Cyclones 5
Vermont 4
August 10 at MCU Park
The Cardiac Clones outdid themselves, winning on a walk-off suicide squeeze to take down Vermont 5–4 on Wednesday at MCU Park.
Brooklyn never led until the final play of the game, and Tom Gamboa noted that “you got to see the entire bullpen,” as seven pitchers were used.
A Brooklyn misplay in the second led to the first Vermont run of the night. Tyler Ramirez led off with a slow grounder to second which Nick Sergakis fielded and threw to first, but Darryl Knight reached up and had the ball go off his glove. A JaVon Shelby walk and Luke Perisco’s single loaded the bases.
Pitching coach Billy Bryk Jr. took a visit to the mound and Brooklyn starter Merandy Gonzalez got Jarrett Costa to pop up to catcher Dan Rizzie on a 3–1 pitch, but Robert Bennie’s one-out single to left scored Ramirez. Vermont could have had more, but Gonzalez got Steven Pallares to hit into a 4-6-3 double play on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
Adam Atkins entered in the third for the Clones, but issued a walk, gave up a 3–2 hit and then – according to Gamboa – tried to “trickf—” the next hitter, walking him on four pitches and earning a visit from the unhappy skipper.
“It’s been a long time since I aired a pitcher out on the mound in the middle of a game, but he needed it because if you’re gonna pitch scared, pitch to get him out or go home,” Gamboa said. “You have to be able to compete and he was not competing.”
Shelby followed with a run-scoring single to left and a Perisco sacrifice fly to center gave Vermont an early 3–0 lead.
The Cyclones answered in th ebottom of the frame as Dan Rizzie led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a one-out double by Gene Cone. Cone moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Nick Sergakis groundout to short.
Atkins was done after an inning as Alejandro Castro entered from the bullpen. Castro pitched two shutout innings and Ty Williams pitched a scoreless sixth.
Brooklyn tied the game in the bottom of the sixth as Desmond Lindsay singled, moved to third on a Blake Tiberi single and scored on a Tyler Painton wild pitch.
The lead didn’t last long, however, as Vermont’s Robert Bennie doubled against Gabriel Feliz in the seventh. He advanced on a Dan Rizzie passed ball and scored on a one-out single from Eric Marinez.
Brooklyn came right back as Knight drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a Sergakis single just out of the reach of shortstop Eli White in short left-center. Sergakis stole second, but was then picked off to end the inning with Lindsay at the plate. Gamboa wasn’t pleased with the move.
“Just picture that happening when Piazza was in his prime,” Gamboa said. “Every fan in the ballpark would be going ‘what the f— is he doing?’”
Vermont loaded the bases against Taylor Henry in the eighth, but with two outs, the southpaw struck out Pallares looking at a 3-2 pitch.
Joseph Zanghi pitched a scoreless ninth for Brooklyn – then things got crazy.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Dan Rizzie walked and moved to third on a Knight single. Knight took second on the throw. The Cyclones executed a suicide squeeze as Rizzie scored on Cone’s bunt, something Gamboa had planned for back in the top of the eighth.
Cone was already the star of the game with two doubles and a single, but he was most happy with that final moment.
“I got some good pitches to hit and fortunately I was able to put some good swings on a few balls today and a couple of them fell which doesn’t happen very often in this game,” Cone said.
The 27–25 Cyclones go for the sweep Thursday against Vermont at 7 pm.
UPS AND DOWNS
Jose Reyes is returning to Brooklyn and will play at third on Thursday.
Jesse Orosco will throw out the first pitch on Thursday and will be signing autographs during the game.
