FREDERICK, MD – The Frederick Keys fell 5-3 in game one of a six game series at home to the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) on Tuesday night at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Each side went off the board in the first five innings as starting pitchers Caden Hunter and Daviel Hurtado each settled in early. Hunter, making his sixth start for the Keys, went five innings while not allowing a run and striking out six.
Hurtado, making his seventh start for Brooklyn, went six innings allowing only one hit while striking out eight.
The Cyclones found the board in the top of the sixth. Yaramil Hiraldo, making his first appearance for Frederick on a major league rehab assignment, retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a home run to Ronald Hernandez. The home run broke the 0-0 tie and gave Hernandez his seventh homer of the season.
The Keys went down in order in the sixth before Riley Cooper took the mound in the top of the seventh. Cooper got two fly outs to begin the inning before Colin Houck singled to right. On the single, the ball snuck under the glove of Braylin Tavera and allowed Houck to advance to second base. Jamari Baylor followed Houck with an infield single to shortstop Wehiwa Aloy. On the single, Aloy’s throw to first base pulled Ike Irish off the bag towards right field. Houck came across to score, extending the Cyclones’ lead 2-0.
Still with two outs, Mitch Voit sent his ninth home run of the season out to left field, giving Brooklyn a 4-0 lead through 6.5 innings.
Gregori Louis took the mound for Brooklyn in the bottom of the seventh. He began his relief outing with a walk to Irish after a nine pitch at bat. Aloy singled to left before Figueroa singled to right, loading the bases for Leandro Arias. He bounced a ball to the left side of the infield, scoring Irish from third while reaching safely himself on the fielder’s choice that retired Figueroa at second.
With runners on first and third and one out, Colin Tuft worked a long at bat before driving a ball to deep center field. The ball bounced off the top of the wall and was ruled a double as Aloy scored and Arias moved to third. Vance Honeycutt followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, drawing the Keys within a run. Tavera struck out to end the seventh inning as the Cyclones led 4-3 with two innings to play.
Brooklyn did not score in the eighth after a single and an error put Corey Collins at second base with one out. Cooper escaped the inning with a strikeout of John Bay. Frederick followed suit in the bottom half, putting Irish on with a single but not getting a run across as Aloy struck out against Parker Carlson to close the frame.
Cooper worked into the ninth inning. He walked the leadoff batter JT Benson before Houck reached on an error. With runners on first and third, Cooper got a ground ball to the third baseman Colin Yeaman who threw home to Tuft to get Benson between third and fourth. Cooper would exit after the fielder’s choice, still with two runners on base.
Jacob Cravey entered the game from the bullpen. Before delivering a pitch, he fired to second base trying to pick off Houck. The throw missed the glove of Arias and moved the runners to second and third. Voit then singled on a hard ground ball to the left side and scored the fifth run of the night for the Cyclones. Cravey got Yonatan Henriquez hit a ball back to Cravey who tossed to second for the first out before Aloy threw across to Irish at first. It was the second double play turned by the Keys.
Down 5-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, Frederick had Figueroa, Arias and Tuft due up. Against reliever Ryan Dollar, Figueroa struck out swinging before Arias singled to center field. Dollar, who gave up three runs in an inning of work against the Keys on June 12, had allowed just four total runs in 10 innings of work for Brooklyn this season. Dollar struck out Tuft before getting Honeycutt to fly out to deep center field to leave Arias at first base and earn his first save of the season.
The Keys and Cyclones meet for the second time in as many days for game two of the six-game series, with first pitch set for 7 p.m. at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Wednesday’s game represents Dollar Dog Night presented by Berks Foods along with Wag Wednesday presented by Mobile Vet Surgery. It is also Guaranteed Win Wednesday presented by Musket Ridge Golf Course.