Kyle Degrace drove in three runs and Jeremy Walker belted a three-run homer as the Toronto Maple Leafs powered past the Hamilton Thunderbirds 12-6 at Christie Pits on Sunday afternoon.

Toronto blasted three consecutive dingers while scoring six in the eighth, to break a 6-6 deadlock and make a winner out of reliever Mark Sikorski.

Drew Taylor went four innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits while striking out one. Lee Witmer pitched two effective innings, giving up one run and Sikorski went three innings allowing two hits.

Toronto (20-12) pounded two Hamilton pitchers for 18 hits and four home runs. Every batter had a least one hit with Kern Watts getting three. Degrace, Damon Topolie and Rob Gillis also went deep for the Leafs.

“We’ve been swinging the bats well lately,” Degrace said. “We weren’t getting timely hits (early in the game) and all of a sudden we just exploded.”

Thunderbirds right-hander Doug Chrysler struggled through five innings allowing four runs on 10 hits and reliever Jordell Farquharson took the loss allowing eight runs in three innings of work.

The Hamilton (7-25) offence was lead by centre fielder Darnell Duckett . He had a productive day at the dish with a single, two home runs and three RBI(s) in four at-bats.

Hamilton scored early runs but couldn’t put a lid on the long ball as the Leafs beat the Thunderbirds for the fifth time this season.

The visitors got to Taylor for three in the first.

With one out, Ryan Sharpe hit the first of four Thunderbirds home runs when he took Taylor deep to left. Three singles, a ground out and two Leafs errors plated two more.

Toronto responded for one in the bottom of the first when Watts singled, went to third on a pick off attempt by Chrysler and scored when Gamin Teague lifted a sacrifice fly to right. They eventually loaded the bases with two down but Gillis flew out to end the inning.

The Leafs filled the sacks, again, in the third but came away empty handed when Topolie grounded into a fielders’ choice to close the frame.

Toronto had six singles and a double by the third but couldn’t get the timely hit when they needed it.

“You an get a single here and a double there but if you’re not driving in runs your not going to win the game. Every one knows that,” Degrace said.

“We have to be more patient and not let the pitcher off the hook,” Topolie said. “I’m probably the one who was the most guilty in this game because I chased a bad pitch with the bases loaded.”

Toronto left seven men on base through three innings.

A lead-off home run by Duckett and two out shot by Brad Hucsko gave Hamilton a 5-1 lead after 3 ½ innings, spelling the end of Taylor’s day.

“Today was a bit of a rough day,” Taylor said. “I left pitches up and in this park you can’t leave pitches up in the zone.”

“With those home runs he was missing his spots,” Topolie said. “They had a good enough plate approach to capitalize on the mistakes.”

Toronto closed the gap to 5-3 in the fourth when Watts singled and Degrace lifted a two-run shot over the left-field fence.

“He (Degrace) is a great guy to have on the team,” Taylor said. “He can catch, play the outfield and he’s one of those guys that makes a team so much better with his versatility.”

Witmer set the Thunderbirds down in the top of the fifth and the Leafs made it 5-4 in the bottom half when Raul Borjas scored on a Topolie ground out to first.

In the sixth, Hamilton went ahead 6-4 when Duckett hit a solo shot off Witmer.

With Farquharson in, the Leafs responded with a two-run outburst in the home half of sixth to knot the score at 6-6.

Sikorski worked a three up three down seventh and allowed a two-out walk in the eighth, but retired Peter Lawrence on a ground out to short.

“The bullpen did a great job in holding them down (today),” Taylor said.

That set the scene for a Toronto power display in the bottom half.

Borjas brought in the eventual game winner when his sac fly scored Teague but the barrage was just beginning.

Following Walker’s three-run blast to right, Gillis hit one to the same spot and Topolie followed with a solo poke to left. When Farquharson finally cut the power the Leafs were leading 12-6 and on the way to their 13th win at home.