Around the Diamond: Majors’ pitching, new bats shining early
The Majors take a 4-1 record into the weekend (Friday vs. Toronto, Sunday @ Hamilton). Owen Boon and newcomer Jose Arias have dominated on the mound, while Robert Mullen and Drew Lawrence have made their mark at the plate.
Catcher Robert Mullen, a native of Panama, is off to a great start for the London Majors in 2022. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
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1) Road warriors. With the Majors’ Opening Night game suspended due to a suspected gas leak (false alarm, folks, everyone is fine), and last Friday’s game postponed due to rainy conditions, London has completed just one home game thus far – a 6-1 win over former Major Leaguer Dalton Pompey and the Guelph Royals on holiday Monday, May 23.
Meanwhile, they’ve completed four on the road, going 3-1 in those four contests – including their 6-3 Opening Day win over the Toronto Maple Leafs (May 15) and last weekend’s pair of lopsided wins in Barrie (12-2) and Brantford (8-2).
In fact, they could (rather, they should) be a perfect 4-0 on the road so far. An unlikely comeback win by the Welland Jackfish, who trailed 7-2 (with 2 out!) in the bottom of the ninth on May 21, is the only blemish on the Majors’ road record.
Last weekend, in particular, London shined on the road with back-to-back wins Saturday and Sunday. Against the Barrie Baycats, the Majors pounded out 16 hits. Five of them came in a 7-run fourth inning that blew the game open in their eventual 12-2 win at Vintage Throne Stadium. Robert Mullen homered to start the inning, Drew Lawrence drove in three with a bases-loaded triple, and Cleveland Brownlee launched a three-run homer in the frame to account for the scoring.
Then it was a trip down the 403, where London extended Brantford’s winless streak to six start the season, coming away with an 8-2 win. With the game tied 2-2 to start the fifth, Majors outfielder Starling Joseph hit a big three-run home run. Lawrence, Brownlee and Mullen each had multi-hit games, while Taylor Wright had a pair of RBIs. Owen Boon got the win, while Jordan Spring, Fernando Fernandez and Connor Ambrogio each tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.
2) Catching fire. What have the Majors found in Robert Mullen, their new catcher in 2022? Potentially a lot. In addition to being strong behind the plate, possessing a good arm, and calling a good game, the 26-year-old Panama native has shown he can hit the ball, too – perhaps more than Majors manager Roop Chanderdat anticipated.
Mullen is certainly on a heater to start the season. Through five games (plus the suspended home opener), London’s catcher is hitting an eye-popping .524 (11-for-21) with a league-leading three home runs and five extra-base hits. He has six RBIs, three walks, and has yet to strike out – the only player in the league with more than 12 at-bats who can say that.
One of the Majors’ key import players this year (the others being pitchers Jose Arias and Cesar Cabral, as well as outfielder Starling Joseph), Mullen is hitting in the middle of the order, back-to-back with longtime Major Cleveland Brownlee, who has also gotten off to a hot start (10-for-22, .455, 2 HR, 6 RBI).
3) Make yourself at home. Speaking of import players, starting pitcher Jose Arias has settled in immediately with the Majors and has really shined on the mound in his first three appearances. In his debut on Opening Day, he relieved starter Owen Boon (5 innings) and worked the final four innings, allowing just one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out seven for the four-inning save.
In London’s forgettable loss in Welland May 21, Arias did his job. The right-hander worked six innings in his first Majors start, giving up just a run on five hits. He walked one and struck out seven. And then he earned his first win in the London pinstripes. On Saturday in Barrie, Arias had perhaps his best outing yet, going seven scoreless for the win. He allowed four hits and three walks while striking out eight.
Add it all up, and Arias is the owner of a pristine 1.05 ERA in 17 innings so far this season. That’s good for second best in the league. His 22 strikeouts, meanwhile, are third best, behind his teammate, Boon (24), and Guelph’s Claudio Custodio (34).
Pitching depth was a need for the Majors entering 2022, and it appears Arias will be a key member of London’s starting rotation, in addition to Boon and Pedro De Los Santos, last year’s co-aces. Already, Arias has papered over De Los Santos’ early struggles (3.2 IP, 7 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K), which portends well for when the left-handed De Los Santos rights the ship.
And that Boon guy? He’s picked up right where he left off last season. In three starts, the right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA and those aforementioned 24 strikeouts in 20 innings of work. In London’s lone home win thus far, Boon pitched a complete game, allowing just one unearned run. He struck out 13 Royals on 120 pitches (80 strikes). Dalton Pompey, the former Toronto Blue Jay, went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout against Boon that day.
Rookie outfielder Drew Lawrence. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
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4) The rookie is raking. Talk about hitting the ground running. Outfielder Drew Lawrence, a first-year player with the Majors, has burst onto the scene with his hitting in the early going. Heading into this weekend’s games, he’s not only leading the Majors in hitting, but he’s leading the league with his .545 batting average.
Including London’s suspended home opener (which will be resumed June 10 when the Kitchener Panthers return to Labatt Park, with the visitors up 5-4 in the fifth inning), Lawrence has 12 hits in 22 at-bats, with a pair of extra-base hits, six runs scored and six RBIs (he also has London’s lone stolen base thus far).
Lawrence, a graduate of the Great Lake Canadians program who also spent some time with Canada’s Junior National Team, began the year hitting seventh in the order (he went 4-for-4 with a double and 2 RBIs in the Majors’ 6-3 opening day win over Toronto). But he was quickly moved up in the lineup, and he batted leadoff in both games last weekend. Lawrence went 3-for-6 with three runs and three RBIs Saturday, and then added another two hits in Sunday’s win over Brantford.
He's been a pleasant surprise for manager Roop Chanderdat, playing a solid left field in addition to his hot start at the plate.
While not blowing down the doors, another rookie, Taylor Wright, has also shown promise at the plate. The third baseman is batting .263 (5-for-19) in the early going, with six runs scored and a team-high five walks. His plate discipline has stood out, as he’s combined those walks with just two strikeouts. The highlight of Wright’s season thus far was his Opening Night blast over the right-field wall at Labatt Park, which was the first of back-to-back solo homers for himself and Starling Joseph.
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