Staten Island Yankees 4
Cyclones 2
July 20 at MCU Park
Hated cross-Narrows rivals the Staten Island Yankees pounded Clones starter Luis Mateo as the pride of Coney Island fell at MCU Park.
Mateo — who allowed one hit and no runs in seven innings in his last appearance against the State College Spikes — gave up an RBI single to Baby Bombers third baseman Fu-Lin Kuo in the second frame. In the third, Yanks shortstop Claudio Custodio chopped a grounder up the middle for a single before Mateo walked outfielder Taylor Dugas and right fielder Exicardo Cayones to load the bases with no outs. Designated hitter Saxon Butler lined out, but first baseman Matt Snyder slapped a grounder out to right field, scoring Custodio and Dugas.
Clones catcher Kevin Plawecki put the Mini-Mets on the board in the fifth with an RBI single that drove in second baseman Richie Rodriguez, but Mateo surrendered a homer to Staten Island second baseman Jamiel Orozco at the top of the sixth to leave the score at 4–1. Brooklyn right fielder Eudy Pina smacked an RBI line drive to left field in the next inning, and relievers Beck Wheeler and Ernesto Yanez silenced the Yanks’ bats the rest of the game, but it was too little, too late.
Mateo still has a 2.21 ERA, while Pina is now tied with center fielder Brandon Nimmo at 19 RBIs for the season — the most on the team. The division-leading Cyclones remain one game ahead of the Hudson Valley Renegades.
The Cyclones are home again at MCU Park [1904 Surf Ave. at W. 17th Street in Coney Island, (718) 449–8497, www.brooklyncyclones.com] tomorrow at 5 pm as they take on the hated Staten Island Yankees.
