Majors hold off Leafs to put themselves on brink of IBL title

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By Gene Pereira

The London Majors are just a win away from their first Intercounty Baseball League championship in 46 years.

Starting pitcher Eduardo Perez gave up just one earned run over seven strong innings and Humberto Ruiz belted four hits and three RBI to put the Majors on a brink of the title with a 6-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tuesday night, at Labatt Memorial Park.

London now leads the best-of-five final 2-1 and can claim the Jack Dominico Trophy with a win Thursday night at Dominico Field at Christie Pits.

The Leafs, who are looking for their first title since 2007, will look to stave off elimination and force a fifth and deciding game Friday night back in London.

Toronto has been dominant at Christie Pits this summer finishing the regular season with an impressive 11-4 record. That included a pair of wins over the Majors.

Trailing 6-2 heading into the top of the eighth inning, the Leafs would cut the lead on a two-run homer by Jonathan Solazzo off London reliever Nick Carrell.

Toronto would get the tying run to the plate with one out in the top of the ninth on a double by Justin Marra, but London reliever Lou Kelley got Sean Reilly to pop up to third and then struck out Garrett Takamatsu to seal the win and earn his first save of the playoffs.

Perez (1-1) was dominant on the mound for the Majors, giving up two runs, just one earned, on five hits and three walks. He struck out six.

Zach Sloan (0-1) was tagged with the loss for Toronto. The lefty starter gave up five runs on 11 hits and one walk over 4.1 innings. He struck out one.

The Majors broke open a 2-2 game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a three-run rally that was fueled by a pair of bunt singles by Chris McQueen and Austin Wilkie.

The key hit for London in the inning coming on a two-run single to right field by Ruiz off Sloan to score both Carlos Arteaga and McQueen.

The Majors would add another run when Mateos Kekatos, who came in relief of Sloan with the bases loaded, walked Hayden Jaco to force home Wilkie.

London got to Sloan early in this one, grabbing the lead in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run double by Cleveland Brownlee.

Marcus Knecht would cut the lead in half in the top of the second when he tagged Eduardo Perez for his third homer of the post-season.

Justin Marra tied things up at 2-2 the next inning when his single to right field brought home Chandler McLaren.

Game time Thursday in Toronto is 7:30 p.m.