Brooklyn Cyclones Blank Winston-Salem to Clinch Division Flag

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Brooklyn vs. Winston-Salem

I - BKN 6; WSD 2

II - BKN 5; WSD 2

III - BKN 6; WSD 0

IV - BKN 3; WSD 0

Brooklyn Cyclones Clinch First-Ever South Atlantic League Division Flag

With Brooklyn shutting out the Winston-Salem Dash for a second straight game and the Hudson Valley Renegades bowing to the Blue Rocks at Wilmington, the Cyclones clinched the South Atlantic League North Division second-half flag.

Starter Jeffrey Colon hurled a gem.  Making his third start (sixth appearance) for Brooklyn, the right-hander surrendered a mere three hits and one walk with eight strikeouts for his first win as a Cyclone.  Colon faced 22 batters while throwing an economical 68 pitches, with an effective 69.1% (47) going for strikes.  

Serving as Coney's primary closer down the stretch, Daison Acosta tossed two scoreless innings of no-hit ball with one walk and two strikeouts for his tenth save this season.

Winston-Salem starter Luis Moncada matched Colon pitch for pitch but exited with a no-decision after allowing three hits and no walks with three strikeouts over five scoreless innings.  

Dash reliever Haylen Green pitched into and out of trouble in the sixth.  But things went away for Green in the seventh.  With one out, DH Joe Suozzi homered to left field.  With runners on the corners, Alex Ramirez singled home Shervyen Newton, and Jose Peroza knocked home Matt Rudick, giving the Clones a 3-0 lead and their final margin of victory.

Friday night marks Brooklyn's fourth straight win against the Dash, highlighted by back-to-back shutouts.  The Clones are now winners of six in a row and 14 of their last 16 games and improved to a second-half best 40-24 (.625) record and a 70-60 mark overall.

Two games remain in the regular season.  Afterwhich, the Cyclones will take on the first-half champ Aberdeen Ironbirds in the first-round North Division playoff.

Amazin' Starts Here! #LGM Playoff baseball returns to Coney Island - Can You Dig It?!! https://t.co/VWkE7Qq9DM

— The Metsian Podcast with Sam, Rich and Mike (@THEMetsianPod) September 10, 2022