Pirates vs. Expos – 6:30 PM.
With the greatest single-game offensive performance in the history of the JMS League, the league-leading Expos displayed their dominance with a 28-8 massacre of the Pirates. After the last matchup between these two teams resulted in a historic comeback effort by the Pirates, the Expos decided to make their own run at the league record books. Once again, they showed their offensive prowess and why they deserve to remain at the top of the standings. Every single player on the team recorded a RBI; 6 of the 10 players on the hit 3 or more RBIs. While every player deserves to be applauded for their performance, Ali Merali proved to be perhaps the best lead-off man in the league and Tarik Kamel was a home run short of hitting for the cycle. While their efforts are not to be dismissed, and they did attempt a comeback in the 4th inning, the Pirates simply could not keep up with the Expos. Adam Mawji and Mikhail Hudda recorded 2 RBIs a piece, but the supporting cast around them fell short of making this a competitive game. The Expos have firmly cemented themselves as the league’s finest and will look to continue their strong play against the Red Sox.
Co-MVPs: Expos’ Ali Merali and Tarik Kamel – combined 1 HR, 9 RBIs, and 7 runs.
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox – 8:00 PM.
After playing a makeup game at 5PM, the Blue Jays got a one game rest before having to face the Red Sox on a back-to-back. It looks like the rest did them well, as they took the first game on a 15-9 scoreline. Early on, it looked like the Jays might have been feeling the fatigue. Minhal Jaffer slammed one over the fence in the 1st inning, and replacement Hussain Habib and the Red Sox’s Maysum Jaffer racked in 2 RBIs each in the 2nd inning. But with a power 3rd inning, the Jays wouldn’t look back. Game MVP, Imran Virji, drove in 3 of his 5 RBIs in the third, and Blue Jays’ Abbas Mohamedali brought in two of his own. Although the Red Sox started off with 7 runs in their first two innings, the offense that usually comes so consistently with the team vanished at the waning moments of the game, as the team racked in only 2 combined runs over the last two innings. With the second game of their back-to-back and a potential playoff matchup looming between these two teams, the Blue Jays take home the win and send the Red Sox on a three-game losing streak.
MVP: Imran Virji – 5 RBIs and 1 run.
Red Sox vs. Blue Jays – 9:30 PM.
Usually the second game of a back-to-back provides a sloppy beginning, and this proved to be no different. The teams brought in a combined 11 runs in the first inning, led by Blue Jays’ Allen Ahi’s 2-run home run and Red Sox’s Minhal Jaffer’s 3-run homer. After the offensive battle in the first inning, the teams settled down to play a defensive chess match. Each minor mistake would prove critical in the team’s efforts; after all, this was a battle for second place. Much like the previous game, the Red Sox’s offense dropped completely, producing a mere 4 runs in the last three innings of the game after hitting for 5 in the first alone. However, Blue Jays’ Ali Manek’s 2-run homer in the 3rd proved to be the difference maker in this game. With the Blue Jays ever so slightly increasing their lead and the Red Sox’s offensive output rapidly declining, the Blue Jays ended their day with a 13-9 victory, went 3-0 in their games for the week, and claimed second place for their own. The Red Sox will take their 4-game losing streak and face the league-leading Expos next week, in an attempt to stay away from 4th place and a vaunted playoff matchup with those same Expos.
MVP: Allen Ahi – 1 HR, 4 RBIs and 2 runs.