Alvarado Deals, Leafs Bats Break Through in 8–1 Victory

By Noam Streiffer

The Toronto Maple Leafs picked up a key victory Sunday afternoon, rolling past the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers 8–1. The win comes at a crucial moment, with just two games remaining in the season, as the Leafs push to gain ground and avoid a first-round matchup with the league-leading Welland Jackfish.

Toronto turned to its most reliable starter, Wilgenis Alvarado, who delivered 5 1/3 strong innings, giving up just one run while striking out seven.

Manager Rob Butler then handed the ball to the bullpen, and the trio of Matt Brown, Luis Florentino, and Jeremy Newton slammed the door shut, holding Chatham-Kent scoreless the rest of the way to secure the win.

The Barnstormers started the usually trustworthy Aden Ryan, but he struggled from the start, lasting just four innings. He allowed three runs on six hits, including a first-inning two-run home run by Jordan Castaldo.

Toronto added another run in the third on a Justin Marra RBI single, chasing Ryan from the game and giving the Leafs a chance to work against the Barnstormers’ bullpen.

Chatham-Kent’s only run came in the fifth, when Evan Morrison singled home a run. The Barnstormers threatened again in the sixth with a walk and a single to start the inning, but Brown came in and shut things down, preserving Toronto’s two-run lead.

From there, the Leafs piled on late. In the eighth and ninth innings, they tacked on Five insurance runs — RBI singles from Ben Sitarenios, Spenser Ross, and Ryan Dos Santos, along with a sacrifice fly from Dan Marra — stretching the lead to the final score of 8–1.

With just two games left in the regular season, the victory could serve as a timely momentum boost for a Leafs team looking to catch fire in the playoffs after what many in the clubhouse would call a disappointing year.

Up Next: A home-and-home series against the last-place Brantford Red Sox — a prime opportunity to climb the standings before the postseason. The series begins Friday night in Brantford at Arnold Anderson Stadium, with first pitch set for 7:15 p.m., before shifting to Toronto on Saturday night.