Brooklyn Scores First in a Fast Paced Pitcher's Duel

Brooklyn Cyclones @ Aberdeen Iron Birds

June 21, 2014

Marcos Molina @ Dylan Bundy

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11		R	H	E
Brooklyn	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3		3	5	2
Aberdeen	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		1	5	1

MiLB.com Boxscore

The Highlights:

Pitchers

Marcos Molina – 7 IP, 2 H, 5 SO, HBP, 24 Batters Faced, 9 Groundouts,

Edioglis Villasmil – 2 IP, H, 2 SO

Juan Urbina (W, 1-0) – IP, BB, SO

Dylan Bundy – 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 9 SO

Batters

Tyler Moore – 1-3, R, 2B (2), 2 BB, SO

Michael Bernal – 1-4, RBI (6), BB, SO

Jhoan Urena – 1-3, RBI (3), 2 BB, SO

Recap in gifs:

            The story of the night was supposed to be rehabbing O’s starter Dylan Bundy dominating the Cyclones lineup, but Marcos Molina made sure Bundy wasn’t the only starter of interest in the game. The two would match zero’s until they had to yield to their bullpens – Bundy had more strikeouts, but couldn’t go as deep into the start. Both teams had their first major threat in the 8^th inning and would finally break through in the 11^th, but it was the Cyclones who came out on top for the second straight night thanks to three runs in their half and Shane Bay coming on for his third save of the season. The Cyclones go for the sweep tomorrow at 5:35 PM ET, now enjoy the gif highlights below.

            Tucker Tharp would play a role in helping this game stay scoreless until the 11^th, and here he is robbing Riley Palmer of a hit with two outs in the 1^st.

 

Diving catch by Tharp in CF

            Bundy would strikeout five of the first six Cyclones hitters he faced. Molina ran into trouble in the 2^nd when Cory Segui reached on a fielding error by Jhoan Urena – he went to his left to cut the ball off and it deflected off his glove. Looked like Molina signaled something positive to Urena after the play – “I got ya back” type of thing. He’d get the next batter, Oswill Lartiguez, to strike out swinging.

 

Lartiguez strikes out swinging at this 1-2 fastball

            Jonah Heim followed with this sharp comebacker to start a double play.

 

1-6-3 double play ends the 2^nd

            With one out in the 3^rd, Jay Gonzalez reached on a lazy fielding error by the SS Dimas Ponce – he went to field the routine-looking grounder with his backhand and it went under the glove. He would be eliminated with this nice pop and throw by catcher Adrian Abreu.

Gonzales caught stealing by Abreu

            The Cyclones managed two hits off Bundy, and both came in the 4^th inning. Tharp would lead off with this single.

 

Tharp singles off of Bundy

            Tharp then stole 2B and went to 3B when the third strike to Joe Tuschak got away from the Aberdeen catcher. Unfortunately, Tharp would try to score on this ‘wild pitch’ from Bundy, only to be just out at the plate.

Tharp out at home on a close play after a wild pitch

The freeze frame - you can see the ball about to be caught

            Even worse, Moore would follow with this double to the LF corner – hey, that’s baseball.

 

Moore doubles off of Bundy

            Molina got Palmer swinging to end his clean 4^th.

 

Palmer strikes out swinging with a 1-2 count

            He got Lartiguez looking with one out in the 5^th.

 

Lartiguez strikes out for the second time on the night, this time looking with a 1-2 count

            Tharp then made his second highlight-reel catch of the night, this time robbing Jonah Heim as he dove forward to make the catch.

 

Tharp robs Heim of a hit

            Ponce made up for his earlier play with this nice defensive effort to record the out of Federico Castagnini leading off the 6^th.

 

Nice play by Dimas Ponce

            Molina had two more strikeouts in his final inning:

            Alex Murphy swinging with one out.

 

Murphy strikes out swinging with an 0-2 count

            Lartiguez swinging, struck out for the third time, to end the inning.

 

Lartiguez strikes out swinging for his third K against Molina

            Amed Rosario was used as a pinch hitter with Urena on 3B and two outs in the 8^th and then stayed in the game. Not too special, but here he is on defense.

 

Rosario on defense makes a play near the 2B bag

            Edioglis Villasmil began the inning as the Cyclones pitcher, and ended it with this strikeout of Steve Wilkerson.

Wilkerson strikes out swinging with a full count

            He stayed on for a perfect 9^th, including this strikeout of Palmer.

 

Palmer strikes out looking at this 1-2 pitch

            The Cyclones had a serious threat in the 10^th, but the inning ending in a very Metsian fashion. Bernal walked to leadoff and then stole 2B. Urena singled to the LF but it was fielded quickly enough that Bernal was held up at 3B. After Anthony Chavez grounded into a fielder’s choice (6-3) for the first out of the inning, the Iron Birds intentionally walked Tomas Nido to load the bases for Amed Rosario. At least he hit the ball hard…

 

The inning ends on this unfortunately placed line drive by Rosario with the bases loaded

            Juan Urbina came in for the 10^th and got the first batter he faced, Manny Hernandez, to strike out swinging on three pitches.

 

Hernandez couldn't check his swing as he struck out very quickly

            Tharp got things started for the Cyclones in the 11^th when he reached on this throwing error, advancing to 2B on the play.

 

Tharp reaches on a throwing error and advances to 2B on the play

            Tuschak followed with this single to CF, though it wasn’t deep enough to score Tharp.

 

Tuschak singles to CF

            Tuschak would advance to 2B on what is ruled defensive indifference in a tie game in the 11^th inning. Tyler Moore would strike out swinging on this wild pitch, but made it safely to 1B and Tharp came home for the first run of the game – funny that the first run in this pitchers duel came off of a wild pitch.

 

Tharp scores the first run of the game on this wild pitch

            After Michael Katz struck out for the first out of the inning, Bernal come up with another big hit, this RBI single to LF which made it 2-0.

 

Bernal comes through with this RBI single

            Urena would drive in the third run of the inning with this nubber back to the mound.

 

Urena gets an RBI for this well struck dribbler in front of the plate

            Shane Bay came in for the save for a second straight night, though he needed more than one run tonight. He would hold on for the save though, getting Segui to groundout to Urena to end the game.

 

Segui grounds out to the 3B to end the game

Before the next game, check out today's #longform on revolutionary baseball physics. http://t.co/xkIx7dogLw pic.twitter.com/ibmD7zS1Cb
— SB Nation (@SBNation) June 18, 2014