Rodriguez drives in 5; Scrappers still fall

Staff report

brooklyn, N.Y.

Two home runs and five RBIs from Nellie Rodriguez weren’t enough for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in Wednesday’s opener of their three-game series with the Brooklyn Cyclones of the McNamara Division of the New York-Penn League.

The Scrappers fell, 7-5, at Brooklyn’s MCU Park.

Rodriguez, returning to his hometown, was responsible for all five of his team’s runs.

The Scrappers’ first baseman hit a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Two innings later, his double to center field drove home Juan Herrera from second base.

In the seventh, he drove in two more runs with his third hit of the game, a single. Cody Ferrell and Herrera scored on the play.

With the Scrappers trailing 7-4 in the top of the ninth, Rodriguez belted another solo home run, his fourth of the season to lead the team.

His offensive output was spoiled by erratic pitching.

Six Scrappers pitchers combined to allow four earned runs on 11 hits. Three errors led to three more Brooklyn runs.

Mahoning Valley starter Dace Kime took the loss, going two innings and allowing one run on two hits.

Harold Guerrero spelled Kime. In relief, he allowed five runs, two earned, in one-third of an inning.

Seth Lugo picked up the win for Brooklyn, tossing five-plus innings and allowing two runs on five hits.

The Cyclones scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning.