Brooklyn Cyclones: Noah Syndergaard Fans Nine in Victory Over Aberdeen

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Tuesday

Brooklyn Cyclones  7

Aberdeen Ironbirds  4

FINAL

Noah Syndergaard on rehab assignment (hamstring) from the New York Mets joins the Brooklyn Cyclones on their road trip to Aberdeen were he climbs the bump against the Ironbirds on Tuesday.  He yields three runs on five hits (including a two run home run in the sixth inning) with no walks and nine strikeouts through five full innings pitched.  He throws 67 pitches with 56 (83%) going for strikes, and exits with Brooklyn leading 4-3 after five.

• Aberdeen Ironbirds center fielder and lead-off batter Johnny Rizer homers off Noah Syndergaard in his first game, and only his third at-bat as a professional.

Brooklyn jumps out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the fifth on runs batted in from recent returnee Gavin Cecchini, shortstop Yoel Romero, DH Nic Gaddis, and center fielder Ranfy Adon.  By the fifth however, Aberdeen cuts their deficit to one.  In the top of the sixth Adon connects on a two run home run for a 6-3 Brooklyn lead.  Both teams trade a run each the seventh.

Cyclones reliever Matt Mullenbach is summoned to pitch the ninth inning and promptly walks the bases loaded  He then walks a fifth straight batter making it a 7-6 Cyclones lead.  Manager Edgardo Alfonzo can't yank him fast enough.  Reliever Luis Silva inherits the crisis.  In steps Johnny Rizer who's fly to center is too shallow for runners to tag.  However, shortstop Clay Fisher's fly to center this time is deep enough for the runner to score from third making it a 7-6 affair.  With two outs designated hitter Maverick Handley follows with a sharply struck liner to left snatched out of the air by left fielder Jaylen Ferguson.

Game over.

The Cyclones victory gets them back to .500, and a half-game back of the first place Hudson Valley Renegades.