MAPLE LEAFS SLUG THEIR WAY TO CRUCIAL 15-11 VICTORY OVER THE BRANTFORD RED SOX

Written by: Noam Streiffer

The Leafs showcased a commanding offensive performance highlighted by a seven-RBI night from Yasiel Puig and a stellar pitching performance from Nick Veselinovic.

Veselinovic had a good night, throwing five innings of four-run ball while striking out 10 Red Sox. Aside from some shaky command in the second inning and one mistake pitch in the fifth, he looked virtually unhittable.

"So I was talking with Alex and, uh, the big thing was we just noticed they just smashed 1-0, 2-0, 2-1. So the big thing was just getting ahead, and then they're more free swingers. Then you can work out of the zone," Veselinovic commented postgame.

The vast majority of the Leafs' offense came in the first two innings. Brando Leroux led things off by getting hit with a pitch before Puig made Leandro Mejia pay with a towering two-run shot to left field.

The Leafs tacked on five more runs on a slew of well-hit balls and infield hits, leading to RBI singles from JJ Dutton and Matt Brandt before Ben Sitarenios capped it off with a sacrifice fly, making it a 7-0 ballgame.

Brantford managed to work two runs across in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly and a fielder's choice, but Veselinovic did a good job of working out of a jam and getting the hot Leafs bats back to the plate.

The Leafs continued to pour it on. Matt Brandt, Ben Sitarenios, Brando Leroux, and Yasiel Puig combined for a total of six RBIs in the bottom of the second, giving them a commanding 13-2 lead.

Things stayed quiet until the bottom of the fourth, when Puig launched his league-leading 13th homer of the season, a two-run shot that made it a 15-2 game.

Kyle Poapst and Alex Lanigan bent but didn't break, surrendering two runs in the fifth, four in the seventh, two in the eighth, and one in the ninth to reach the final score of 15-11 and secure a crucial win for the Leafs.

Up next: The Leafs take on the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers in a two-game home-and-home series starting Saturday night at Christie Pits. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m.