POOR PRODUCTION RESULTS IN TORONTO DROPPING THEIR FOURTH STRAIGHT

Written by: Olivia Byrne

LONDON, Ont. — It was a quiet day at the ballpark for the Maple Leafs, whose woes continued in a 6-2 loss against the London Majors on Friday night. 

Throughout the game, the Leafs’ biggest problem was their lack of production, collecting just three hits all night. The lone standout for Toronto tonight was Matthew Fabian, who went 1-for-2 with 2 RBI and a walk.

Frankie Gulko got the start for the Leafs, but unfortunately, the Majors did not make it an easy one. 13 pitches into the bottom of the 1st, London jumped out in front with a two-run homer. Gulko’s struggles continued once again in the bottom of the 2nd, as the Majors would hit a bloop single to tack on another run, making it 3-0.

Heading into the bottom of the 4th, the Majors had all of the momentum. Gulko showed signs of weakness that London took advantage of, driving in another run on a hard ground ball that rolled into center field.

Defined by short at-bats and numerous strikeouts, the first half of the game flew by quickly for Toronto. Down 4-0, Toronto would have to play catch-up during the back half. 

In the top of the 5th, Toronto’s bats seemed to come alive. After a fielder’s choice to get Yordan Manduley on, Spenser Ross singled to left field. With the help of an error from London, Ross successfully made it to second base, advancing Manduley to third. 

Ready to get the ball rolling, Fabian came up to the plate and swung at the first pitch he saw, driving it just over London’s shortstop and allowing two runs to score, cutting Toronto’s deficit in half.

Unfortunately, the Majors still weren’t letting up. A pitching change in the bottom of the 5th brought in Benjamin Sitarenio, and London’s batters immediately attacked. The Majors recorded a double, followed by a single to extend their lead to 5-2. 

After a glimmer of hope shone for Toronto, the Leafs’ bats seemed to regress in the following innings, returning to the same, quick-out style of play that had plagued the team throughout the first half of the game. 

Both teams were relatively quiet until the bottom of the 8th, when the Majors struck again. A passed ball got away from Matt Brandt, resulting in a runner who was on third coming in to score and bringing the final score to 6-2. 

Friday’s loss against London marks the fourth straight game that the Leafs have dropped.

UP NEXT: The Leafs head home to take on the Welland Jackfish on Sunday, May 31. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.