BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (May 6, 2026) — 1B Ronald Hernandez picked up two hits, and CF John Bay drove in a pair of runs, but the Brooklyn Cyclones fell to the Bowling Green Hot Rods, 8-4, in Wednesday afternoon’s series opener at Bowling Green Ballpark.
The Hot Rods (18-10) wasted no time taking an early lead. With runners at second and third and two out, thanks to a pair of walks and a stolen base, 1B Tony Santa Maria put Bowling Green ahead, 2-0, with a single to center.
Brooklyn (7-20) answered back with a run of their own in the second. Bay walked, took second on a 3B Colin Houck single, advanced to third on a fly out, and scored on a wild pitch to pull the Cyclones within one.
In the bottom of the frame, the Hot Rods regained a two-run advantage. RF Connor Hujsak started the frame with a double to center and scored on LF Tom Poole’s one-out single to left-center.
The Cyclones drew even in the third. Brooklyn filled the bases with two out on a pair of hit-by-pitches and Hernandez's base hit to right. On the second pitch he saw Bay slapped a grounder under the shortstop’s glove and into left-center field for a two-run single to knot the score at three.
However, the contest would not stay tied for long. C Nathan Flewelling ignited a rally with a single to center before 2B Émilien Pitre doubled him to third. A two-RBI double down the left-field line by Santa Maria and a run-scoring infield knock from Hujsak put Bowling Green ahead by three, 6-3.
The Cyclones played long ball to snare a run back in the fourth. On the second pitch of the inning, LF Vincent Perozo pummeled a ball beyond the Brooklyn right-field bullpen for a solo home run. The 22-year-old’s first career High-A round tripper pulled the ‘Clones within two, 6-4.
That was as close as Brooklyn would get, though. In the home eighth, the Hot Rods garnered a pair of insurance runs. Santa Maria hammered the first pitch of the frame over the wall in right-center field for a solo shot to cap a five-RBI day. 3B Narciso Polanco made it back-to-back blasts when he sent a towering drive off the videoboard in right-center field. Santa Maria’s second and Polanco’s third homers of the season stretched Bowling Green’s lead to 8-4.
The Cyclones put a man at third in the ninth on a Jimenez walk, and a pair of defensive indifferences, but 2B Yonatan Henríquez’s deep drive to right-center died on the warning track for the final out.
RHP Jack Kartsonas (1-0) punched out a career-high seven over 5.0 innings to earn the win in his High-A debut. The 25-year-old permitted four runs on six hits and one walk.
Despite retiring the final seven hitters he faced in order, RHP Joel Díaz (0-5) was saddled with his fifth defeat for Brooklyn. The 22-year-old was charged with six runs on seven hits in a season-long 5.0 innings. Díaz issued a season-low two walks and whiffed a season-high-tying five.
The Cyclones will try to even the six-game series at a win apiece on Thursday evening. RHP Irving Cota (1-1, 0.96) is expected to make the start for Brooklyn. The Hot Rods are slated to counter with the Tampa Bay Rays’ No. 16 prospect per MLB Pipeline, RHP José Urbina (0-3, 4.12). The first pitch from Bowling Green, Ky., is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. ET.