Brooklyn Cyclones Retake Share of First Place

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

FRIDAY

Brooklyn   2

Vermont    1

10 innings

Will that be nine runs, or two?  Pick your poison.  After putting up a nine spot in back-to-back games against the Tri-City Valley Cats, the Brooklyn Cyclones travel up to Burlington, Vermont, where they engage the Lake Monsters in an old fashioned pitching duel.  Vermont third baseman Jordan Diaz drives home the game's first run in the fourth off Brooklyn starter Garrison Bryan.  It would turn out being the Lake Monsters lone run of the game.  The Cyclones promptly tie the score in the top of the fifth on hits from Joe Genord and Ariel Yera off Monster starter Yorlenis Noa, and a RBI single from Raul Beracierta off reliever Clark Cota.  The game remains knotted at one through nine innings, and into extra innings they go.

Jose Peroza is the obligatory runner placed at second base to start the tenth.  He advances to third on Ariel Yera's successful bunt single.  Jake Mangum then reaches on a botched fielder's choice to first allowing Peroza to score from third with the go-ahead run.  Brooklyn reliever Hunter Parsons is the beneficiary having pitched two scoreless innings in relief of starter Garrison Bryant, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts en route to his first victory of the season.  Nelson Leon pitches a clean bottom half of the tenth with two strikeouts to earn his first save of the season.

The lead story however is starting pitcher Garrison Bryant.  Despite the no-decision, he throws a gem.  Making is eighth start for Brooklyn, Garrison faces 23 batters and throws 80 pitches with 51 (64%) going for strikes.  He yields the one lone run on just one hit and one walk with three strikeouts through seven innings pitched.  Bryant is one of just five New York-Penn League starting pitchers with a WHiP below one.

• Brooklyn Cyclones pitching ranks fourth with a 3.27 team ERA.  They also lead the league with 16 saves.

Brooklyn's third straight victory, coupled with Hudson Valley's defeat of Aberdeen creates a (mathematical) three-way tie for first place.  The Cyclones and Renegades close out Friday's action with identical 23-16 (.590) records, while Aberdeen now sports a 24-17 (.585) record.  The Staten Island Yankees lose both games of a double-header against Lowell to fall 4.5 games back of the McNamara Division leaders.