Guelph Royals get their win to remain alive in series
TORONTO – The Guelph Royals have survived to play again this Intercounty Baseball League season.
The Royals preserved their hold on the opening game of their best-of-five quarter-final playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs to claim a 5-0 win Sunday on Dominico Field at Christie Pits. The Royals had led 2-0 in the fifth inning Thursday when rain and close-by lightning forced the suspension of the match.
Game 1
Guelph Royals 5 Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Game 3
Toronto Maple Leafs 6 Guelph Royals 5
The game resumed Sunday, Claudio Custodio was back on the mound and the Royals added three runs in the ninth for the win.
The teams then retook the field for the originally-scheduled Game 3 and the Leafs rallied with three runs in the seventh inning for a 6-5 victory and 2-1 lead in the series.
In the resumed game, Custodio allowed three hits in Sunday’s final five innings that he pitched for the complete-game shutout victory. He had given up four hits Thursday. He finished the game with nine strikeouts (three Sunday) and four walks (two Sunday). In all he faced 34 batters (17 each day) and threw 137 pitches (74 Sunday).
Toronto, winners in the 10th inning of Game 2 Saturday night at Hastings Stadium, elected to replace Game 1 starter Wilgenis Alvarado with Marek Deska when the game resumed Sunday.
Alvarado had yielded two earned runs off six hits and a walk in the five innings he worked. Deska gave up three runs, one earned, off two hits and four walks. Alvarado had the lone strikeout recorded by either of them.
Both hits yielded by Deska were in the ninth when the Royals sent eight batters to the plate. Chris Robinson reached first on an error and he went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ashton Patterson. Justin Interisano was intentionally walked before Darius Barlas singled to load the bases and Josh Garton followed with another single to cash two of the runners. Barlas scored the final run of the game when Ethan Hammond reached first on an error.
Garton finished the game with three hits – he had hit a monster homer Thursday and also had two singles. Hammond hit two singles while Conner Morro, Barlas and Kyle Kush each hit a single.
All seven hits recorded by Toronto in the game were singles – two apiece by Jose Vinicio and Garrett Takamatsu and one each by Justin Marra, Jordan Castaldo and Ryan Dos Santos.
In Game 3, the Royals held a 5-3 lead after 6½ innings before the Leafs completed the scoring with their three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
The Royals had scored three runs of their own in the sixth. Hammond started things with a single and he went to second on a wild pitch. Malik Collymore reached on an error by third baseman Jonathan Solazzo, but was out at second when Garton hit into a fielder’s choice. Hammond went to third on that play and he scored on a single by Interisano that moved Garton to second. Garton scored on a single by Custodio who played at second in the game. A single by Kush loaded the bases and Interisano scored on a sacrifice fly by Robinson.
Garton hit another solo homer in the game while Collymore hit a double. All the other hits by the Guelph side were singles as Hammond, Custodio and Kush had two apiece and Interisano had one.
Vinicio had two doubles and a single for the Leafs while Dos Santos hit a double and Takamatsu, Solazzo and Jesse Hodges each hit a single.
Vinicio has caused the Royals trouble in the series as he’s gone 8-for-14 with three doubles and five singles.
Kyle Thomas started and went 6 1/3 innings for the Royals. He yielded four runs, two earned, off six hits and a walk and he struck out eight.
Yomar Concepcion relieved with one on and one out, faced three batters but couldn’t add to the out total. Vinicio singled, Justin Marra walked to load the bases and Castaldo was plunked by a pitch to score a run.
That brought Brandon Deans out of the bullpen to take over on the mound. Takamatsu singled to bring in a run and the winning run of the game, charged to Concepcion, came in on a Salazzo groundout.
Deans went 1 2/3 innings and gave up a single and a walk and he struck out one.
The Leafs used four pitchers as Daniel Procopio started and went six innings while Chris Nagorski, Adam Marra and Dustin Richardson, who pitched 29 games in relief for the Boston Red Sox in the 2009 and 2010 seasons combined, went one inning apiece.
Procopio got the win. He surrendered four runs, three earned, off six hits and a walk while Nagorski gave up an earned run off two hits. Adam Marra and Richardson both held the Royals scoreless during their stints. Adam Marra gave up a hit while Procopio had four strikeouts and Richardson had one.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Hastings Stadium.
If the Royals win that one, Game 5 is to go Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Christie Pits.
The Royals are looking for their first playoff series victory since 2012.
- Guelph Sports Journal
Guelph Royals get their win to remain alive in series
TORONTO – The Guelph Royals have survived to play again this Intercounty Baseball League season.
The Royals preserved their hold on the opening game of their best-of-five quarter-final playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs to claim a 5-0 win Sunday on Dominico Field at Christie Pits. The Royals had led 2-0 in the fifth inning Thursday when rain and close-by lightning forced the suspension of the match.
Game 1
Guelph Royals 5
Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Game 3
Toronto Maple Leafs 6
Guelph Royals 5
The game resumed Sunday, Claudio Custodio was back on the mound and the Royals added three runs in the ninth for the win.
The teams then retook the field for the originally-scheduled Game 3 and the Leafs rallied with three runs in the seventh inning for a 6-5 victory and 2-1 lead in the series.
In the resumed game, Custodio allowed three hits in Sunday’s final five innings that he pitched for the complete-game shutout victory. He had given up four hits Thursday. He finished the game with nine strikeouts (three Sunday) and four walks (two Sunday). In all he faced 34 batters (17 each day) and threw 137 pitches (74 Sunday).
Toronto, winners in the 10th inning of Game 2 Saturday night at Hastings Stadium, elected to replace Game 1 starter Wilgenis Alvarado with Marek Deska when the game resumed Sunday.
Alvarado had yielded two earned runs off six hits and a walk in the five innings he worked. Deska gave up three runs, one earned, off two hits and four walks. Alvarado had the lone strikeout recorded by either of them.
Both hits yielded by Deska were in the ninth when the Royals sent eight batters to the plate. Chris Robinson reached first on an error and he went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ashton Patterson. Justin Interisano was intentionally walked before Darius Barlas singled to load the bases and Josh Garton followed with another single to cash two of the runners. Barlas scored the final run of the game when Ethan Hammond reached first on an error.
Garton finished the game with three hits – he had hit a monster homer Thursday and also had two singles. Hammond hit two singles while Conner Morro, Barlas and Kyle Kush each hit a single.
All seven hits recorded by Toronto in the game were singles – two apiece by Jose Vinicio and Garrett Takamatsu and one each by Justin Marra, Jordan Castaldo and Ryan Dos Santos.
In Game 3, the Royals held a 5-3 lead after 6½ innings before the Leafs completed the scoring with their three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
The Royals had scored three runs of their own in the sixth. Hammond started things with a single and he went to second on a wild pitch. Malik Collymore reached on an error by third baseman Jonathan Solazzo, but was out at second when Garton hit into a fielder’s choice. Hammond went to third on that play and he scored on a single by Interisano that moved Garton to second. Garton scored on a single by Custodio who played at second in the game. A single by Kush loaded the bases and Interisano scored on a sacrifice fly by Robinson.
Garton hit another solo homer in the game while Collymore hit a double. All the other hits by the Guelph side were singles as Hammond, Custodio and Kush had two apiece and Interisano had one.
Vinicio had two doubles and a single for the Leafs while Dos Santos hit a double and Takamatsu, Solazzo and Jesse Hodges each hit a single.
Vinicio has caused the Royals trouble in the series as he’s gone 8-for-14 with three doubles and five singles.
Kyle Thomas started and went 6 1/3 innings for the Royals. He yielded four runs, two earned, off six hits and a walk and he struck out eight.
Yomar Concepcion relieved with one on and one out, faced three batters but couldn’t add to the out total. Vinicio singled, Justin Marra walked to load the bases and Castaldo was plunked by a pitch to score a run.
That brought Brandon Deans out of the bullpen to take over on the mound. Takamatsu singled to bring in a run and the winning run of the game, charged to Concepcion, came in on a Salazzo groundout.
Deans went 1 2/3 innings and gave up a single and a walk and he struck out one.
The Leafs used four pitchers as Daniel Procopio started and went six innings while Chris Nagorski, Adam Marra and Dustin Richardson, who pitched 29 games in relief for the Boston Red Sox in the 2009 and 2010 seasons combined, went one inning apiece.
Procopio got the win. He surrendered four runs, three earned, off six hits and a walk while Nagorski gave up an earned run off two hits. Adam Marra and Richardson both held the Royals scoreless during their stints. Adam Marra gave up a hit while Procopio had four strikeouts and Richardson had one.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Hastings Stadium.
If the Royals win that one, Game 5 is to go Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Christie Pits.
The Royals are looking for their first playoff series victory since 2012.
- Guelph Sports Journal