Brooklyn 3 Lowell 0

Miller Diaz threw all the right pitches on Sunday to lead the Cyclones to a win over the Lowell Spinners, 3-0. Diaz picks up his first win with the Cyclones and recorded a season high in strikeouts with eight. Diaz got into trouble only once in the top of the fifth loading the bases, but struck out Spinners leadoff hitter Tzu-Wei Lin to get out of the inning with no runs. Along with his eight strikeouts Diaz finished with 5.0 IP, two hits, three walks, and drops his ERA to 3.26.

Looking to provide some run support for Diaz in the bottom of the fourth, the Cyclones put together a few hits to give them the first lead of the game. Juan Gamboa led off the inning with a walk, and moved into scoring position on an L.J. Mazzilli single. With two outs, Alex Sanchez hit a hard groundball that was fielded by the second baseman Cleuluis Rondon, but Rondon threw it passed first allowing Gamboa to score from second. Sanchez was given credit for the hit but not the RBI. Jorge Rivero followed with a single into right field that drove in Mazzill from second and made it 2-0 Cyclones. The RBI single by Rivero extends his hitting streak to six games.

The Cyclones added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to give them a 3-0 lead. Patrick Biondi led the inning off with a walk, and proceeded to steal second for his sixth steal in four games. A Gamboa bunt landed Biondi on third. Mazzilli then hit a long fly ball to center field that was caught on an amazing leaping grab by center fielder Manuel Margot, though the ball was deep enough to drive in Biondi from third.

Brooklyn’s bullpen closed the door for the Cyclones, along with some spotless defense. LHPDavid Wynn replaced Diaz in the sixth, and pitched a scoreless inning of relief. RHP Ricky Knapp did just the same in the top of the seventh to keep the shutout going. Knapp came back out to pitch the top of the eighth, and got Rondon to groundout with runners on first and second. Shawn Teufel pitched a perfect ninth to record his second save and seal the 3-0 win for the Cyclones. - Press Release