Cyclones slip out of first place

Vilera solid, but Baby Bums falter late in 6-3 defeat at Tri-City

August 21, 2018 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Despite getting seven strong innings from staff ace Jaison Vilera Monday night in Tri-City, the Cyclones slipped out of first place in the McNamara Division with a 6-3 loss to the ValleyCats. Photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Cyclones

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After winning two of three games at division nemesis Hudson Valley over the weekend to forge a tie atop the McNamara standings, the Brooklyn Cyclones slipped right back into second place on Monday night.

The Baby Bums swaggered into Tri-City’s Joseph L. Bruno Stadium playing their best baseball of the season, having won nine of their previous 10 contests.

Despite a solid seven-inning stint from staff ace Jaison Vilera, a candidate for New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Year honors, the Cyclones watched All-Star reliever Yeudy Colon give up three runs in the eighth inning en route to a 6-3 loss to the ValleyCats.

The defeat dropped Brooklyn (34-27) one game behind the Renegades in the McNamara, but it remained one length in front of both Staten Island and Mahoning Valley for the 14-team circuit’s lone wild-card spot with only 15 games remaining on the regular-season summer slate.

Vilera was charged with three runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts, raising his minuscule ERA to 1.59. The 21-year-old Venezuelan enjoyed his longest outing since also going seven frames on July 29 at West Virginia.

He left the mound with the game knotted at 3-3, but the normally reliable Colon was unable to navigate his way through the eighth.

Logan Mattix ripped an RBI single and Oscar Campos delivered a run-scoring double during the game-winning rally, sending Brooklyn to its second loss in three contests following a season-high eight-game winning streak that put them in a deadlock for the division’s top spot.

NY-Penn All-Star Game MVP Ross Adolph went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored and Dylan Tice, Carlos Cortes and Walter Rasquin each drove in a run for the Cyclones, who were scheduled to send starter Jose Butto (1-0, 3.86 ERA) to the hill against the ValleyCats on Tuesday night.