Cyclones Down Ironbirds, 5-2, to Wrap up 12-game Home Stand at 8-4

BOX SCORE

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The Brooklyn Cyclones broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the eighth inning on Sunday afternoon to defeat the Aberdeen Ironbirds, 5-2. DH Junior Tilien’s bases-loaded walk combined with a two-run double from LF Jose Hernandez propelled Brooklyn to victory. With the win, the Cyclones finish the six game set with Aberdeen with wins in four games, making it their second straight series in which they’ve gone four for six.

RHP Douglas Orellana continued his strong start to 2024. In his second start of the campaign, Orellana notched 2.2 hitless innings, surrendering only one run. The Brooklyn bullpen combined for 6.1 innings of one-run ball, as RHPs Jordany Ventura, Justin Lawson, Brett Banks (win) and Josh Hejka (save) shut Aberdeen down the rest of the way.

Brooklyn opened the scoring right from the jump, as RF Wilfredo Lara came home to score on a balk issued against RHP Levi Wells with a runner on third. That was the only run the Aberdeen starter would surrender over three innings of work.

The Ironbirds would pull even in the third. With a runner on first and two outs, 2B Nick Maton launched a run-scoring triple to right field, plating CF Enrique Bradfield. The minor-league rehabber, Maton, plated Bradfield, who was playing in his first bit of game action since April 20.

Both teams would remain quiet offensively until the bottom of the fifth. When C Creed Willems tried to throw out CF Omar De Los Santos stealing third, the throw scurried down the left field line on a throwing error, allowing De Los Santos to take home and give Brooklyn the lead.

Aberdeen tied it up yet again, this time in the seventh on an RBI single from DH Mac Horvath. His base knock pulled the Ironbirds even at 2-2.

Brooklyn’s biggest frame offensively came in the eighth. After 3B Jefrey De Los Santos doubled to start the frame, SS William Lugo and C Drake Osborn each reached with a walk. Then, RHP Graham Firoved issued his third straight walk to Tilien, giving Brooklyn a 3-2 lead. One batter later, Hernandez would deliver the finishing touch: a two-run double to give Brooklyn a 5-2 they would never relinquish.

After a league-wide off-day on Monday, Brooklyn returns to action on Tuesday, kicking off a two-week road trip against the Rome Emperors. First pitch from Georgia is set for 7:00 p.m. Probable starters have yet to be announced.