BKN Cyclones ~ Sweep... and Away!

From the desk of:   THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  After Taking Three Straight From the Doubledays, and Reducing Hudson Valley's Lead to One Game, The Surf Avenue Sluggers Are Heading to Lowell.


Sweep....and away!  The Coney Island Nine completed a three game sweep of the Auburn Doubledays today in a matinee game by the beach, and are now off to Lowell, Massachusetts, where they will take on the Lowell Spinners.  Monday's win also allowed the Cyclones to chip away another half-game away from Hudson Valley's McNamara Division lead.  Brooklyn brought the margin down to a single game, but the Renegades still play Monday evening.


Rainy Lara started for the Cyclones Monday and stayed strong through six full innings.  But  Brooklyn's bullpen was even stronger.  Auburn opened the game with three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs against Lara.  A six-to-three fielder's choice, plated Auburn's first and only run of the game.  Rainy Lara then proceeded to keep the Doubledays very quiet over the next five innings.  He surrendered five hits in all, and allowed one earned run.  He walked none, struck out three, and lowered his season ERA to a 2.56 mark.  Rainy Lara is now 6-1 this season.


After Rainy Lara, Brooklyn's bullpen assumed full control.  Logan Taylor, Beck Wheeler, and David Wynn were all charged with pitching an inning apiece.  The three combined to allow no hits, no walks, and struck out six batters.  David Wynn earned his first save of the season.  For the game, Cyclones pitching walked no batters and struck out a total of nine.


Brooklyn turned up the power and finally got on the scoreboard with two runs in the fourth inning.  Kevin Plawecki (3) and Stefan Sabol (4) crushed back-to-back home runs, giving the Cyclones a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.  The Brooks scored a third time in the fifth.  After Dimas Ponce was hit by a pitch leading off, he left the game for a pinch-runner.  Richie Rodriguez and Eudy Pina then followed with consecutive singles to load the bases.  Pinch runner Jeff Reynolds came home on Phillip Evans' sac-fly to center field, to give the Cyclones a 3-1 lead, and the game.


Brandon Nimmo did not play in Monday's game.  And Phillip Evans committed two errors in the field.


With Monday's victory, starting pitcher Rainy Lara is now tied for the New York Penn League lead in wins with six.  Rainy's 0.33 WHIP is also tied for fourth best in the league with his teammate, Gabriel Ynoa.  As a matter of fact, Brooklyn pitchers dominate with four of the best seven WHIPs in the circuit.  What's more, the league sports a circuit low .213 batting average against Cyclones' pitching, and their staff ERA is second only to that of the Tri Citi Valley Cats by two points.  Brooklyn also owns the league high with six combined shut-outs pitched.




Mike.BTB