Majors Comeback Falls Short, Jackfish Take Game 3
Written by: Evan Frederiksen / Photos By Mason Dawdy
The pressure was building at Labatt Memorial Park Sunday night as the London Majors and Welland Jackfish met for Game 3 of their CBL semifinal series. London entered the night with a 2-0 series lead and a chance to move within one win of the championship series, while Welland was looking to cut into that advantage and keep the series within reach. With both teams facing a pivotal night, the Jackfish came away with a 6-5 victory despite London putting up a tough fight in the ninth, cutting the Majors’ series lead to 2-1 and adding another chapter to what has already been a tightly contested semifinal.
When two of the best pitching staffs in the CBL meet in a best-of-seven series, there’s a good chance the battle on the mound will play a major role. Game 2 gave fans a glimpse of that, but Game 3 took it a step further through the first eight innings. The ninth inning, however, was a completely different story, producing nine of the game’s 11 total runs. But before we get to the wild finish, let’s break down what happened through the first eight innings.
Cesilio Pimentel got the nod for his first postseason start in the CBL and was absolutely phenomenal in his seven frames of work.
(Photo By Mason Dawdy)
Cesilio Pimentel’s Final Line Against Welland:
Pimentel had a really underrated regular season for the Majors, manning the back end of London’s rotation, posting a 4.28 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 12 starts. The 33-year-old also held a 7.01 K/9 along with a 2.86 BB/9 through 69.1 innings pitched.
Pimentel displayed an elite level of command with his entire pitch mix, effectively utilizing his fastball-changeup combination to keep Jackfish hitters guessing and uncomfortable at the plate.
Welland did strike early though, as speedy Daiki Abe scored on a wild pitch in the top frame of the first, putting the Jackfish up 1-0. Euclides Leyer got the rubber for the Jackfish in Game 3 and was also exceptional in his outing, going seven scoreless innings, giving up just four hits while striking out three.
Leyer has plenty of postseason experience, as the 35-year-old made four appearances, including three starts, for the Jackfish during the 2025 playoffs. He picked up two wins while posting a 3.42 ERA, so there’s no shortage of confidence in his ability to retire batters, whether it’s through the swing-and-miss or by forcing them to make contact.
If there was a record for the fastest CBL playoff game, Game 3 certainly may have made the list. The innings continued to disappear as Pimentel and Leyer traded scoreless frames, with both pitchers keeping the opposing offences quiet from the middle of the first inning through the end of the seventh.
One factor that continues to make this series even more of a nail-biter is each squad’s ability to hit with runners in scoring position (RISP). While getting runners in scoring position was a tough task for both teams through the majority of Game 3, here’s how each squad has hit with RISP through the first two games of this series:
Welland = 6-for-21 with RISP, 26 left on base.
London = 7-for-20 with RISP, 14 left on base.
Zach Laird was the first arm out of the Majors bullpen in the top of the eighth and recorded an out. The Jackfish were able to get some offence rolling, though in the inning when Jonah Weisner lined an RBI double to left field, scoring Daiki Abe and putting the Jackfish up 2-0 through the middle of the eighth.
Erik Johnson was the first out of the Jackfish pen and pitched a scoreless frame, retaining the Jackfish 2-0 lead after eight innings. The Welland offence finally broke through with a big inning in the top of the ninth, plating four. James Smibert got it all going with a solo shot to right field, giving Welland a 3-0 lead. Daiki Abe then capped off the frame with an inside-the-park home run that plated three runs and gave Welland a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
At this point in the night, Labatt Memorial Park was mostly quiet, and all the momentum was on the Jackfish side. If you’ve watched Majors games this season, you know that when London is facing a deficit, they never give up and always believe they can come back from any score. Well, the bottom of the ninth showcased just that. Maikol Escotto got it all started when he lined an RBI single to center field, making it a 6-1 game. Cristian Inoa then contributed a two-run double to left field, bringing London to within three runs at 6-3. 
(Photo By Mason Dawdy)
Getting consistent success against a pitcher like Deivy Mendez is never an easy task, but the Majors continued to fight with every ounce of their being. Starling Joseph then put together an impressive at-bat, drawing a walk that brought another run across the plate. David Draayers followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Cristian Inoa and cutting the Jackfish lead to 6-5.
Unfortunately, for the Majors, the comeback came to a heartbreaking stop as Mendez finally recorded the final out, sealing the win for the Jackfish.
With the tough loss, the Jackfish have cut the Majors’ semifinal series lead to 2-1.
Majors Semi-Final Playoff Schedule:
London will look to get back on the win column Wednesday, Sept. 9, when the Majors visit Welland Stadium to take on the Jackfish in Game 4 of the semifinals. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.