Majors Fall in Game 5 Nail-Biter, Trail Semi-Final Series 3-2
Written by: Evan Frederiksen / Photos By Mason Dawdy
Everything was even heading into Game 5 of the CBL semifinal series. The London Majors and Welland Jackfish had each won two games, setting up a pivotal matchup Friday night at Labatt Memorial Park. With a chance to take control of the series and move within one win of the CBL Championship Series, the Majors battled throughout the night, but Welland made the most of its opportunities to take Game 5 by a score of 5-2, grab a 3-2 series lead and put London one loss away from elimination.
If any baseball fan wants the definition of a nail-biting playoff game, Game 5 between the Welland Jackfish and London Majors would be the perfect example. The Majors turned to their ace, Victor Payano, to set the tone on the mound and delivered his most impressive start of the season, keeping London within striking distance throughout the night.
Victor Payano’s Final Line Against Welland:
(Photo by Mason Dawdy)
Despite the phenomenal outing from the three-time All-Star, the Jackfish were able to strike first. Daiki Abe got the offence going and wasted no time, hitting a solo shot to right field and giving Welland a 1-0 lead. The Jackfish didn’t stop there, adding another run when James Smibert lined an RBI single to left field, scoring Robert Mullen and extending the Welland lead to 2-0 after an inning. The Jackfish continued to find success in the early innings, having now scored first in four of the five games in this series.
Abdiel Saldana got the rubber for Welland, delivering another good outing, going six frames while surrendering two earned runs on five hits and striking out five. Saldana was dominant through his first two frames, allowing just one hit, but ran into a bumpy bottom of the third when London finally found some life in the early innings.
Trent Lenihan got the rally going with a soft line-drive single to left field, scoring Starling Joseph and cutting the Jackfish lead to 2-1. Maikol Escotto then lined a 1-1 pitch from Saldana into deep right field for an RBI double, scoring Jarrett Burney and tying Game 5 at 2-2 after three innings.
(Photo by Mason Dawdy)
From this point on, the story shifted from offensive momentum to pitching momentum. After a shaky first inning, Victor Payano settled in and became elite with his command, control and execution. What started as a difficult opening frame quickly turned into a dominant stretch, with Payano finding his rhythm and taking control of the game.
Payano’s devastating breaking ball became a major weapon against the Jackfish hitters, keeping Welland off balance while he continued to execute his pitches. As the innings went on, the 33-year-old looked more comfortable and confident on the mound, limiting the Jackfish and keeping their offence from building any momentum.
Payano had completely flipped the script from the first inning, giving the Majors exactly what they needed from their starter.
Eric Johnson was the first arm out of the Jackfish bullpen and pitched a scoreless frame in the bottom of the seventh, as both teams continued to struggle offensively. Neither team generated a run in the eighth, which turned things to the ninth.
One factor that has played a significant role in this series is which team can come up with hits with runners in scoring position (RISP). With the long ball not being a factor in this series so far, who would get a clutch hit with RISP in Game 5? Would it be the Jackfish or the Majors?
(Photo by Mason Dawdy)
Skylar Janisse was called upon for the top of the ninth for London and faced a tough stretch against the Jackfish lineup. Welland put two runners in scoring position with two outs before Gianfranco Morello stepped to the plate. On a 1-2 pitch, Morello lined an opposite-field two-run single to left field, scoring both runners and giving the Jackfish a 4-2 lead. Welland then added another run on a wild pitch, making the deficit even tougher to overcome for London heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Eric Johnson then came back for the Jackfish in relief for his third inning and delivered a scoreless bottom of the ninth, sealing a massive 5-2 victory for Welland. Johnson was also very impressive in his outing, pitching three scoreless frames while recording four strikeouts.
With the London loss, the Jackfish now hold a 3-2 series lead.
Majors Semi-Final Playoff Schedule:
The Majors will now look to keep their season alive in Game 6 of the semifinals Saturday night, when London travels to Welland to face the Jackfish at Welland Stadium. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.