Majors trying to fit the puzzle pieces together

Around the Diamond: Majors enter weekend mired in six-game losing skid. What’s the answer to turn it around?; London signs two import arms at deadline; Reichstein the new leadoff hitter? Our latest news & notes …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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First, the good news. After going through a dry spell offensively, the London Majors scored 30 runs in their last four games – an average of seven-and-a-half runs per contest. The bad news? They allowed double-digit runs in each of those games (12 runs per) and lost all four of those games.

Now on a six-game losing streak, the Majors enter the weekend 8-18 overall and in seventh place in Intercounty Baseball League standings. It is lean times for the boys of summer in the Forest City. But it’s not stopping them from focusing on the positives – and trying to work things out in time for a playoff push.

Two new pitchers have entered the fold, both import arms, and a lineup shuffle has the club trying new things. Every team makes the playoffs, remember, which means the plan should be peaking at the right time. That’s the goal now for London, with a high seed seemingly out of the question.

The club still has 16 regular season games left, including a trio this weekend (Friday vs. Welland, Saturday in Barrie, Sunday in Kitchener) – and another Tuesday against Guelph at home. That’s plenty of time to figure things out, and manager Roop Chanderdat is determined to do so.

These are the two-time defending IBL champs, after all. And though this year’s journey has been a trying one thus far, things can change quickly in the IBL. The Majors are hoping that transformation starts soon …

1) Leading off ... Prior to London’s game against Barrie last Friday, Chanderdat wrote out his lineup with a twist – Byron Reichstein in the leadoff spot. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has been the team’s best hitter in 2023, more fitting for a middle-of-the-order spot. But with too many slow starts to games, Chanderdat wanted to experiment.

“Let’s get off to a good start here. That was the thinking,” the manager said. “When pitchers start a game, they’re trying to feel their way through it. And if you do that incorrectly, Byron’s gonna make you pay. He’s one of the guys in our league that pitchers need to really be locked in.”

Reichstein singled in his first at-bat and scored on a sac fly in a two-run first inning for the Majors. In the fourth inning, he smacked a two-run homer. On the night, he went 3-for-5 with three RBIs. He missed Saturday’s game in Welland, but he was back in the leadoff spot Sunday in Kitchener and launched two homers – including a long ball to lead off the game. A 3-for-4 day, with another three RBIs, wasn’t enough to grab a win, but it was another impressive performance for the veteran outfielder.

Then, on Tuesday, he showed his on-base skills by walking four times in London’s loss to Hamilton. That raised his on-base percentage to an impressive .451, good for ninth overall in the league. His .375 batting average (27-for-72) is sixth best in the IBL. Expect Reichstein to remain in the leadoff spot going forward.

2) Star power. He was an integral part of London’s 2022 championship run, batting .351 with 38 RBIs and 45 runs scored during the regular season a year ago. But Starling Joseph, a returning import player for the Majors, got off to a slow start in 2023. More than a month into the season, he was batting just .246 following an 0-for-3, three-strikeout game against Guelph on June 24.

Since then, though, he’s turned things around. The Dominican native has recorded a hit in every game since (11 contests), batting .385 (15-for-38) during that span. That has raised Joseph’s season mark to a much more respectable .302 – with a .375 on-base percentage. He’s only hit one homer during that stretch, but he’s notched five doubles and collected nine RBIs. He leads the team in both doubles (11) and RBIs (23) on the season.

It's been the opposite for Eduardo de Oleo, London’s other position playing import. The 30-year-old catcher got off to a scorching start to his Majors career, but he’s cooled off considerably – in part due to injury.

In his first nine games, de Oleo batted an eye-popping .459 (17-for-37). He then went hitless in the four games preceding his month-long stint dealing with an injury. But his bat’s been quiet since his return, too, as he’s gone just 3-for-21 in his five games back on the field. Production from import players is vital, and the Majors will need de Oleo to pick things up if they want to make the most of their offense.

Byron Reichstein has flourished in the leadoff spot in the Majors’ lineup. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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3) Staff shakeup -- again. The Majors’ pitching staff has been a revolving door this year as multiple import players have not panned out (see Abdiel Velasquez, Anfernee Benitez and Edisson Gonzalez). You can add Julio Goff to that list, as the Panamanian native is done after just one start in a Majors uniform.

It wasn’t a good one (six runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings against Barrie), but Chanderdat fully expected him to remain part of the staff. Unfortunately, Goff had to head back home for a family emergency. That left a roster hole that had to be filled within hours on Monday, the deadline to sign players for the remainder of the season.

At the last minute, Chanderdat managed to fill that import pitching spot by signing Jordan Schulefand, who had been released by the Hamilton Cardinals. With Hamilton this season, Schulefand posted a 4.15 ERA in four appearances (two starts) covering 17 1/3 innings. A two-way player, he also went 3-for-11 at the plate in limited action.

He’ll be used as a pitcher in London. A Florida native, Schulefand, 25, played his final season of collegiate ball at the University of Maine and then spent time in 2022 in independent ball, including with the Boise Hawks (Pioneer League) and Joliet Slammers (Frontier League). He spent a short time earlier this year with Trois-Rivieres in the same circuit.

Meanwhile, the Majors also signed Wilbur Martinez before the deadline – and the right-hander saw action right away on Tuesday against Hamilton. As has been the case for every import Majors import arm this year, it was a rough debut for Martinez, who allowed eight earned runs in his first two innings. But he did settle down, and Chanderdat saw potential during the rough outing.

“His curveball was on, he was just leaving it up a little bit. But he settled in,” the manager said. “He’s young, he’s 21 years old, but there’s something there. Is it enough to go six strong innings? I don’t know. I’ve seen three good innings, so we’ll go from there.”

Martinez was signed as an international free agent, at age 17, by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent three seasons in the organization as a relief pitcher competing in the Dominican Summer League.

4) Hitting on the upswing. As a whole, London’s offense has struggled throughout the 2023 season. But there have been reasons for optimism recently – despite the team’s current six-game losing streak. As mentioned previously, they scored a combined 30 runs in those games. In their three games last weekend, they averaged nearly 11 hits a game.

“We’re starting to put more balls in play and cutting down on the strikeouts. We’re preaching that,” said Chanderdat. “I think we’re hitting and scoring enough to win games.”

The problem, of course, is that they’re being outhit – and outscored – by their opponents due to poor pitching. Owen Boon has been the only reliable starting arm, and the bullpen has struggled for much of the year. This weekend the Majors will roll out Boon, Martinez and Schulefand and hope that each gives the team a chance to win.

Certainly, there is still work to be done offensively. Longtime veterans Cleveland Brownlee and Keith Kandel have really struggled. Both currently have batting averages under .200.

“These guys have a track record, though,” said Chanderdat. “These are all-stars. They’re champions and winners. So, I hope they find their stride.”

It’s been a bit like one’s golf game this year for the Majors. When the pitching has been good, the hitting hasn’t shown up. When the hitting has delivered, the pitching has been bad.

“Nothing has come together. Neither one has gelled,” London’s manager said. “If that happens, we’ll win games. So, that’s what we’re focused on. We can’t worry about standings and seedings and all that. Let’s keep getting better, let’s try to put the whole package together and build towards the playoffs. That’s what we can do now.”