Drive Dispatch Cyclones, 6-1, in Damp Series Opener

• BOX SCORE
• PLAY-BY-PLAY

GREENVILLE, S.C. (August 29, 2023) — Like the weather on Tuesday night, Brooklyn’s bats were dampened from start to finish. Greenville scored two runs in the second and never relinquished the lead, as the Drive defeated the Cyclones, 6-1, from Fluor Field at the West End.

With Brooklyn’s (32-23, 60-60) loss and Jersey Shore’s 3-2 win vs. Aberdeen, the Cyclones lead in the South Atlantic League North Division is down to one game with 11 contests left to play.

After retiring the first five batters he faced in order, Greenville (24-31, 60-61) finally got to Brooklyn’s RHP Jordany Ventura with two out in the bottom of the second.

3B Cutter Coffey earned a four-pitch walk and SS Eddinson Paulino followed with a free pass of his own on six pitches.

2B Max Ferguson then funneled the first pitch he saw into left-center field for a knock. Both men scored on the former Tennessee Volunteer’s double, giving the Drive a 2-0 edge.

Greenville’s offense kicked back into gear in the fifth. LF Gilberto Jiménez reached on an infield single to start the inning and took second on a walk to CF Roman Anthony.

After a ground out moved runners to second and third, RF Allan Castro hit a big Baltimore chop off home plate. The ball was bobbled by the pitcher on its way down and everyone was safe. Jiménez scored on the error to stretch the Drive’s advantage to 3-0.

With men at the corners and one out, Castro broke for second base on the second pitch of the next at-bat. The throw down to second squirted into center field, allowing Anthony to score and Castro to advance to third. Another errant throw to third base on the play enabled Castro to cross as well, extending Greenville’s lead to five.

The Drive capped their offensive outburst in the seventh. Anthony started the frame with a single and moved to second on a walk to C Kyle Teel.

Following a wild pitch and a strikeout, DH Bryan González smacked a ground ball through the hole between third base and shortstop. Anthony scored easily from third to expand Brooklyn’s deficit to 6-0.

The Cyclones broke up the shutout bid in the top of the eighth. SS Jett Williams worked his second walk of the day to start the inning but remained there after a pair of fly balls to center field.

On an 0-2 pitch, RF Stanley Consuegra eviscerated a ball off the base of the right-center field fence. The leather rolled along the warning track long enough for Williams to score from first and Consuegra to end up at third with a triple to pull Brooklyn within 6-1.

RHP Noah Song (1-2) was outstanding in his fourth start with the Drive. The 26-year-old did not allow a run on one hit over five innings to earn his first win as a member of the Red Sox organization.

RHP Jordany Ventura (3-2) yielded five walks and just two hits over 4.1 innings for the Cyclones. The 23-year-old was charged with five runs (three earned) in his second-straight defeat.

RHP Saúl García fared well in his Brooklyn and High-A debut. The 20-year-old permitted just one run on three hits over three innings of relief, walking two and striking out two.

The game was delayed for an hour and 14 minutes with one on and one out in the top of the sixth due to rain.

Brooklyn will try and halt their brief two-game slide and even the series at a win apiece on Wednesday. LHP Felipe De La Cruz (1-0, 4.50 ERA) is expected to make his second start for the Cyclones. The Drive are projected to counter with LHP Zach Penrod (1-0, 0.00 ERA). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.