Staten Island 3
Cyclones 1
Sept. 1 at MCU Park
The Cyclones couldn’t hit when they needed it most on Saturday, making contact seven times and only managing to score once, while Jaison Vilera was out pitched by Matt Sauer as the Cyclones fell to the Yanks.
Vilera allowed three runs and five hits over five innings, finishing the regular season with an earned-run average of 1.83, the best in the New York-Penn League, though the Clones only won just six of his 13 starts.
Vileras’s troubles started early. After Yankee Alex Junior reached second on an error from Hayden Senger in the first, Eric Wagaman singled him home, putting the Clones down by a run before they even got to bat.
The righty from Venezuela managed to hold the Evil Empire off until the sixth, before he gave up a two run-scoring double to Jesus Soto, making it 3–1 Staten Island.
Brooklyn scored its lone unearned run when Wagner Lagrange plated on a passed ball to briefly tie the game at one, after hitting a single and moving to second on a passed ball, and to third on a grounder.
Ryan McAuliffe, Ryley Gilliam, and Ezequiel Zabaleta took over for Vilera after the sixth and managed to keep Staten Island at bay, but Brooklyn couldn’t make do with any of its opportunities to score.
Our boys have been knocked out of second place with a 38–35 record to the Evil Empire’s 37–34, and the Auburn Doubledays have won three in a row to take control of the Wild Card spot.
In order to make their (and our) playoff dreams come true, the Clones have to win the last two games of the season and Auburn will have to lose both games.
Brooklyn’s Boys of Summer face the hated Yankees on the Rock today at 1:30 pm.
