Cyclones 2
Staten Island 0
Aug. 21 at MCU Park
Daisuke Matsuzaka threw five innings and got the win in his Cyclones debut this season, at one point striking out eight batters in a row.
The Mets pitcher, on a rehab start for a Brooklyn team battling for the last playoff spot in the New York-Penn League, got into a jam in the first inning when he gave up a double, a single, and a walk, but then struck out the next three batters to get out of it.
Matsuzaka went on to fan the next five Yankees en route to the win.
The first run of the game came in the fifth when Pedro Perez doubled to right, was moved over by an error, and later scored on a double by Michael Bernal.
Tyler Moore’s single in the sixth plated Tomas Nido who reached on a walk.
Matsuzaka was backed up by Brad Wieck, Kelly Secrest, and Shane Bay, who got the save.
The Cyclones take on the Tri-City Valley Cats on Friday beginning a for a three-game series at home.
Ups and downs
Daisuke in the house: Daisuke Matsuzaka was the 20th big leaguer to rehab with the Cyclones and the second of the 2014 season, following Dillon Gee. He is also the third Japanese player to make an appearance with the Mini-Mets, joining outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo in 2001 and infielder Kaz Matsui in 2005
Injury update: Fist baseman Jeff Diehl who had been nursing an oblique injury has now been diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of his eleventh rib, is out for the remainder of the season. First baseman and outfielder Michael Katz is scheduled to undergo knee surgery next week and will also miss the rest of the season. Joe Tuschak continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
Breaking records, just not good ones: During Wednesday night’s sloppy game against the Yankees, the Cyclones committed a franchise record of six errors that lead to another franchise record 11 unearned runs. Brooklyn pitching also walked nine batters.
