Yankees 8
Cyclones 1
June 22 at MCU Park
The Cyclones fell to hated cross-Harbor rivals the Staten Island Yankees as the Mini-Mets bullpen failed to follow up a strong start by Hansel Robles, posting the team’s first loss of the season in a horrific 8–1 defeat at MCU Park.
Robles struck out seven batters in five innings and limited the Baby Bombers to just one run, an RBI double from Saxon Butler in the third. Richard Ruff replaced the Clones starter in the sixth and walked two batters in a row in the following inning before Cyclones skipper Rich Donnelly pulled him and put in Beck Wheeler. Wheeler let a runner on base with a bunt, followed by four hits, a passed ball, and a walk in a nightmare inning in which the Yankees batted around and scored six runs.
Reliever David Wynn ended the inning with a strikeout, but the damage was done.
The Clones scored their only run of the night in the seventh in a solo shot off the bat of shortstop Philip Evans, while Wynn hit two batters at the top of the eighth and allowed another run. The team failed to score in the eighth despite a triple by Eudy Pina and went down in order in the ninth.
The Cyclones are now tied for first in the McNamara Division with the increasingly reviled Hudson Valley Renegades, and in the New York–Penn League the Auburn Doubledays and the Lowell Spinners. The team travels to Ripken Stadium in Maryland to face the fierce Aberdeen Ironbirds tomorrow night.
Reach reporter Thomas Tracy at ttracy@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2525.
