Skipper: ‘Sphincter Factor’ sinks Clones

Tri-City 11

Cyclones 4

Tuesday, June 23 at MCU Park

Kevin Canelon’s jitters kept him from making it out of the third inning in his first start of the season as Brooklyn lost the middle game of a three-game set with the ValleyCats.

And manager Tom Gamboa says he thought nerves would be a problem before the start.

“The ‘Sphincter Factor’ got him in the first inning,” said Cyclones manager Tom Gamboa, referring to his term describing the ability to play under pressure. “I was afraid of that, because when we practiced last Thursday, with nobody in the stands and just the lights on, he was nervous when we were doing fundamental drills.”

Tri-City tagged the southpaw for three runs in the first and three more in the third. Five of the six runs were earned — and the unearned run came on a throwing error by Canelon.

That came after a lead-off walk in the first. A come-backer to Canelon should have been a double-play, but the nervous pitcher — who fielded the ball cleanly — quickly wheeled and threw to second base before any fielders got there, launching the ball into the outfield.

“He didn’t give himself a chance,” Gamboa said. “That’s a double play at any level of baseball. When the ‘Sphincter Factor’ kicks in, the game speeds up. Instead of getting two outs, we didn’t get anybody out.”

The Cyclones couldn’t rally from the early deficit, although Michael Bernal continued his hot hitting with a two-run homer in the first inning. That was Bernal’s only at-bat against starter Scott Weathersby who was lifted after giving up two runs in two innings.

Bernal went hitless in three at-bats against the Tri-City bullpen.

Yeyfrey Del Rosario got the win, pitching shutout ball in the seventh and eighth innings. Del Rosario was the fourth of five relievers used by Tri-City manager Ed Romero.

Brooklyn trailed by five before scoring one in the fourth and one in the fifth to make it 7–4.

Cesar Carrasco’s sixth inning homer off Brooklyn reliever Gaither Bumgardner made it 8–4 and took back the momentum. Bumgardner also gave up solo shot in the fourth inning to catcher Trent Woodward. Those were the only two runs Bumgardner gave up in three-and-two-thirds innings of relief.

A two-out rally in the ninth against lefty Ruben Reyes gave the ValleyCats their final three runs of the night.

The Cyclones and ValleyCats finish the series tonight at 7 pm on the much-anticipated “Saved By The Bell Night” at MCU Park. Sing it with us: “It’s alright, because I’m saved by the bell.”