Cyclones ride the roller coaster to 9-8 win, lead wild card, tied for first. Nimmo and Lowrie help Syracuse win 8-3, half game out of first.

The Brooklyn Cyclones jumped out to a 7-0 lead only to hang on and win 9-8 (box). 

It all seemed so easy.  Luke Ritter (2 for 3, 3 runs) scored on a Joe Genord groundout in the second.  Then in the third Brooklyn exploded for 6 runs on 7 hits highlighted by a double and two more RBIs from Joe Genord and a double from Ranfy Adon to give them a 7-0 lead. 

In the bottom of the third, the O’s Aberdeen team plated three to try and get back in it.  Then in the top of the 4^th, Gavin Garay drove in a run with one of his three hits for the night and it looked like Brooklyn had a comfortable 8-3 lead.

But wait a minute.  One of Brooklyn best relief pitchers this year, and a NY Penn League all-star, Mitch Ragan came on to pitch in the bottom of the fourth.  After allowing a single, double, and a walk, while striking out two, Aberdeen’s Jaylen Ferguson connected off Ragan for a long grand slam and the Aberdeen Iron Birds were back in it at 8-7.  It had been the first home run allowed by Mitch Ragan this year. 

The next thing that happened surprised me.  Mitch Ragan, after allowing the four runs in the 6^th, was allowed to come back out and pitch the 7^th in this big game.  Mitch responded by throwing a scoreless inning.  Allowing a pitcher to get right back out there after a tough inning?  Great move by a manager that I grow more impressed every day, Edgardo Alfonzo.

In the top of the 8^th, Brooklyn went to manufacturing an insurance run like they do best.  Ranfy Adon walked.  Jake Ortega bunted him to second.  Ranfy took third on Yoel Romero’s long fly ball.  Then with two out, Jake Mangum came through with a clutch two out hit and a big insurance run and an 9-7 lead.   

Brooklyn would need the extra run as Nelson Leon started off the 8^th by hitting a batter, throwing a wild pitch and then giving up a single to Aberdeen’s Jean Carmona.  Then, perhaps the turning point of the game.  Jake Ortega, picked off Jean Carmona at first.  Nelson Leon settled down at that point.  Finished the 8^th and a scoreless ninth to earn his 3^rd save.

In other NY Penn games, the Staten Island Yankees beat the Rays’ Hudson Valley Renegades which means that Brooklyn and Hudson Valley are tied for first, Aberdeen is just a game out and the Yankees are just a half game back of Aberdeen.  Between now and Labor Day, they all play each other. 

But wait there’s more playoff baseball in NY.

The Syracuse Mets got back to winning Wednesday night with an 8-3 win (box) over the Phillies’ Lehigh Valley team Monday and pulled a half game behind the Yankee’s Scranton/Wilkes-Barre who were rained out against Pawtucket.

Nimmo led off, split time in center and left, went 2 for 4, with 2 runs scored and a 2 run homer.  Lowrie hit second, played 5 innings at 2^nd base and went 1 for 3.  Sam Haggerty also had a solid two for two with two RBIs in relief of Lowrie.  Haggerty is hitting .343 after being called up from Binghamton.  On the mound Harol Gonzalez improved to 5-0 since his Binghamton call up with 2 runs in 5 innings.  Eric Hanhold and Daniel Zamora each added two innings apiece in relief.   

Syracuse manager Tony DeFrancesco told Syracuse.com that Lowrie will get in a couple at-bats against the Phillies’ AAA Lefty JoJo Romero to get the switch hitter some reps from the right side.  Brandon Nimmo is expected to have Thursday off.

Finally, Kingsport lost on Wednesday to get eliminated from playoff contention.  Why not bring some of the K-Mets up to Brooklyn to join the fun?