Frank Garcés holds off Toronto in Barrie Baycats' 6-3 series-tying win

The 2025 Barrie Baycats will live to fight at least one more day.

Baycats starter Frank Garcés came through when his team needed him most, leading his team to a 6-3 win, and forcing game five in their IBL quarterfinal series against Toronto Tuesday at Christie Pits.

The Dominican left-hander striking out 13 in an eight-inning win, while only allowing three earned runs on four hits and three walks. He now has 28 strikeouts through 16 innings in the postseason, and has totaled 133 pitches in each of his first two playoff starts in 2025.

"In Frank we trust," Baycats manager Josh Matlow said postgame.

"My mind is blown," Baycats outfielder Noel McGarry Doyle said postgame. "I can't say anything more about that performance. I knew Frank Garces, but playoff Frank is a different breed."

Meanwhile, his counterpart Wilgenis Alvarado couldn't match his own game one performance. He allowed five earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out four in 5.2 innings.

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RECAP

Much like game one, Garcés struck out each of the first four batters he faced in the game. And unlike game one, his team got on the board early.

"When Frank pitches, we usually don't hit well," Baycats infielder Francisco Hernandez said postgame. "That's the unfortunate part about it, but tonight we came up big."

With the bases loaded in the second, Nolan Machibroda was hit by a pitch, but home plate umpire Kyle Warrener ruled that he leaned into the pitch. Nonetheless, Machibroda's approach yielded an actual hit by pitch ruling two pitches later, which scored Andrew Johnston.

In the third, Justin Marra came through yet again with a two-out home run to tie the game. It's his third of the series after hitting five in the regular season.

Barrie answered back in the fifth on an RBI double by Francisco Hernandez, who then scored on a single by Tristan Clarke.

Two more came in for the Baycats in the sixth when Noel McGarry Doyle hit an RBI double and Adam Odd scored on a wild pitch by Alvarado.

"I've been hungry all series and to come up big like that," McGarry Doyle said.

Marcus Knecht hit a two-out, two-run homer off Garcés in the eighth to make it 5-3. Each of Toronto's last six runs have all come on home runs.

Barrie added insurance in he next half inning off reliever Greg Carrington on an RBI single by Nolan Machibroda. He was previously 0-for-14 in the series before that hit.

Carlos Sano entered and picked up the save, thanks in part to a diving play by second baseman Francisco Hernandez to take a potential hit away from Spenser Ross.

"We usually don't win here," Francisco Hernandez said. "We kept on fighting since the first inning. Frank did an amazing job, as usual."

"Frank pitched his you-know-what off, Matlow said. "Defense made some plays, so we take that momentum into tomorrow and hopefully it keeps that energy high and we can get that lead early and support Juan [Benítez].

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

Tuesday marked Baycats catcher Andrew Johnston's first time catching Garcés, and understandably, there were some struggles for the 21-year-old catching the former major leaguer.

After a strikeout to end the fifth, Garcés was visibly frustrated with Johnston upon returning to the dugout. Johnston was rattled, but the two seemingly worked out their differences.

"[Johnston] did a great job," Matlow said. "He bodied everything up, it was absolutely perfect defensively... it was just a little bit of, you know, growing pains."

KEY STAT

In this series, Barrie has scored 14 runs on 29 hits in four games. In just game one of the IBL quarterfinals against Toronto in 2024, the team has 14 runs on 18 hits.

UP NEXT

Game five is Wednesday at Athletic Kulture Stadium. Juan Benítez (0-1, 7.20 ERA) will start for Barrie, while Toronto is set to start Franklin Hernandez (1-0, 4.50 ERA).

If the Baycats win in game five, it will secure semifinal matchups between Barrie and Hamilton and Welland and Guelph. A Toronto win will put the Maple Leafs against the Jackfish and the Cardinals against the Royals.

AROUND THE INTERCOUNTY

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