Pitching and the Long Ball Lift Brooklyn Cyclones Over Jersey Shore

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Jersey Shore @ Coney Island tied; 2-2

I - JS 7; BK 5

II - BK 3; JS 2

III - JS 3; BK 0

IV - BK 7; JS 2

BOXSCORE

Francisco Alvarez Homers in Return to Lineup; Cyclones Even Series

Now that's more like it..!

Jersey Shore promptly takes a 2-0 lead in the first inning on catcher Logan O'Hoppe's two-run home run.

Afterwhich, Brooklyn hurlers surrender just four scattered hits the rest of the way.  After the first inning, Cyclones southpaw  Cam Opp regroups, allowing just one more hit and one walk with three strikeouts through 5.2 innings pitched for the win.  He faces game-high 22 batters, throwing 74 pitchers with 42 (56.7%) going for strikes.  Relievers Josh Hejka and Allan Winans join together for 3.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

Starting the game at first and finishing in left field, Jeremy Vasquez goes 2 for 3 with a home run in the second and a team-high three runs batted in.  Making his return to the lineup, catcher Francisco Alvarez is 1 for 3 with a home run in the eighth, his fifth this season, and two runs batted in, and LT Struble goes 2 for 4 also with two runs batted in.  Cody Bohanek, starting at third place in place of Brett Baty, gives Long Island three players with multiple hits.

With Friday's victory, the Cyclones knot the series at two.

But you know I can't let them off the hook so easily.  Despite ten hits, the Surf Avenue Sluggers whiffed ten times and drew just three walks.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Jersey Shore Triumphant In First Ever Visit To Coney Island

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BATTLE ON THE BOARDWALK

GAME ONE
Jersey Shore BlueClaws  7

Brooklyn Cyclones           5

FINAL/BOX

BlueClaws Bullpen Stops Brooklyn Comeback Cold In Its Tracks

Jupiter Pluvius does the Brooklyn Cyclones no favors ...

.. and so it is, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws are triumphant in their first-ever venture into Coney Island.

Oh, the shame ...

Insofar as the game, once both starting pitchers are yanked from the mound, the whole complexion of this contest changes - as if to say, all is well, nothing more to see here; go back to your homes.

Unfortunately for Brooklyn, an early and rather large deficit proves too much to overcome.

In the second inning, Jersey Shore third baseman D.J. Stewart says hello to Kings County with a home run against starter Jaison Vilera who in the very next frame yields six more runs, all earned.  Once the dust settles, Vilera is charged with seven earned runs on seven hits, including two home runs, and three walks, in a mere 2.2 innings pitched.

After wielding just two hits through the first three innings, Brooklyn finally gets on the board against Blue Claws starter Dominic Pipkin when Francisco Alvarez laces a double down the left-field line scoring Ronny Mauricio (single) and Brett Baty (double).  Joe Genord singles home Alvarez, and center fielder Adrian Hernandez plates two more, making it a 7-5 game.

Francisco Alvarez leaves the game (leg) and is replaced behind the plate by Juan Uriarte as they head into the fifth.  Perhaps asking your backstop who is built like a Mack truck to catch in 72% humidity (as I listen in from nearby Bensonhurst), leg out a double, then race from second to home was a bit much on the legs.  The announcers were sticking to a precautionary, and proactive explanation, but they did mention he was limping in the dugout.  Put that through the translator.  Otherwise, I hope it was just cramps.  Stay tuned ...

In relief of Vilera, right-hander Colby Morris puts forth his longest outing this season.  His previous high was 2.2 innings pitched.  He faces twelve batters and throws 51 pitches, with 30 (58.8%) going for strikes.  He strikes out the side in the fifth as part of three innings of no-hit, no-run ball.  All told, he strikes out four but clearly tires in the sixth inning, walking two batters before making his exit.  With two out and two runners on base, Michel Otanez enters the game and closes out the frame.

With the game in the hands of Jersey Shore's Manuel Silva and Otanez for Brooklyn, the score remains unchanged through the seventh as Brett Baty bounces into an inning-ending double play to close out the frame.  Otanez exits after 1.1 scoreless innings pitch with one hit allowed; into the game comes Allan Winans, who twirls a scoreless top eight.  Silva, in turn, tosses three scoreless innings for the Blue Claws.  He is relieved by Aneurys Zabala, who likewise closes out the home half of the eighth.

Winans goes out for the ninth and proceeds to retire Jersey Shore in order.  Zabala likewise climbs the bump for the home ninth.  First up, Joe Genord strikes out swinging.  Next, LT Struble works the count full and draws a one-out walk.  Antoine Duplantis then strikes out swinging.  Finally, like Genord and Duplantis before him, Cody Bohanek caps off an 0 for 5 night with a strikeout of the swinging variety.  It was Brooklyn's twelfth strikeout of the game, yet another double-digit demonstration.

File this under the comeback that wasn't.  Brooklyn's five-run outburst in the fifth was all there was, two runs short.  The Jersey Shore bullpen made sure of that.

• Quick Note: spell check keeps wanting to turn Aneurys Zabala's name into Aneurysm!

Brooklyn Cyclones Get Two-Hit By Hudson Valley Renegades For Third Time In Series

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE 

Hudson Valley defeats Brooklyn; 5-1

I - HVR 3; BKN 2

II - BKN 5; HVR 3

III - HVR 1; BKN 0

IV - HVR 8; BKN 0

V - HVR 5; BKN 4

VI - HVR 5; BKN 0

Look What The Renegades Did To The Cyclones, Again!

Toeing the rubber for Brooklyn in Sunday's series finale is Jose Butto, opposed by Hudson Valley right-hander Hayden Wesneski.  A scoreless duel extends through the fifth inning with just three hits for the Renegades and one for Brooklyn off the bat of Zach Ashford in the second.

Butto exits a scoreless game after the fifth.  He faces 19 batters, throwing 82 pitches with 54 (65.8%) going for strikes while allowing just three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.  Reliever Allan Winans enters in the sixth and promptly surrenders the Renegades' fourth hit of the game, which is soon erased when Renegades' catcher Josh Breaux bounces into a 5-4-3 double-play.

Hayden Wesneski surrenders only his second hit of the game in the sixth, a one-out single by Cody Bohanek.  He goes right back out and throws a scoreless seventh, striking out Antoine Duplantis and Ronny Mauricio before walking Brett Baty.  Catcher Francisco Alvarez flies to left field, ending the frame.

Allan Winans climbs the hill again for the eighth.  He walks the dreaded leadoff batter, and you know what happens next.  Shortstop Josh Smith doubles down the right-field line scoring Evan Alexander from second base.  Mitch Ragan relieves Allan Winans.  After issuing an intentional walk, Josh Breaux greets Ragan with a line-drive double to left field, scoring Smith.  Breaux then hits the next batter with a pitch to load the bases.  First baseman Eric Wagaman lofts a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Ezequiel Duran from third.  Mitch Ragan finally gets James Nelson on a pop-up to second.  But the damage is done, three runs for Hudson Valley in the eighth.

Right-hander Nick Ernst relieves Hayden Wesneski in the eighth.  Wesneski exits on the winning side of a 3-0 game, allowing just two hits and two walks with nine strikeouts through seven innings pitched.  The Cyclones are set down in order in the bottom of the frame.

Brooklyn right-hander Hunter Parsons is called upon to pitch the ninth in relief of Mitch Ragan.  With a double and single, Hudson Valley immediately puts runners on the corners, and a walk loads the bases before Parsons records an out.  A fielding error by Ronny Mauricio leads to a pair of runs.  Another intentional walk reloads the bases.  The Cyclones then convert a forceout at home, get the infield fly rule invoked, and finally retire the Renegades on a flyball to center from Wagaman, but not before two more runs come home for a 5-0 lead.

Hudson Valley right-hander Zach Greene retires the Cyclones to end this Coney Island nightmare.

In this series, Hudson Valley whitewashes the Cyclones three times, and three times they limit Brooklyn to just two hits.  On Thursday, June 10, in game three of the series, Hudson Valley limits the Cyclones to just a pair of hits.  On Friday, June 11, the Cyclones are again limited to just two hits.  Sunday is no different.  Zach Ashford and Juan Uriarte are the only two Cyclones who hit safely.

• BOXSCORE: 6/13/2021

The Squirrel, Jeff McNeil, started at second base and batted lead-off.  He lofted a fly to left field in the first inning and grounded out to first base unassisted to end the third before being removed.  This marks Jeff McNeil's second-ever visit to Coney Island.  He last played for the Cyclones in 2019, going 1 for 4 with a run scored.  After spending the 2013 season at Kingsport, McNeil bypassed Brooklyn in 2014, spending the season at Savannah and Port St. Lucie.

A Coney Island Pitcher's Duel Favors Hudson Valley Over Cyclones

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Renegades lead Cyclones; 3-0

I - HVR 3; BKN 2

II - HVR 5; BKN 3

III - HVR 1; BKN 0

In the top of the second, Hudson Valley third baseman James Nelson drives home the game's first run.  Renegades starter Mitch Spence, Barrett Loseke, and Zach Green make it stand.  Brooklyn is limited to just two hits wielded by Cody Bohanek and JT Strubel.  Despite the loss, Brooklyn starter Cam Opp puts forth a fine performance, allowing the one run on just three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Relievers Allan Winans and Michel Otanez join together for three no-hit, no-run innings.  James Nelson accounts for two of Hudson Valley's three hits.  Brooklyn fanned eleven times, drew just one walk, and went 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position.

• BOX: Thursday, June 10, 2021
• Brooklyn Cyclones: 10-20 (.333)