Brooklyn Cyclones Tie For Wild Card Lead With Two Games Left

From the desks of: 

THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS  &  THE RICHMOND COUNTY RATS

Battle of the Boroughs

NATIONAL ANTHEM

LABOR DAY WEEKEND BEGINS

SATURDAY

Staten Island Yankees     2

Brooklyn Cyclones        11

FINAL

First Pitch

With everything riding on these next three games, Brooklyn seizes game one with an 11-2 triumph over the Staten Island Yankees at old Steeplechase Grounds.  The teams waste little time trading runs in the first.  In the second Staten Island takes a 2-1 lead on a lead-off single from left fielder Pat DeMarco, and a follow up double from right fielder Juan DeLeon against Cyclones starter Matthew Allan.  Luke Ritter doubles leading off the fourth and eventually scores via a pair of effectively productive sacrifice fly outs.  Brooklyn pushes two more runs across the plate in the sixth on doubles from Robinson Cano and Joe Genord and a gift error by Yankees third baseman Andres Chaparro.  Catcher Jose Mena is struck by a pitch leading off the seventh.  After which the Cyclones bats strike back with seven runs on five hits highlighted by Joe Genord's three run blast off Yankees reliever Marcus Evey.

(RHP) MATTHEW ALLAN

Mets Third Round Selection 2019 June Draft

Promoted from the GCL Mets, Matthew Allan makes his Brooklyn Cyclones debut Saturday afternoon against the Yankees.  The plan heading in called for a brief appearance.  In turn he faces eleven batters and throw 34 pitches with 25 (73%) going for pitches.  Nice on paper, in fact the very first batter he faces, second baseman and lead-off hitter Ezequiel Duran, fans looking at a very nifty curve ball.  But Allan winds up yielding two earned runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts through two innings pitched.

Hand out gold stars to the four Cyclones relievers who join together in pitching seven scoreless innings of three hit ball with ten strikeouts in relief of starter Matthew Allan.  Mitch Ragan picks up his third victory for a scoreless sixth and seventh inning with three strikeouts.

ROBINSON CANO

New York Mets second baseman Robinson Cano's compromised hamstring is coming along far quicker than anyone anticipated.  He makes the start at second for Brooklyn against the Yankees and is generally received well by the Brooklyn crowd.  Robinson  reciprocates the warm welcome by going 2 for 4 with a double, run scored, and a run batted in.

CANO in the FIELD

3B - BRETT BATY

Mets First Round Selection 2019 June Draft

Brett Baty also makes his Brooklyn debut with the Cyclones.  He is promoted from (rookie) Kingsport where he hit six home runs with 22 RBI in 42 games and 156 at-bats.  He goes 0 for 3 with a walk, and a run scored.

LUKE RITTER at the PLATE

Designated hitter Luke Ritter and Joe Genord are big men on campus.  Ritter is 3 for 5 with a double, three runs scored, and four runs batted in.  Genord goes 2 for 2 with his ninth home run of the season, and five runs batted in.  Unlike their parent club of late, the Cyclones are 7 for 15 with RiSP, and leave only five runners on base.

Manager Edgardo Alfonzo

Hudson Valley defeats the Aberdeen Ironbirds at Dutchess County.  The Renegades score early and often, then pour it on again in the late innings for good measure.  They batter Aberdeen pitching for 16 hits and nine runs.  In turn the Renegades limit Ironbird hitters to just one run on a mere three hits.

Now what?

• New York Penn League

Hudson Valley is alone in first place of the McNamara Division, with Brooklyn and Aberdeen tied for second just one game back.  Scenario two: the Brooklyn Cyclones and Aberdeen Ironbirds are now tied for the wild card lead.  With Friday's loss against the Cyclones the Staten Island Yankees are eliminated from the division race.  However, they're still alive in the wild card chase albeit a precarious 1.5 games back of the Cyclones and Ironbirds with just two games left.  Sunday brings a new day but the mission remains the same.  Now that the Renegades have jumped out to a series lead, Brooklyn needs Hudson Valley to complete the sweep.  In the meantime Brooklyn must continue handling their business against the Yankees.  The series shifts to the Ballpark at St. George for game two on Sunday.