The Brooklyn Cyclones lost their season opener yesterday to the Staten Island Yankees 3-2 in the 20th inning when infielder Dionis Paulino walked the first 3 batters and then yielded a sacrifice fly. Of the 25 pitches Paulino threw, only eight were strikes. But he wasn’t the only non-pitcher to stand on the mound for the Cyclones. Franklin Correa, also an infielder, pitched the 18th and 19th innings, but with more success. Of the 23 pitches Paulino threw, 18 were strikes. Both Paulino and Correa are listed on the team roster as third basemen.
Before the two infielders took the mound, the Cyclones used eight pitchers, all listed on the
roster as pitchers. Gabriel Llanes, the starter, pitched the most innings, five, in which he surrendered two runs. The others pitched either one or two innings, including newcomer Joseph Zanghi, who in his stint gave up a hit and a walk while fanning three. Before signing, Zanghi pitched for Cumberland County College in New Jersey.
Paulino cannot be blamed for the loss. The Cyclones’ batters can. They hit worse than the Mets. In 20 innings they got just seven hits while striking out 20 times. Four of them could not even get a hit, and two struck out four times while the team walked only six times.
Strangely, the team used only nine position players the whole game.
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