Lowell Spinners lose in extra inning to Brooklyn 3-1

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Lowell Spinners lose in extra inning to Brooklyn 3-1

It was supposed to be a double-header because of bad weather over the weekend in Lowell. The Spinners (29-25), and the Brooklyn Cyclones (30-25) decided to play only one seven-inning game on Sunday night. It would go extra frames before the Cyclones would pull out the victory 3-1 in eight innings.

The Spinners had their chances in this one and as manager Corey Wimberly said after the ballgame, “missed opportunities and not taking care of the baseball was the difference in the game”.

Both teams received solid pitching performances. Chris Machamer got the ball for the Spinners. He would have only one trouble spot and it came in the first inning. Cyclones leadoff hitter, Ross Adolph opened the game by tripling to center field. The three-bagger was his eighth on the season. He would score the game’s first run, on a two-out base hit up the middle by Jose Miguel Medina, (3-for-4, with two RBI). 1-0 Brooklyn.

The Cyclones had their ace on the mound on Sunday night, Jaison Vilera, who threw shutout baseball for five innings giving up four hits and one walk. He did escape damage on a couple of occasions. In the second, the Spinners put the first two men on. But, Vilera would retire the next three hitters to get out of trouble.

His biggest escape job took place in the fifth. After one out, DH Andre Colon ripped a line drive single to center field. Next man up was third baseman, Jonathan Ortega. The count got to 3-1 when the hit-and-run play was put on. Ortega swung at ball four with Colon in motion. The throw to second skipped into shallow left field. Colon did not find the ball right away and when he did, he took off for third and was easily thrown out by Cyclones second baseman Carlos Cores to third baseman Chandler Avant. The baserunning miscue was made to look worse when on the next pitch Ortega smacked a double over the head of Brooklyn center fielder Anthony Dirocie. Grant Williams would fly out to left field, and what might have been was wasted.

In the sixth, the Spinners tied the ballgame at 1-1. Brooklyn went to its bullpen and called on Adam Hill to replace Vilera. With two down in the sixth, Devlin Granberg (2-for-4), singled to right field. Next man up was Tyler Esplin and Granberg stole second during the at-bat and advanced to third on a throwing error by Brooklyn catcher Nick Meyer. Esplin then singled to left field scoring Granberg to tie the game.

The Spinners had a great chance to win the game in regulation as they would load the bases against Brooklyn’s third pitcher of the night Billy Oxford. However, Oxford would get out of it by striking out Alberto Schmidt to send the game to extra innings.

The Spinners went back to the bullpen for a third time themselves. They called upon Kris Jackson to keep the game tied. With the new minor league rule of starting a runner at second base in extra frames, Brooklyn went to work against Jackson. Adolph advanced the runner to third by grounding out to first. Cortes was then hit by a pitch. Wagner Lagrange hit a ground ball to third that Ortega could not handle. The error allowed Brooklyn to take the lead at 2-1. Medina would add some insurance with a RBI base hit to center field. 3-1 Cyclones.

Brooklyn then went to their closer, Ryley Gilliam, and he retired the Spinners in the eighth to pick up his fourth save of the season. The win goes to Oxford now 6-1, and the loss goes to Jackson now 0-1.

The NYPL now has a couple of days off to hold their All-Star game at State College. When the Spinners get back to play, they will have 20 games left. They are two games in back of Tri-City for the Stedler Division lead and tied in the loss column with both Auburn and Brooklyn in the Wild Card chase.

Manager Wimberly likes the position his team is in especially with six games left all at home with Tri-City. After the break, Lowell heads out to play two at Aberdeen.