Aberdeen 2
Cyclones 0
August 2 at MCU Park
The Cyclones were held to one hit in a 2–0 loss to Aberdeen on Tuesday at MCU Park – Brooklyn’s second shutout of the series. The camp-day game started at 11:30 am and finished in two hours and 11 minutes.
“It’s a refrain,” Clones manager Tom Gamboa said of the early start. “Today was about pitching and defense.”
The Cyclones missed a major scoring chance in the first. Michael Paez drew a one-out walk against Aberdeen starter Matthias Dietz. Desmond Lindsay followed with a double down the right field line as Paez attempted to score. Right fielder Cole Billingsley fired to first baseman Collin Woody who threw a strike to the plate where Daniel Fajardo tagged Paez. With Lindsay on second, Pete Alonso flew out to center to end the inning. The Cyclones wouldn’t get a runner on base again until the sixth.
Designated hitter Preston Palmeiro led off the Aberdeen second with a double. Guillermo Salas surprised the Brooklyn defense by bunting down the third base line with two outs and Palmeiro on third. Salas beat the throw to first as Palmeiro scored.
Gamboa noted that pitching coach Billy Bryk Jr. was not thrilled with the play.
“It’s like, ‘well gosh, that just seems kind of horse—-’,” the skipper said. Gamboa understood the stance of his pitching coach, but acknowledge it was a good baseball play.
It was the only run tough-luck loser Gabriel Llanes surrendered in eight innings. The righty held Aberdeen to five hits while striking out two and walking none. Llanes is now 2–5 on the seasons.
Dietz pitched three scoreless innings and Daniel Ayers followed with three of his own. Gene Cone’s two-out walk in the sixth gave Brooklyn a base runner for the first time since the first, but Paez grounded into a force out to snuff out the rally.
Andrew Elliott pitched two scoreless innings, allowing only a two-out walk in the eighth to Nick Sergakis. Ali Sanchez grounded out to first to end the inning.
Ty Williams entered to pitch the ninth for Brooklyn and walked Kirvin Moesquit on four pitches. Williams then walked Cole Billingsley on four pitches, and then plunked Ryan McKenna to load the bases. Gamboa took Williams out after nine pitches.
Gabriel Feliz came in to get out of the jam. Palmeiro hit one over the drawn-in infield to score Moesquit. Feliz was able to get out of the inning without any more damage.
“He pitched great,” the Cyclones skipper said of Feliz’ performance.
Jake Bray pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth inning as the Cyclones fell back to .500.
The 22–22 Cyclones go to Hudson Valley to take on the Renegades at 7:05 pm on Wednesday.
UPS AND DOWNS
The lineup Gamboa originally wanted was to have Desmond Lindsay at designated hitter, Jay Jabs in left, Jacob Zanon in center and Gene Cone in right. Not realizing it was a day Lindsay was supposed to be in center, Gamboa wrote in Lindsay in center and Jabs as designated hitter. The umpires did not allow the late move as the lineup card had already been submitted. Gamboa had changed it on the Cyclones card, but not the umpires one.
“In all my years of doing this, I’ve prided myself on never, ever making a mistake,” Gamboa said. “It was my fault. So there’s my one blemish on my perfect record.”
