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Nuno steps up, leads Scrappers to sweep
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Scrappers Jason Kipnis, right, 8, gets a high five from team mates Casey Frawley, 23, and Argenis Martinez,13, after hitting a 2 run home run the 3rd inning.
NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Mahoning Valley beat Brooklyn 3-1 and will open the league championship series Saturday on the road.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES — Vidal Nuno wasn’t supposed to start Wednesday’s New York Penn League semifinal against the Brooklyn Cyclones, but he was thrown into the role when Marty Popham developed a fever and flu-like symptoms.
Nuno promptly pitched one-hit ball through five innings, then let relievers Austin Adams, Tyler Sturdevant and Guido Fonseca take over in a 3-1 win as the Mahoning Valley Scrappers swept the best-of-three game series.
Wednesday’s game at Eastwood Field only produced eight hits. Adams allowed one hit over two innings, while Brooklyn starter Brandon Moore gave up five hits over five innings before Cyclones relievers permitted one more hit.
Cleanup hitter Casey Frawley scored the game’s first run on Ben Carlson’s single in the second inning, then Jason Kipnis’ two-run homer in the third concluded Mahoning Valley’s scoring.
“We had to change the rotation, so Nuno stepped in and pitched really well,” said manager Travis Fryman, who also noted the role of his team’s defense.
One instance was an over-the-shoulder catch by Mahoning Valley shortstop Argenis Martinez.
“That turned some momentum,” Fryman said of the second inning play with a runner in scoring position with fewer than two outs. “That kept them from scoring.”
Center fielder Jordan Henry had two outstanding catches, especially his first in the seventh with bases loaded.
“That’s way too much drama for me. I don’t like drama in a baseball game.”
Kipnis had his second home run in two nights. Wednesday’s two-run blast put the Scrappers up, 3-0, in the third inning.
“It was a fastball that he left up and I was fortunate enough to be ready for that pitch,” Kipnis said of Moore. “He didn’t make too many mistakes. We had trouble with him the first time, but we knew what he liked to do with his out-pitches and I was just lucky to run into one at this time.”
Kipnis said it was a 2-0 count.
“I was looking for one pitch, got it and was lucky enough to put the bat where I wanted to and I had it go out tonight.”
Kipnis credited Scrappers pitching, too.
“The pitchers are doing a great job, so I’m just happy to contribute to the offense.”
In the bottom of the second, second baseman Frawley’s overthrow on Luis Rivera’s grounder allowed Rivera to reach second. Then Cyclones manager Pedro Lopez was thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Jose Rivera when Lopez argued in favor of a hit-batsman call for Scott Grimes. The pitch was ruled a passed ball.
On the next pitch, Martinez made a catch of Grimes’ Texas leaguer on the run into left-center territory. Richard Lucas flied out to Frawley near the first-base line to end the Cyclones’ threat.
In the bottom of the second, Carlson’s RBI single scored Frawley with the game’s first run. Frawley walked to reach base, then went to third on a hit-and-run on Jesus Brito’s single to right field. Carlson and Brito were left on base when Jason Smit flied out to right to end the inning.
Brooklyn second baseman Jordany Valdespin was also ejected — during the third inning for a comment after he lined out.
In the third, first baseman Carlson fielded Robbie Shields’ slow grounder, but his underhanded toss to pitcher Vidal Nuno was bobbled and Shields reached first safely. No damage was done when Nuno fielded Dock Doyle’s come-backer and threw to Carlson to end the inning.
Kipnis’ home run with Martinez on base pushed Mahoning Valley’s lead to 3-0 in the third. Martinez had a hard-hit single to reach base. The homer by Kipnis, a left-handed hitter, was over the right-center field fence.
In the fourth, Ralph Rodriquez got Brooklyn’s first hit — a single to right field.
It was the only hit allowed by Nuno, who was relieved in the sixth by Austin Adams.
Brooklyn finally got on the board in the seventh when John Servidio’s double scored Richard Lucas from first base. Lucas had walked off of Austin.
The Cyclones loaded the bases and, with two outs, Dock Doyle’s long fly was caught by center-fielder Jordan Henry on a sprint to his right side.
Tyler Sturdevant replaced Adams in the eighth, but proceeded to walk leadoff hitter Sam Honeck. However, Sturdevant struck out Luis Rivera, then Ralph Rodriquez hit a pop fly to Martinez before Henry — again — ran down Grimes’ long fly to end the inning.
bassetti@vindy.com