Majors Lose Heart-Breaker To Red Sox, No. 1 Seed Remains Unclaimed
Written by: Evan Frederiksen / Photos By Mason Dawdy
Under the lights at Labatt Memorial Park, the London Majors faced a night that carried significant weight as the regular season entered its final games. With the Brantford Red Sox in town, London had a chance to put the finishing touches on its final Friday night game of the regular season and officially claim the No. 1 seed in the CBL. After falling behind early, the Majors battled all the way back but ultimately came up just short, suffering an 8-7 loss and leaving the top seed unclaimed.
Friday’s matchup featured two teams that have been strong offensively all season long.
Red Sox vs Majors offence:
Timely offence was a big factor in this game, and the Red Sox were the first team to find it early, as Christian Kuzemka hit a first-inning two-run shot to deep right field, giving Brantford an early 2-0 lead.
Travis Keys got the start for London and was efficient and effective through his first four innings of work, giving up just two earned runs. The Red Sox sent Anthony Porcellato to the mound, and he was solid through his five frames of work. The right-hander gave up three earned runs on six hits while striking out three.
The Majors' offence, which entered the contest with a combined 15.1 MAPLE, had sparks of offensive consistency throughout the night. One of those sparks came in the bottom of the third when Maikol Escotto lined an RBI double to left field, scoring Jaden Babiuk and cutting the Brantford lead to 2-1.
But for Escotto, this hit wasn’t any ordinary hit; it was CBL and Majors history. Escotto set a new record for most hits in a CBL season, passing former Major Ryan Lapensee with his 82nd hit of the season.
CBL @ MAJors All-Time Record
(Photo By Mason Dawdy)
There was no offence in the fourth, but the Red Sox broke through in a big way in the top of the fifth. Brody Black got things rolling with an RBI single to right field, and Christian Ortega followed that up with an RBI single of his own, extending the Red Sox lead to 4-1. They didn't stop there, as Christian Kuzemka reached on an error that scored Black. Tim Holyk then capped off the five-run frame with a two-run double to right field, putting Brantford up 7-1.
Travis Keys completed five innings but struggled in the fifth, as the London native surrendered seven runs, four of them earned, while striking out three.
At this point, the Majors were down 7-1, with most of the momentum on the Red Sox' side. One thing the Majors have done so well all season when playing from behind is their belief that they can come back, no matter what the score is. That belief and fight were on full display as London began to chip away at the deficit in the second half of the ballgame.
London started by plating two runs in the bottom of the fifth on a Trent Lenihan RBI single and a Maikol Escotto sacrifice fly, bringing London to within 7-3. If you're a baseball fan, you know comebacks sometimes require not one big inning, but multiple good, consistent offensive innings to chip away at a deficit.
London kept bringing the heat into the bottom of the seventh as Maikol Escotto hit his 15th home run of the season on the first pitch he saw from Red Sox reliever Catalin Morin, sending it deep to left field and bringing London to within three runs at 7-4. But here’s where things get interesting.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
"Maikol Escotto has now unofficially broken the London Majors' single-season home run record. However, the record cannot become official just yet, as the Welland Jackfish vs. London Majors game on August 23 was rained out after just four innings. Since a game must reach at least five innings to become official, Escotto's home run from that game will not officially count towards the record until the game is completed on Sunday, August 30."
Eduardo De Oleo also homered in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the margin to 7-5. De Oleo continues his hot stretch, as he entered the contest 6-for-19 (.316) over his last five games and continues to have great at-bats.
One major weakness the Red Sox have dealt with this season has been their bullpen. They entered the evening with a bullpen ERA of 7.42, and those struggles continued in the bottom of the eighth as the Majors' offence began to find its rhythm once again. Haldon Craig was called upon to slow down London's surge, but the Alberta native couldn't stop the momentum, giving up an RBI single on a 0-2 pitch to Trent Lenihan that brought the Majors to within one.
(Photo By Mason Dawdy)
Lenihan entered the game batting .451 against right-handed pitching and once again came through with a clutch hit when London needed it most. The pressure continued to build as Tucker Zdunich stepped to the plate with the tying run just 90 feet away. Zdunich battled through a tough at-bat before lining a soft single just out of the reach of the Red Sox second baseman, allowing Jordan Lewis to race home and tie the game at 7-7 after eight innings.
The London bullpen also had an efficient evening:
Majors Memorial Bullpen Breakdown (Cassie, Laird, Janisse):
(Photo By Mason Dawdy)
The unfortunate part about this incredible comeback by the Majors was that it was all the offence they could put together, as in the top of the ninth, Tim Holyk hit a sacrifice fly to centre field, giving Brantford the lead right back. London was unable to generate anything in the bottom half of the ninth, resulting in the Red Sox securing an 8-7 victory.
The Majors displayed an incredible amount of fight and showcased just why they never give up until the final out is recorded. With the loss, London now moves to 31-16 on the season but still maintains a one-and-a-half-game lead over the Hamilton Cardinals for the No. 1 seed in the CBL.
CBL standings
Team X= Clinched Playoff Berth W-L GB STRK
Here’s an updated look at the CBL postseason picture as of August 28:
CBL Playoff Picture (August 28th updated)
#2 HAMILTON CARDINALS ──────┐
(Best of 7 Series) (Semi-Final)
(Wild Card Game) #3 WELLAND JACKFISH ────────┘
#4 GUELPH ROYALS ───────┐ TBD VS TBD FINALS (Best of 7 Series) ├─ CHAMPIONSHIP
#5 BARRIE BAYCATS ───────┘ #1 LONDON MAJORS ─────┐
(Best of 7 Series) (Semi-Final)
WINNER OF #4/#5 ───────┘
London will now finish the season by completing their unfinished game against the Welland Jackfish on Sunday, August 30, with the Jackfish leading the Majors 9-2. The game will resume in the top of the fifth inning, with first pitch set for 4:00 p.m.