Staten Island 3
Brooklyn 1
June 15 on Staten Island
No-hit by Yankees starter Matt Sauer for six innings, the Cyclones dropped the first game of the 2018 season on the Rock.
Starter Christian James had a solid debut on the mound for the Clones, pitching five shutout innings and allowing just four hits. But the Clones bullpen, much like that of the bumbling Mets, soiled James’s efforts. Trent Johnson gave up two runs in the seventh, one on a balk and one when Frederick Cuevas smacked a solo home run. Ryan Selmer gave one up in the eighth when Canaan Smith doubled to left field to drive in Yankees second baseman Jesus Bastidas.
The Clones lone run was unearned. Jose Miguel Medina, who broke the no-hitter with a single to right of Yankee reliever Chase Hodson and moved to second on a ground out back to the box by Dionis Paulino, scored on an error after he stole third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by catcher Jerry Seitz.
Brooklyn Native and 10th-round draft selection Manny Rodriguez did not reach base for his pro debut after achieving an almost impossibly high on base percentage in his last season at the University of Cincinnati. He also committed an error in the first inning.
The Cyclones finished dead last in 2017 winning less than 25 games.
The game was played in front of a half-capacity crowd of 4,937 at Richmound County Bank Ballpark.
The Clones hope to turn it around tomorrow at MCU when they face the Yankees in the home opener at 6:30 pm.
