BROOKLYN, NY- After their third walk-off win in as many games earlier tonight, the Brooklyn Cyclones wouldn’t get the pitching performance they expected from 2006 NY-Penn League All-Star Jake Ruckle, losing 7-2 to the Vermont Lake Monsters.

Looking to rebound after a few shaky starts in August and early September, Cyclones starter Jake Ruckle [5-2, 3.39 ERA] was on top of his game early, keeping the Lake Monsters scoreless through the game’s first two innings.

The Cyclones would get on the board first in this one, as Jesus Gamero would continue his terrific play of late, hitting an RBI double that scored Dan Murphy after he lead off the second inning with a double of his own, giving the Mets Single-A Affiliate a 1-0 lead.

However, the Lake Monsters would strike right back in the top of the third, getting a Jonathan Castro RBI single to tie the score at 1-1. The seesaw battle would continue in the bottom of the third as Dustin Martin would give Brooklyn a 2-1 lead, courtesy of a sacrifice fly.

With a one-run lead going into the fourth, Ruckle, after looking like he might have tweaked his groin while falling trying to cover a ground ball, managed to get himself into a bases-loaded jam and gave up a run on a Brett Logan fielders choice, tying the score at 2-2.

“I thought it was the best he’s looked in a while,” said Cyclones manager George Greer. “He had good stuff, it was unfortunate he fell. He said he felt fine, but he had no strength after that, so we had to get him out of there.”

“He was doing well,” said Cyclones catcher Jason Jacobs. “They just got a couple of cheap hits off him and then he got hurt; that’s just how baseball is sometimes.”

Greer was then forced to bring in Rip Warren with no outs and the bases-loaded and Warren, who prides himself on not letting inherited runners score, gave up four runs on a combination of two hits, an error and a wild pitch, giving Vermont a 6-2 lead.

A combination of Warren and David Koons would then limit Vermont to just one run through the game’s final three innings, but the Cyclones were unable to put any runs on the board, falling 7-2 to the Lake Monsters.

Depending if Aberdeen loses their last game of the season tomorrow against Lowell, the Cyclones still have a chance to claim a playoff spot with a win tomorrow in their last game. Happy to still be in the hunt after tonight’s tough loss, Greer is confident with Nelson Portillo on the mound tomorrow that the team will be postseason bound.

“We have to win tomorrow,” said Greer. “And be Lowell Spinners fans.”