Brooklyn Cyclones: Damn Yankees

From the desk of: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS

SATURDAY

Yankees   3

Cyclones  1

FINAL

Brooklyn Cyclones: Pizza Rats Have Run of Coney Island.

In a game riddled with playoff implications, Staten Island starter Matt Sauer and the Yankees outlast Brooklyn ace Jaison Vilera and the Cyclones at Coney Island Saturday evening, and perhaps ensuring this year's quest to clinch the Wild Card heads towards a photo finish.

A costly two-base error by Cyclones catcher Hayden Senger puts the very first batter of the game on second base.  A subsequent two-out base hit by Yankees first baseman Eric Wagaman gives Staten Island an early 1-0 lead.  Brooklyn ties the game in the bottom of the fourth, helped by a passed ball attributed to Staten Island catcher Jackson Thoreson.

Leading off the top of the sixth, Jaison Vilera strikes out Yankees left fielder and clean-up hitter Caanan Smith.  However, Staten Island loads the bases with two hits and a walk.  Vilera regroups to strikeout third baseman Andres Chaparro, but then surrenders a two run double to Yankees right fielder and number nine hitter Junior Soto.

Reliever Aaron McGarity closes out the Yankees victory with a brilliant effort, throwing 3.2 innings of scoreless, two-hit baseball, while striking out eight of 14 batters faced.

In defeating the Batavia Muckdogs, the Wild Card leading Auburn Doubledays win their third in a row, and extend their lead over Brooklyn and Staten Island whom both are now 1.5 games back with just two games left.  All other contenders have been eliminated.