By J.J. Pavlick | Coney Island, Brooklyn | April 19, 2026

The rain delay was only the first gut punch. The last came three hours later, when the Greensboro Grasshoppers pushed across three runs in the 10th inning to hand the Brooklyn Cyclones a 6–4 loss in the series finale—a game Brooklyn once controlled, then watched slip away, then couldn’t reclaim when it mattered most.

The Cyclones, now 4–10, continue searching for a complete performance. On Tuesday night, they got the start they wanted, the middle innings they needed, and the ending they feared.

Minter Sharp Again as Rehab Progresses Toward Triple‑A

Before the game unraveled into extra‑inning chaos, the Cyclones opened the night with a bright spot: Major League left‑hander A.J. Minter looked every bit like a pitcher nearing the end of his rehab runway.

Minter worked 0.2 innings, allowing one hit and no runs, and leaving his High‑A assignment with a 0.00 ERA. He threw 25 pitches, slightly above his planned limit of 20, but remained in full command throughout the outing.

His fastball had its usual late life, his cutter stayed on plane, and he executed sequences cleanly—a noticeable step forward from his earlier rehab appearances. The lone baserunner came on a broken‑bat single that never threatened to snowball.

Brooklyn turned the ball over to Jonathan Jimenez after Minter reached his pitch cap, but the left‑hander’s work was done: sharp, efficient, and exactly what the Mets needed to see.

With his High‑A box checked, Minter is expected to advance to Triple‑A Syracuse for the next phase of his buildup. If his command and velocity continue trending upward, his return to the Major League bullpen may not be far behind.

A Perfect Start That Should Have Set the Tone

Brooklyn’s opening frame looked like the night they’d finally snap out of their early‑season funk.

Antonio Jimenez worked a walk. Corey Collins took a pitch off the arm. And then John Bay detonated a three‑run homer to center, a no‑doubt blast that jolted the crowd and gave the Cyclones a 3–0 lead before Greensboro could exhale.

Bay’s swing was everything Brooklyn has been missing: timely, loud, and punishing. It was the kind of first inning that usually sets the table for a comfortable night.

But nothing has been comfortable for this team.

The Second Inning That Changed Everything

Greensboro didn’t just answer—they flipped the entire game in a single inning.

Easton Carmichael opened the second with a triple to right. A sac fly cut the lead to 3–1. Then came the unraveling:

• Two wild pitches moved Sammy Stafura from first to third.
• A Brian Sanchez RBI single made it 3–2.
• A Lonnie White Jr. single tied the game 3–3.
• And only a perfect relay from Villavicencio to Mosquera to Jimenez prevented further damage.

What should have been a cruise became a dogfight. And from that moment on, Brooklyn never regained control.

Pitching Duel Takes Over—and Brooklyn’s Bats Go Silent

From the third through the ninth, the game turned into a bullpen showcase.

Jonathan Jimenez settled after the rocky second. Tanner Witt and Dakota Hawkins followed with clean innings. Greensboro’s relievers matched them pitch for pitch.

Brooklyn’s offense, meanwhile, vanished.

After Bay’s first‑inning homer, the Cyclones managed just three singles over the next eight innings. They never moved a runner past second base from the third through the ninth. Every potential spark was extinguished by a groundout, a strikeout, or a well‑timed Greensboro pitch.

The game drifted into extras tied 3–3—a dangerous place for a team struggling to finish games.

The 10th Inning Collapse

The top of the 10th unraveled quickly.

With the automatic runner on second, Wyatt Sanford walked. Axiel Plaz punched a go-ahead RBI single to right. Then came the dagger: an intentional walk, followed by Carmichael’s second big swing of the night, a line-drive RBI single to center.

A sac fly made it 6–3, and suddenly, Brooklyn was staring at a three‑run deficit.

Cyclones Show Life — But Not Enough

Brooklyn opened the bottom of the 10th with Diego Mosquera on second. Heriberto Rincón delivered a clean RBI single to right to make it 6–4, giving the Cyclones a pulse.

But that was the last heartbeat.

Mitch Voit flied out. Antonio Jimenez struck out. And the Cyclones walked off the field with another loss that felt avoidable.

Bay and Rincón Stand Out in a Tough Night

Despite the loss, a few Cyclones delivered:

• John Bay: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI — continues to be Brooklyn’s most dangerous bat.
• Heriberto Rincón: 2-for-4, RBI—steady, competitive at‑bats all night.
• Corey Collins: reached base twice and scored.
• Kevin Villavicencio: doubled and made a key defensive play.

But the team finished 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left five on base — not enough in a tight game.

A Series That Slipped Away

Brooklyn had chances to take this series. Brooklyn had leads, momentum, and moments, but couldn’t close out the victory.

But they didn’t have the finish. The Cyclones fall to 4–10, and while it’s still early, the pattern is becoming familiar: strong starts, long droughts, and late‑inning heartbreak. They will head to the Hudson Valley to meet up with the Yankees. The High-A squad took the first series of the season, winning both games and having the third rained out and rescheduled for a May 21st doubleheader.

On a night that began with promise and ended with another hard lesson, the Cyclones showed flashes but not the finish. Brooklyn has time — but not forever — to turn close calls into wins.

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