Brooklyn Cyclones Complete Season Opening Sweep of Staten Island

From the desks of:  

THE CONEY ISLAND NINE  and  THE RICHMOND COUNTY RATS

BATTLE of the BOROUGHS

STATEN ISLAND YANKEES 

OPENING DAY

Brooklyn Cyclones

vs.

Staten Island Yankees

FROM

Ballpark at St. George

Starter Jaison Vilera, after making brief appearances this season at (A+) Port St. Lucie and (A) Columbia, returns for his second season with the Brooklyn Cyclones.  Making his third start of the season and his first for the Cyclones, Vilera limits the Staten Island Yankees to just one run on one hit and two walks with five strikeouts through 6.2 innings.  In the seventh, however, all that hard work almost goes for not as Vilera and reliever Nelson Leon walk the bases loaded.  Leon then unleashes a wild pitch allowing Staten Island's first run of the game.  Newly drafted Justin Lasko is summoned from the pen to secure the final out.  Southpaw Justin Wilson, on rehab from the New York Mets, pitches a scoreless eighth.  And Andrew Edwards, making his first appearance as a professional, pitches a scoreless ninth to earn his first career save.

Brooklyn wins series 2-0

I - BKN 5; SIY 4

II - BKN 2; SIY 1

Manager Fonzie goes with the same line-up as Friday's home opener at Brooklyn.  Jose Mena's RBI single in the fourth gives Brooklyn a 1-0 lead.  And Joe Genord's sac-fly plates Brooklyn's second run in the seventh; his second RBI in as many games.

Last season with Brooklyn Jaison Vilera posted a 5-2 record over 13 starts with a 1.83 ERA.  He yielded just 50 hits and fanned 78 batters though 73.2 innings pitched.

Brooklyn sweeps the two game home-and-home series against the Yankees.

Next up, the Cyclones host the Aberdeen Iron Birds.

• NewYorkPennLeague.com

• NEWS:  The New York Mets have reached an agreement with their 2019 first round selection (12th overall) third baseman Brett Baty.  He is expected to report to Brooklyn shortly.