Brooklyn Cyclones Defeat S.I. Yanks in season's first Battle of the Boroughs

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Battle of the Boroughs - I

Brooklyn wins Opening Series 2-1

I - BKN 3; SIY 2

II - SIY 8; BKN 3

III - BKN 6; SIY 4

BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Party Poopers; Baby Bums and Baby Bombers spend weekend ruining each other's home openers.

If there's any consolation to Brooklyn losing their Coney Island home opener on Saturday, it's no doubt taking a pair from the Yankees in Staten Island, and ruining Richmond County's opening weekend as well.

Preview: 2015 Brooklyn Cyclones

The Staten Island Yankees hosted this year's opening of the 2015 New York-Penn League season on Friday, and jumped out to a 2-0 lead on right fielder Jhalan Jackson's 2-run home run off Brooklyn starter Tyler Badamo in the 2nd.

After an RBI by Tucker Tharp in the 4th, Michael Katz scored on a wild pitch in the 6th, knotting the game at two through 6 innings of play.  That's the way things stayed, as the first game of the season required extra innings.

With 2-outs and Enmanuel Zabala at second base in the top of the 12th, Michael Bernal's liner to left finally delivered the go-ahead run.

Reliever Gaither Bumgardner then retired the Yankees in order, striking out the final two batters to earn the win, and secure Brooklyn's opening night 3-2 victory.

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In Saturday's Cyclones home opener at MCU Park, the Staten Island Yankees struck back to post a crowd deflating 8-3 victory over Brooklyn.

Starter Gabby Almonte climbed the hill, and was clubbed for 8 runs, 6 earned, on 8 hits and 2 walks.   He fanned 3 before departing the game on the losing side.

The Surf Avenue Sluggers were quiet this day.  First baseman Michael Katz was credited with the only Cyclones' RBI of the game.

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The series shifted back to Staten Island for Sunday's rubber game, where the Cyclones built a 5-0 lead by the 5th, then held on to post a 6-4 victory, and an opening series win.

Right fielder Michael Bernal was 2 for 4 with a double, triple, 2 runs scored and an RBI.  DH Jeff Diehl was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBI, and first baseman Zach Mathieu drove in a pair as well.

Starter Michael Gibbons pitched 5.2 innings.  He faced 22 batters, and threw 94 pitches with 61 going for strikes.  He allowed 2 earned runs on 2 hits and 2 walks, and fanned 6 batters en route to his first victory of the season.

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Next: the Brooklyn Cyclones will host the Tri-City Valley Cats.




Mike