Cyclones 5
Mahoning Valley Scrappers 1
July 30 at Eastwood Field
Mini-Mets center fielder Brandon Nimmo led the Cyclones to victory over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers for the second game in a row — but this time he had some help from hurler Rainy Lara.
The last match-up of a six-game Clones road trip got off to a rough start when the Scrappers put one on the board in the first after Lara gave up a double to center fielder Tyler Naquin, and catcher Charlie Valerio chopped an RBI grounder up the middle to drive Naquin home. But after that, Lara was dominant the rest of the game, sending the Scrappers down in order the next four innings, allowing no additional runs, and striking out a total of 10 batters in seven innings of work.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones offense surged in the third, when Scrappers starting pitcher Luis Morel loaded the bases by walking right fielder Eudy Pina, giving up a single to Nimmo, and walking second baseman Richie Rodriguez. First baseman Jayce Boyd stepped up to the plate and whacked a line drive out to center that scored two. The Clones padded their lead in the fifth, as Nimmo — who went three for five on the night — roped one to center. Rodriguez then reached base on a fielding error at the hot corner, prompting Scrappers skipper Ted Kubiak to go to the bullpen for reliever Robbie Aviles. But Kubiak would soon regret the switch, as Aviles walked designated hitter Alexander Sanchez and surrendered a single to left fielder Stefan Sabol, allowing Nimmo and Rodriguez to score.
The Cyclones posted another run in the sixth, as Aviles gave up a single to Pina with two outs. Pina stole second with Nimmo at bat. The top prospect from Wyoming — who now boasts 24 RBIs on the season and a batting average of .286 over the last 10 games — then smacked a line drive to right field for a double, letting Pina cross the plate. The Scrappers failed to come up with a run in their final four at bats, giving the Cyclones the game.
The Cyclones are home again at MCU Park [1904 Surf Ave. at W. 17th Street in Coney Island, (718) 449–8497, www.brooklyncyclones.com] on Aug. 1 at 7 pm as they take on the Connecticut Tigers.
