The Welland Jackfish (25-10) enter August with a 3.5-game lead over London for their third-consecutive IBL pennant after Thursday's 3-2 win over the Barrie Baycats (21-14) at Athletic Kulture Stadium.
Jackfish right-hander Teodoro Ortega (6-1) racked up a team season-high 13 strikeouts in 7.1 innings. Frank Garcés took the loss despite a seven-inning, 11 strikeout outing on 120 pitches.
Deivy Mendez closed out the game with his fifth save of the season.
After a stretch in which the team won 12 of 13, Barrie has now lost four of its last five. Meanwhile, Welland has won its eighth straight road game.
Barrie's News Delivered To Your Inbox
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Central Ontario Broadcasting, 431 Huronia Rd, Barrie, Ontario, CA, https://www.cobroadcasting.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
RECAP
Barrie got on the board after Noel McGarry Doyle led off the game with a bunt single and was driven in by Nolan Machibroda.
Machibroda then tried to get into a rundown to score a run with two outs and a two strike count on Noah Hull. It's a play that's worked successfully in the past but this time it resulted in Tristan Clarke being tagged out between third and home.
"Trying to get [Hull] out of the hole and leave early, and we didn't time it up just right," Machibroda said postgame. "Pitcher held the ball a little too long and Tristan broke home so they were able to get us... trying to get a freebie."
That was the closest the Baycats came to scoring a run the rest of the game off Ortega. The Panamanian pitcher retired 19 of the next 21 batters he faced, allowing only a third-inning double to Brandon Hernandez and a walk to Machibroda in the seventh.
"He was just making pitches that he wanted to make and we were letting him make those pitches," Machibroda added. "Maybe we were a little over-aggressive swinging at that stuff."
Welland answered back in the top of the second with an RBI single by Brendan Luther to drive in James Smibert.
Smibert played in his first IBL game since clinching the Jackfish's first championship in 2023 on the road against the Baycats.
In the fifth, Garcés struck out Matteo Porcellato for his 100th strikeout of the season, but a passed ball by James Anderson allowed Gianfranco Morello to score from third.
Garcés dealt with baserunners in each of his seven innings of work, stranding seven Jackfish in scoring position.
He stranded Morello and Jonah Weisner in the seventh with three consecutive strikeouts. He came off the field with an uncharacteristic firey reaction, but that emotion carried into the dugout.
After Machibroda led off the seventh with a walk, Francisco Hernandez stepped up, and went down 0-2 after two swings.
Hernandez reportedly missed a bunt sign and Garcés was furious from the dugout as two why he wasn't trying to bunt in the situation. He was seen kicking a garbage can across the dugout in rage.
"It's just more frustrating than anything when Frank pitches and we're not scoring for him, manager Josh Matlow said postgame. "He probably has the lowest run support in the league."
The Baycats' offence has given Garcés 35 runs of support across his 11 starts so far this season, an average of 3.18.
Welland added some insurance with an RBI single by Porcellato in the ninth off Braeden Pakkala.
It was answered by an RBI double by Francisco Hernandez the next half-inning to bring Barrie back within one. However, it wasn't enough.
"It was a 3-2 game," Matlow said. "We're holding our heads like, you know, we got thumped."
BAYCATS HISTORY
Garcés had eclipsed his career-high in strikeouts for a single season during his last start.
He entered Thursday with 94 and his 11 against Welland tied him with teammate Cesar Rosado for most in a single season in Baycats franchise history (105).
GARCIA RELEASED
It was revealed Thursday that the Baycats released former major league outfielder Willy Garcia after Wednesday's game in Toronto.
"Willy's a very big character and there was a lot of times that rubbed people the wrong way, Matlow said. "Coming into the playoffs, we have a good unit, we have have good core. I definitely don't want those feathers ruffled."
Throughout the season, Garcia allegedly appeared entitled, with much of that attitude projected toward Matlow.
KEY FACT
Ortega's 13-strikeout performance is the first Jackfish pitching performance with a total that high since Christian Young's 16-strikeout outing in 2021. McGarry Doyle and Anderson each appeared in that game for Barrie, each striking out twice.
No other Jackfish pitcher has had more than 11 since.
Young's outing happened July 31, 2021 on the road against Barrie. It was his last IBL appearance before he was signed by the American Association's Milwaukee Milkmen.
UP NEXT
Both teams play each other again Saturday at Welland Stadium. Rosado (4-3, 3.51 ERA) will start for Barrie, while Ben Abram (5-2, 3.71 ERA) will start for Welland.
"We're still going to go out there with the same mentality and try and beat the brakes off them," Machibroda concluded.
