Brooklyn Cyclones Win Opening Day Match-Up Over Rival Staten Island

From the desks of: 

THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS  and  THE RICHMOND COUNTY RATS

BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS

OPENING DAY

Staten Island Yankees

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones

FROM 

CONEY ISLAND

Brooklyn Cyclones baseball is underway.  The Surf Avenue Sluggers open the 2019 season with a victory over the rival Staten Island Yankees Friday night at Coney Island.  Manager Edgardo Alfonzo tasked right-hander Daison Acosta with starting opening day.  The soon to be 21-year old yielded one earned run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts through 4.1 innings pitched.

In the bottom of the fourth, first baseman Joseph Genord connected on his first home run as a professional.  In the sixth, third baseman Nic Gaddis doubled home a run, and DH Jose Medina doubled home two more giving the Cyclones a 4-1 lead through six.  After the teams traded runs in the seventh, the Yankees threatened with two more runs in the eighth.  But Brooklyn reliever Brian Metoyer would pitch a scoreless ninth to secure Coney Island's 5-4 victory over Staten Island, and earn his first save of the season.  Luis Silva whom entered in the fifth in relief of Daison was credited with the win.  Cyclones pitchers were also erratic, unleashing five wild pitches, hitting a batsman, and committing a balk.

Staten Island starter Charlie Ruegger pitched well, albeit in defeat, surrendering just one earned run on three hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Austin Gardner in relief of Ruegger takes the loss after yielding four earned runs on five hits and a walk in 1.1 innings pitched.

The Battle of the Boroughs crosses the Verrazano Bridge for game two at the Ballpark at St. George on Saturday.

Opening Day Starting Line-Up

• CF - Adon
• SS - Romero
• RF - Ashford
• 1B - Ganord
• 3B - Gaddis
• DH - Medina
• 2B - Ritter
• LF - Beracierta
• C - Yera

2019 Mets Draft; SNY
Brooklyn Cyclones
Brooklyn Baseball Reference


2019 AMATEUR DRAFT SELECTIONS

• Round 5) Nathan Jones; RHP (Northwestern St.)
• Round 6) Zack Ashford; OF (Fresno St.)
• Round 7) Luke Ritter; INF (Wichita St.)
• Round 9) Joseph Genord; INF (South Florida)
• Round 11) Jordan Martinson; LHP (Dallas Baptist)
• Round 15) Mitch Ragan; RHP (Creighton)
• Round 16) Nic Gaddis; C (Jacksonville St.)
• Round 17) Dan Goggin; RHP (James Madison)
• Round 30) Justin Lasko; RHP (UMass Amherst)
• Round 31) Andrew Edwards; LHP (New Mexico St.)

BEHIND the PLATE

• Ariel Yera - the Cyclones opening day catcher, he played two seasons (2015-2016) in the Cuban Serie Nacional.
• Jose Mena - promoted from (R) GCL Mets.
• Phil Capra - local product from Wagner College of Staten Island.  Played 32 games last season for (R) Kingsport Mets.

INFIELD

• Angel Manzanarez - second season with Brooklyn.
• Joseph Genord - round #9 out of South Florida.
• Nic Gaddis - round #16 out of Jacksonville State.
• Gavin Garay - promoted from (R) Kingsport Mets.
• Yoel Romero - already started the season playing in 19 games for (A+) Port St. Lucie and (A) Columbia.
• Wilmer Reyes - spent most of 2018 playing for (R) GCL Mets, played five games for (A+) Port St. Lucie.

OUTFIELD

• Zack Ashford - round #6 out of Fresno State.
• Anthony Dirocie - second season with Brooklyn, also played 23 games last season at (A) Columbia.
• Guillermo Granadillo - touched Brooklyn in 2017, spent last season playing for (R) Kingsport.
• Ranfy Adon - promoted from (R) Kingsport.
• Raul Beracierta - promoted from (R) Kingsport.
• Jose Medina - back for his third season at Brooklyn.
• Zach Rheams - played for (A) Columbia last season, started this season again playing 14 games at Columbia.

PITCHERS

• Nathan Jones (R) - round #5 out of Northwestern State.
• Jordan Martinson (L) - round #11 out of Dallas Baptist.
• Mitch Ragan (R) - round #15 out of Creighton.
• Daniel Goggin (R) - round #17 out of James Madison.
• Justin Lasko (R) - round #30 out of UMass Amherst.
• Andrew Edwards (L) - round #31 out of New Mexico State.
• Matt Mullenbach (R) - out of Lincoln Memorial University.

• Brian Metoyer (R) - promoted from (R) GCL Mets.
• Malky Mena (R) - promoted from (R) GCL Mets.
• Nelson Leon (R) - promoted from (R) Kingsport.
• Daison Acosta (R) - promoted from (R) Kingsport.
• Christian Tripp (R) - promoted from (R) Kingsport.
• Luis Silva (R) - promoted from (R) Kingsport.
• Matt Cleveland (R) - promoted from (R) Kingsport.
• Garrison Bryant (R) - promoted from (R) Kingsport, made one appearance this season for (A) Columbia.
• Yeudy Colon (R) - second season with Brooklyn.

After spending the last three seasons playing in the Venezuelan League, Mexican League, and most recently for the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League, Endy Chavez finally retired from playing and begins his first season as a coach with the Brooklyn Cyclones.  Edgardo Alfonzo enters his fourth season with the Cyclones and is third season as field manager.  The Cyclones have failed to make the playoffs in each of the previous six seasons.  After three straight seasons of finishing below the .500 mark, the Cyclones improved to 40-35 last season under Fonzie - a 16 game improvement over the 2017 season.