Despite Two Byron Reichstein Homers, Majors fall 6-5 in Extras

The Majors led for a majority of the game, but could not finish off the series Thursday in Toronto with a 6-5 defeat. 

The Majors ventured out to the Pits Thursday night with a chance to close out the series. It was a rematch of game 1 on the mound, as Pedro De Los Santos threw for the visiting Majors, while the Maple Leafs sent Justin Cicatello to the mound. 

London got on the board first with a second-inning Byron Reichstein home run. They doubled that lead in the fourth when Reichstein went deep again. Later that inning, Carlos Arteaga singled home a run, as the Majors extended their lead further. 

In the 6th, it was Arteaga again, singling home another run for the Majors. To this point, Pedro De Los Santos had been cruising through five innings against his former team. However, in the bottom of the sixth, Chandler McLaren and Connor Lewis both singled to plate one each.

In the seventh, with Dustin Richardson into the ballgame and runners at first and second, Cleveland Brownlee doubled to the centre field fence, scoring one and extending the London lead to 5-2. In the bottom of that inning, the Maple Leafs would once again make it close. Marcus Knecht grounded out to score one, then Dan Marra doubled and all of a sudden it was 5-4. 

In the 8th, a Sean Reilly single tied it. In the bottom of the 9th, the Leafs nearly plated the winning run, but a double play left the bases loaded. Dustin Richardson, who came in in the 7th inning, with runners on base, pitched a fantastic 7 innings of relief, the longest outing of his IBL career. For the Majors, Luke Kelley pitched bulk innings out of the bullpen to follow De Los Santos, going 4.2 innings in relief, but a Sean Reilly walk-off home run in the 13th inning won game 4 for Toronto. 

Game 5 goes tomorrow night, October 1st, at Labatt Park. First pitch goes at 7:35pm, tickets can be purchased at majorsstore.ca. If you can’t make it, tune in on MajorsTV!