Cobra Chickens Defend the Nest Against Lawn Cocks
Written by: Evan Frederiksen / Photos By Matt Hiscox and Mason Dawdy
The London Majors and Welland Jackfish squared off Friday night in a game unlike any other on the CBL calendar. What began as an April Fools' joke transformed into one of the most anticipated games of the CBL season as the two clubs met at Historic Labatt Memorial Park for the inaugural Battle of the Birds. With first place on the line and a packed crowd embracing every moment, London delivered when it mattered most, earning a 3-1 victory in one of the most memorable nights of the season.
Both squads entered the contest with two of the best offences in the CBL.
Jackfish: Majors:
But it was the pitching that was the true battle between these two juggernauts. If any baseball fan wants the definition of prime, unstoppable Travis Keys, this game had that stamp written all over it, as the two-time All-Star was phenomenal, pitching six scoreless innings.
(Photo By Mason Dawdy)
Travis Keys’ Final Line Against Welland:
The Jackfish sent 35-year-old Euclides Leyer to the mound, and he was solid through his five frames of work, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits while striking out two. Leyer struggled mightily to find his command in the first inning, which proved to be the only inning in which he allowed any damage. Eduardo De Oleo gave the Majors the lead in the bottom of the first when he saw a 1-0 breaking ball right in the heart of the plate and lined it into right field, scoring Cristian Inoa and Maikol Escotto.
De Oleo, who entered the contest batting .351 against right-handed pitching, continued to come through in clutch situations with runners in scoring position. The Majors would add another run in the first inning when David Draayers hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Tucker Zdunich after an error by the Jackfish and extending London's lead to 3-0. Believe it or not, this was all the offence London needed, as its pitching staff carried the rest of the way
(Photo By Matt Hiscox)
One of the most impressive aspects of Travis Keys' outing was the approach he took against the Jackfish lineup. Keys had faced Welland in his previous start on Aug. 1 and was solid, allowing four earned runs on six hits. This time around, however, the adjustments were evident from the opening pitch, and the results could not have been much better. Whether it was working his breaking ball inside against left-handed hitters or using his fastball on the outer half against righties, Keys' consistently kept his location on point, kept Welland uncomfortable and rarely allowed the Jackfish to settle into an offensive rhythm. His ability to attack hitters differently while staying within his strengths made for one of his most complete outings of the season.
Following Friday night's performance, Keys' ERA+ now sits at 134, while his MAPLE moves to an impressive 1.9. The left-hander also picked up his sixth win of the season, tying a career high.
Dustin Davidson was the first arm out of the London bullpen and put together a solid outing. He worked a scoreless inning aside from an RBI fielder's choice by Brendon Luther, which brought the Jackfish to within 3-1. Davidson responded by coming up with a clutch double play to end the top of the seventh, stranding two Welland runners and keeping the Majors' lead intact.
Caleb Cassie was then called upon and delivered one of the most impressive outings of the season. He entered with runners on second and third and one out, facing the heart of the Jackfish order with the game still hanging by a thread. Cassie worked his way through the jam without allowing either runner to score, keeping the game at 3-1. His battle with veteran catcher Robert Mullen was particularly intense, with neither hitter nor pitcher giving in throughout the at-bat. Cassie eventually won the battle with a high fastball up in the zone, getting Mullen to pop out and escape the inning with the Majors still in front.
(Photo By Matt Hiscox)
Skylar Janisse got the call for the ninth and was electric, despite issuing two walks. He stayed composed in a high-pressure inning, battling through a tough at-bat against Daiki Abe before eventually striking him out. Janisse then put the finishing touches on the win, freezing Jonah Weisner with a nasty 3-2 fastball high and inside for the final strikeout, sealing a 3-1 victory for the Majors and earning his CBL-leading eighth save of the season.
With the win, the Majors have now won four of their five games against the Welland Jackfish this season.
London Majors vs Welland Jackfish: (Head-to-Head this season)
Skylar Janisse, who was named the Player of the Game, emphasized how much of a team effort the Majors' victory was while reflecting on his mindset during the ninth inning. “Amazing, man. Nice to get another big win against Welland and keep that streak going. The boys played really good tonight, up and down, all over, defence, Caleb hangs in there in the eighth, huge inning. But great team win,” Janisse said. “Definitely a battle out there. They were fighting 3-2 almost every count. You know, when you're in that situation, you've got to dig deep. I love being in that spot. I was just digging deep there and throwing strikes.”
Majors Key Performers:
Travis Keys: Keys displayed one of his best starts of the season pitching 6 phenomenal innings and earning his 6th win of the season.
Caleb Cassie: Cassie pitched a huge 8th inning, stranding runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. 5 of his last 6 appearances of been scoreless, his ERA+ moves to 107.
Eduardo De Oleo: Came through with a 2-run single in the first inning, proved to be the biggest offensive hit of the night. De Oleo’s MAPLE now sits at 1.5 along with a .886 OPS.
Skylar Janisse: Earned his 8th save of the season, which leads the CBL. Janisse’s ERA+ now moves to 134 along with a sparkling 1.04 WHIP.
London now extends its winning streak to five games and moves to 26-11 on the season, maintaining the No. 1 seed in the CBL.
CBL standings
Team W-L GB STRK
The Majors will bring their five-game winning streak into their next matchup Saturday, August 8th, when London visits Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs at Dominico Field. First pitch is set for 7:30.