Walk-off wins have Majors rolling

Around the Diamond: Payano Pitcher of the Week; Is Reichstein ready for a resurgence?’; Walk-off wins exciting fans and players alike; Bullpen a work in progress. Our news & notes …

Eduardo de Oleo donning the Forest City Cobra Chickens uniform last Friday (June 20, 2025) at Labatt Park. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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We’re sure the Hamilton Cardinals aren’t generally in the business of doing the London Majors any favours, but they did so Thursday night. With a 3-2 win over Welland, the Cards dealt the Jackfish their fifth loss of the season, putting the Majors in a tie for first with Welland heading into the weekend. Both teams sport 12-5 records.

And London has earned its spot atop the IBL. The Majors have won six of their last seven, including several close games where they’ve come up clutch when it’s mattered most. They’re a close second in both team batting average and team ERA, trailing only Welland in both categories. And they’ve beaten the Jackfish two out of the three times they’ve faced them thus far.

They’ll get another look at their rivals this weekend, as they’ll travel to Welland Saturday. Before that, they’re home Friday against Chatham-Kent, with Victor Payano on the mound, and they’re back home Sunday for a contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs. And then it’s Canada Day on Tuesday, where they’ll host Barrie at Labatt Park. Certainly, it’s a busy five-day stretch of baseball.

And it’s an important one, too. The Majors are hoping to take full advantage of their current home stretch, one that will see them play eight of 10 games at Labatt Park – before they start seeing the road a lot more often. Until then, three of the next four are in front of the home fans …

UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Friday (June 27, 7:35pm) vs. Chatham-Kent Barnstormers (Probable starter: Victor Payano)
Saturday (June 28, 1:05pm) @ Welland Jackfish (Probable starter: TBD)
Sunday (June 29, 1:05pm) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Probable starter: TBD)
Tuesday (July 1, 6:05pm) vs. Barrie Baycats (Probable starter: Travis Keys)

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

1) To the Victor go the spoils. The Majors’ top import pitcher, Victor Payano, did it again last Friday, hurling a gem of an outing. This time, it was six scoreless innings against Welland, in a game London eventually won 2-1 in 10 innings. The left-hander allowed just three hits and a pair of walks while striking out seven.

As a result of the stellar outing, Payano was named IBL Pitcher of the Week.

“He’s been dominant, there’s no other way to describe it,” Majors manager Roop Chanderdat said about Payano’s performance so far this season. “We’re trying to get him some runs early because we know he’s going to give us a great outing and a chance to win.”

In his first seven games (six starts) this season, the lefty has gone 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA (third in the IBL) and 1.11 WHIP. His 51 strikeouts (and 42 1/3 IP) are tops in the league. And he’s walked just eight in those seven outings. He’ll get a chance to continue his streak of going at least six innings in each start Friday when he takes on Chatham-Kent at Labatt Park.

Victor Payano pitches against the Welland Jackfish last Friday (June 20, 2025) at Labatt Park. (Photo: Isaiah Bergsma).

2) Is Byron back? It doesn’t seem that long ago that longtime Majors veteran Byron Reichstein hit .411 in a season and then enjoyed a magical playoff run that ended with a defining home run and a London championship. But that was 2021, four years ago now.

He found the magic again during the 2022 playoffs, helping the Majors go back-to-back, but he hasn’t truly been the bigtime bat London long enjoyed in the middle of its order over the last two years. He did hit a sturdy .311 with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 2023, but last year was a forgettable one. He batted just .212 in 34 games.

Does the 31-year-old still have the ability to be a gamechanger at the plate for the Majors? He certainly thinks so – and so does his manager, who is seeing good things lately.

“He’s looking more comfortable at the plate. I told him recently, ‘you look so confident up there.’ And he agreed,” said Chanderdat. “He’s feeling better, and the numbers show it. He’s starting to creep up to that .300 mark. If we can get Byron .300 and above, that’s going to bode well for us. He’s trending in the right way.”

He’s at .292 in his first 13 games this year (14-for-48). He’s belted three homers and a pair of doubles, and he’s driven in 11 runs. He’s also walked six times, something he did a lot last year – despite the low batting average. If Reichstein can return to form, this Majors lineup could look a lot more dangerous.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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3) Walking off into the sunset. The Majors have played in a lot of close games this year. That should be evident based on the fact they’re only a plus-11 in run differential despite having a 12-5 record. And they’ve been winning those close games. In fact, they’re 6-0 in one-run games this season, and they’ve earned walk-off wins not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times – and all in June alone.

Both wins last weekend were of the walk-off variety. Against Welland on Friday, Ken Sugi delivered his second walk-off hit of the year when he singled home Dre Amaral in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Majors the win. On Saturday against Brantford, it was Toby Simmons who did the honours, in the 9th, tripling home Amaral – and then scoring himself on a throwing error.

Winning close games is huge for a ballclub. Chanderdat says it’s no accident.

“We’re a resilient group. And there’s a confidence in the players, thinking and knowing they can win every game,” the manager said. “Until that last out, they believe it. And that’s contagious. You can sense it in the dugout.”

Josh Niles was the hero in London’s fourth walk-off win this month, back on June 1.

“It’s not just one guy. I preach this, and the guys believe in this, [the hero] could be anyone. We do what we do to get the next man up. And we believe, whether it’s our No. 9 hitter or our third hitter, they can all do it.

“From a fan perspective, it’s got to be exciting. You get to see a celebration on the field. It’s a happy way to end a game.”

4) Getting defensive. Bullpen business. The numbers are stark. The three pitchers who have started games for the Majors this year – Payano, Travis Keys and Jose Arias – have combined to post an impressive 2.16 ERA in 104 1/3 innings so far this season. The rest of the arms (the relievers), have come in at a combined 5.70 across 53 2/3 frames.

All told, an overall 3.36 ERA, which ranks second in the league, is very strong – especially in a hitter-friendly league like the IBL. But the Majors’ bullpen remains a work in progress.

“[Ryan] Beitel and [Nate] Bennett have been really good,” Chanderdat said about two key righties in the pen. Beitel has yet to give up an earned run in seven innings, while Bennett has a 2.07 ERA in limited work.

“Skylar [Janisse] has been good, and [Colby] Ring, our lefty, has been probably our most consistent guy overall. He’s pitched a fair bit out of the pen and he’s done well.”

Janisse has taken on closer duties, in the absence of Tyler Gillies, and he’s posted a 3.85 ERA in 16 1/3 innings as a bit of a workhorse. He’s given up some runs recently, but he’s also earned wins with the offense coming through for him in the clutch. Ring’s ERA is 4.90. And then it gets a little hairy, with lefty Jaryd Lund pitching to a disappointing 10.50 ERA so far, and Jonathan Henry at 13.50.

The good news? London is set to add a bullpen arm soon, as lefty Alex Springer, who’s seen action with the team over the past few seasons, will return from injury in the coming days. For a bullpen that’s been up and down, Springer could be a real difference maker.