Cyclones Drop Twinbill to Drive

• BOX SCORE (G1)
• PLAY-BY-PLAY (G1)
• BOX SCORE (G2)
• PLAY-BY-PLAY (G2)

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (June 10, 2023) - The Brooklyn Cyclones could not muster a victory in two tries during Saturday’s doubleheader, falling to the Greenville Drive, 9-2, in game one, and 2-1 in eight innings in game two.

In the opener, Brooklyn wasted little time to get the bats going. In the bottom of the first inning, RF Omar De Los Santos doubled home C Kevin Parada to hand Brooklyn the lead. Moments later, LF Jaylen Palmer laced a single to center field to plate De Los Santos and push Brooklyn’s edge to 2-0. The ‘Clones would not score again for the remainder of the contest.

Greenville’s response came quickly. In the top of the second inning, the Drive capitalized when C Alex Erro singled to score RF Bryan González to cut the Drive deficit in half. Afterwards, a pair of sacrifice flies from LF Nick Decker and 2B Karson Simas, respectively, put Greenville in front by one.

With Greenville on top by a score of 3-2, no scoring occurred from then on until the seventh inning, the final frame of the day. Greenville tacked on plenty of insurance in the frame.

First, 3B Blaze Jordan walked with the bases loaded, scoring Erro. Next, González reached safely on a fielder’s choice, allowing Decker to score. On the same play, a throwing error committed by 3B William Lugo allowed a second run to score.

The Drive were far from done, though. Up 6-2, Jordan came home to score on a fielding error by 2B D’Andre Smith to push the lead to five. Then, DH Miguel Ugueto singled home a pair for runs eight and nine on the day for the Drive.

In the nightcap, did not see nearly as many runs cross home. RHP Tyler Stuart was tremendous for Brooklyn, tossing five innings of one-run ball, while striking out nine. The only run he allowed came in the top of the first, when 3B Tyler Miller doubled on a line drive to left, plating SS Eddinson Paulino.

Brooklyn answered an inning later, when C Drake Osborn launched his fourth home run of the season - a solo shot to pull Brooklyn into a 1-1 tie. Similar to the first game, the middle portion saw minimal runs cross the game.

In fact, no runs scored until extra innings. In the top of the eighth, C Ronald Rosario singled on a grounder to left field, scoring the automatic runner from second base. The Cyclones bats could not draw even in the bottom half.

Brooklyn and Greenville return to action tomorrow for the series finale from Maimonides Park at 2:00 p.m. RHP Blade Tidwell (2-3, 4.93 ERA) — the Mets' top pitching prospect — will take the ball for Brooklyn. RHP Ángel Bastardo (0-4, 4.34 ERA) is Greenville’s probable starter.