Castaldo then singled in another run to make it an 8-1 ballgame after three.

Castro almost set the kitchen on fire in the top of the third.  He walked three batters in a row to start the inning.  With the Wellanders poised to stage a comeback, the Noisy Horse hunkered down.  He surrendered a single that scored two, then struck out three batters in a row to douse the potential blaze.  8-3 Leafs through five.

Top of the 6th, Welland scored two more to draw tantalizingly close and the Leafs clung to an 8-5 lead.

As if on cue, the Christie Pits Rally Skunk made an appearance.  It was gently herded out of the right field corner and play resumed.

Bottom of the 6th, Knecht punched a solo home run to relieve some of the tension that had been growing around the Pits.  

Castro shut the Fish down in the 7th and turned it over to Hernandez.

Six K's later, the Leafs secured a 9-5 FINAL to win the semifinal series three games to one.

Celebrations around the park were lively and the Leafs massed in the middle of the diamond before the end-of-series handslaps.

It was another total team victory, which has been the hallmark of this postseason run.  The pitchers have given their all and have been dialed in.  At the plate, everyone has taken turns being a hero.  The defence has bent but not been broken.

Speaking of not breaking, I would be remiss without giving a tip of the cap to Christie Pits iron man Al Ross.  He started the season accompanied by a team of ticket selling protégés.  As the summer wore on, the youngsters began to fall by the wayside until only Al remained.  In true iron man fashion, he continues to work the hillsides on his own and we love him for it.

We love this whole damn team and everyone involved with it.  Players, family members, staffers, announcers, broadcasters, photographers, rogue scorekeepers, Bushmen, Christie Crazies, rally skunks, randos, doggos, cowpath huddlers and other hillside regulars -- everyone has made this a special summer.

Now comes the grand finale, the IBL Championship Series.  The Leafs will attempt to win back the Dominico Cup for the first time since 2007.  The opponent is still to be determined, but will either be the Hamilton Cinderellas or the defending champion London Majors.

Unfinished business remains to be settled.  LET'S GOOOO!

Welland 5 8 1

Toronto 9 11 0

W - Castro (2-0, 6.87)

L - Harford (1-2, 13.88)

BOXSCORE

The Leafs await their opponent in the Championship Series.  The final combatants and series schedule will be posted when confirmed.