The Ottawa Titans are back for a homestand this weekend, and hopefully one that will rival their last round at home. When we last saw the Titans at Ottawa Stadium, they managed to obliterate the league-leading New York Boulders, taking the series 2-1 including a barn-burning 13-3 victory on June 12.
The Titans offense seemed unstoppable, as they went to sweep the New Jersey Jackals the following weekend, including an incredible complete game shut-out on Friday June 14th by ace starter Grant Larson. Larson made one of the best starts of his professional career–tossing the first nine-inning complete game shutout in regular season franchise history in the Titans’ 6-0 victory.
The lefty allowed just four hits in the win, and striking out a career-best 13 opposing hitters. This outstanding performance caught notice of the league, and Larson was named Pitcher of the Week for that week, only the second time that a Titans pitcher has received that honour.
Grant Larson. Photo: Guy Godin
The game on Fathers’ Day saw one of the largest crowds that the Titans have had in the last three seasons, with over 3,000 fans in attendance for the special event, watching the Titans take the game 13-1. They had special father/child games and giveaways all day, and fans were even invited to play catch in the outfield at the end of the game. (It was supposed to be for dads and kids, but luckily anyone was welcome to join.)
The team seems to have really found their feet offensively, and with reliable pitching on the mound going into this week’s series the Titans are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
AJ Wright still leads the team with a .336 batting average, placing him 8th overall in the league right now. He also leads the team in hits, homeruns, walks and RBIs, while managing to keep a very tight lid on third base.
AJ is on fire this season, and the infielder is only getting better. Outfielder Jake Guenther is also impressive with an interesting combination of most stolen bases (8), and fewest strikeouts (12) of the main roster. Erasmo Piñales continues to dominate as a closer, and is second in the league with 10 saves, one win and only one loss in 14 appearances.
Taco Salad. Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki
This week the Titans are taking on New England Knockouts Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We swept the Knockouts last week on their own turf, including a complete game 5-0 shutout by Shane Gray last Friday. (It may seem from this article that complete game shutouts are common. Trust me, they are not. We are just doing really, really well right now.)
Tuesday night is Bingo Night, and Wednesday is Upstairs Neighbour Night, where the team is promising loud music, and general big energy in the stands. Friday night you can catch the pre-Canada Day fireworks after the game, which are always actually, really good.
We’ll be taking on the New Jersey Jackals again from Friday to Sunday, and the team doesn’t play on Monday—so the long weekend vibes will run through the whole homestand.
Grab a taco salad, or burria tacos from Mr Señor if you want a delicious, fresh meal, or opt for the breakfast burrito on Sunday (add guacamole and get some salsa on the side for the perfect experience).
Advance tickets for Titans games are $12 or $16 and can be bought online or at the box office. Expect to pay $4 more on game days, regardless of where you buy them. Parking is through Indigo parking, so there are QR codes throughout the lot to pay by phone.
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