Brooklyn Cyclones: Yanks Invade Coney For Last Battle Between the Boroughs

From the desk of:   THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS - IV

 

The Final Showdown

 

 

CYCLONES LEAD SERIES 2-0

I - BK 5; S.I. 1

II - BK 3; S.I. 2

III - Sunday

 

Cyclones Lead Season Series 8-5

 

 

 

 

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  No Division Title For You.

 

CYCLONES AND MUCKDOGS FANS GUARANTEED A WILD FINISH

 

 

Facing a must win situation with only four games left in the regular season, the Seaside Sluggers defeated the Yankees 3-2 Saturday evening, thus maintaining their precarious one game Wild Card lead over the hard charging Batavia Muckdogs.  For Brooklyn, the Wild Card is the only race left.  Despite winning Saturday night, the Hudson Valley Renegades also won; defeating the Aberdeen Iron Birds; to finally outpace the Cyclones and clinch the 2012 McNamara Division pennant.

On a slightly different front, Brooklyn also gained victory Saturday night in the Battle of the Borough's last engagement on Richmond County soil.  The season's final contest between the Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees will be played today, Sunday afternoon, in Coney Island.  The greater city face-off however, is already won.  To the Cyclones, go the spoils.  In thirteen games played to date, the Brooks own an 8-5 record over their outer Borough rivals.


In the Ballpark at St. George, a crowd just shy of 5,000 watched their Bombers get shutout over eight innings.  Cyclones starter, Julian Hilario, completed 6.1 innings of stellar work.  He allowed four scattered hits and only issued one walk.  He struck out seven batters before handing the ball off to reliever Beck Wheeler with one out in the seventh inning.  Wheeler secured the last two outs without harm.  Replacing Beck Wheeler, Matthew Koch kept Staten Island scoreless in the eighth inning.


Brooklyn scored single runs in the third, sixth and seventh innings.  Brandon Nimmo crushed his sixth home run of the season; a solo shot; in the third.  With the bases loaded in the sixth, Kevin Plawecki scored from third base on a wild pitch.  Malkis De La Cruz led off the seventh inning with a double, and scored on Phillip Evans' RBI single, giving the Cyclones their 3-0 lead.


Into the ninth they went.  Matt Koch returned to the hill and immediately surrendered lead-off back to back doubles.  Confusion on the base paths kept runners at second and third however.  But that mattered not.  Matt Koch was pulled in favor of closer Tyler Vanderheiden.  The first batter Tyler faced, Daniel Lopez, singled to drive both base runners home, and get the Yankees within a run.  Vanderheiden then surrendered a second consecutive single.  Then out came Coach Donnelly; there went Tyler Vanderheiden; and in came John Mincone to put out the fire.  With the tying run at third base, Mincone struck out his first batter, and induced a pop-up from the last Yankees batter of the game.


John Mincone chalked up his sixth save of the season.  Starter Julian Hilario improved his won/loss record to a 4-4 mark.  Overall, Brooklyn pitching limited Staten Island to two hits in twelve at bats with runners in scoring position.  For the game, nine Staten Island hits equalled Brooklyn.


Including today, Brooklyn will have the benefit of playing their final four regular season games on  Steeplechase grounds.  After today's series finale against the Yankees, the Boardwalk Bums will end the season versus the Lowell Spinners.  Batavia will stay home to host the Auburn Doubledays for two games, then end the season with a pair of home and home contests versus the Jamestown Jammers.


To reiterate, Brooklyn has a one game lead over the Batavia Muckdogs in the Wild Card race, with only four games remaining in the regular season.  The race for the McNamara Division title is over.  Hudson Valley clinched.

Let's Go Cyclones!

** Yankees Graffiti; The Smart Crew - Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Cyclones: Yankees Drop Late Hammer on 'Clones

From the desk of:   THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

 

BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:

Drop Heart Breaker to the Richmond County Bombers.   Division Flag Is All But Out of Reach Now.

To open this latest engagement in the Battle of the Boroughs, Cyclones' starter Luis Mateo was given first crack at the Staten Island Yankees.  Brooklyn's starter kept the Bombers scoreless through his first six innings of work.  He allowed a mere four hits, walked one batter, and struck out five.  In the inning prior, his team mates finally staked him to a fifth inning 1-0 lead on consecutive base hits by Eudy Pina and Brandon Nimmo, which set up Kevin Plawecki's two out RBI single.


By the end of the seventh inning, the Cyclones went through two Staten Island pitchers.  Yankees' starter, Tim Flight, was gone after pitching three scoreless innings, in which he struck out five batters and surrendered two hits.  The Cyclones scored their run off Dietrich Enns who pitched four frames.


During Richmond County's bottom half of the seventh, the Yankees managed only their sixth hit off Luis Mateo, but nothing more.  And into the eighth inning they went with James Pazos on the mound for Staten Island.  He issued a lead-off walk to Phillip Evans, but was spared the consequences via a 6-4-3 double play.


Luis Mateo did not take the mound for an eighth inning.  Although Brooklyn fans in attendance wished he had.  Craig Hansen was summoned from the visitor's bullpen to advance the Cyclones' 1-0 lead forward.  Instead, he tossed Brooklyn's lead into New York Harbor.  Issuing a lead-off walk, then hitting the next batter, was a certain foreshadowing of things to come.  Six batters, two more hits, another hit batter, a grand slam home run, and another Cyclones pitcher later, the Yankees were proud owners of a newly minted 5-1 lead entering the ninth inning.


There was no comeback for Brooklyn; not against James Pazos working his second inning of relief.  After serving up a lead-off single to Julio Concepcion, the Cyclones went down on a 1-4-3 double play, followed by an unassisted put-out at first base.


Brooklyn's Craig Hansen suffered the double-whammy with a blown save, and a loss.  The Cyclones were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.  They only managed seven scattered hits; all singles.


And well done to Staten Islanders.  Over 5,000 fans attended Richmond County Grounds for Friday night's game.


In western New York State, the Cyclones finally caught a break thanks to a little help from the Williamsport Crosscutters, as they defeated the Muckdogs by a 7-4 score in Batavia.  That means the Cyclones keep their three game lead over the Muckdogs in the race for the Wild Card spot.  Batavia's loss only drops their record to 8-2 over their last ten games.  The Cyclones are 4-6 over that span.


In the McNamara Division race, the Cyclones began the evening five games out of first.  A five run outburst by Aberdeen in the top of the seventh inning, still couldn't help the Iron Birds defeat the Hudson Valley Renegades.  And so, the Cyclones now end their night, six games out of first place.


Twelve games remain in the regular season.





Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Cyclones: Off To Staten Island For Clash With Rival Baby Bombers

From the desk of:   THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS - III

 

 

FRIDAY NIGHT FRACAS

 

 GAME ONE

 

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

vs.

Staten Island Yankees

FROM

The Forgotten Borough

RICHMOND COUNTY

S.I.

 

 

 

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  Gang From Coney Suffering Late Season Slippage.  And..., Don't Look Now, But There's A Dog Chasing You,  And Gaining Fast.

 

 

The Cyclones are fresh off dropping two of three games to the circuit's top team.  Panic?  Stay Cool?  That depends on you.  I'm just the messenger.  But with Thursday night's 4-1 loss to the Tri City Valley Cats; coupled with the Hudson Valley Renegades 1-0, three hitter over the Connecticut Tigers; and compounded by Batavia's 2-1 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers; the Brooklyn Cyclones suddenly have a cornucopia of concerns.

 

 

After the Brooks enjoyed a brief time leading the standings earlier this season, the Renegades are now pulling away in the McNamara Division.  They have increased their lead over second place Brooklyn to five games.  With only thirteen games remaining in the season, that is clearly a problem for Brooklyn.  Because, the Dogs are after them.  The Batavia Muckdogs are now just three games behind the Surf Avenue Sluggers in the Wild Card race.  And if the gang from Coney lets the Muckdogs catch up and bite them in the ankles, and the Renegades hold on to their lead, it's bye-bye playoffs for Brooklyn.

 

 

The Staten Island Yankees?  Well..., their season is in the Richmond County dumps, so to say.  They've already been eliminated from playoff contention.  So yeah, the five time champs are suffering through a rough season.  For as long as attendance remains healthy out there, and there is no threat of them going away, last place couldn't find its way to a better team, as far as I'm concerned.  The Baby Bombers are in last place of the McNamara Division with a 22-40 record.  That's terrible.  Just terrible.  Their best hitter is Who Cares.  And their top hurler is It Doesn't Matter.  They're the Yankees.  From Staten Island, to the Bronx, a Yankee, is a Yankee, is a Yankee.

 

 

The Yankees are winners of their last four games in a row.  So Brooklyn had better play this series right.

 

 

More Later. 

 

 

 

 

Mike.BTB

BKN Cyclones ~ Brooks Take Staten Island in Twelve; Keep Hold on First

From the desk of:   THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Battle of the Boroughs - II

Brooklyn and Staten Island Tie Series 2-2

BK 1; S.I. 0

S.I. 4; BK 2

S.I. 3; BK 1

BK 2; S.I. 1

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  The Surf Avenue Sluggers Keep a Hold On First Place; Gain Series Split Versus Yankees.


They went into the ninth inning tied at one apiece.  The visiting Staten Island Yankees' starter, Corey Black, tossed six innings, surrendering only a run to Brooklyn on six hits, and only one walk.  He struck out six before giving way to the bullpen.  Then Yankees' Josh Romanski tossed a scoreless seventh inning, and Dietrich Enns pitched the eighth without harm.

For the Cyclones, Hansel Robles was making his sixth start of the season, and looking for his third win.  But after pitching eight superb innings, he left to a no decision.  He allowed Staten Island six hits, one walk, and limited them to one run, while striking out a season high nine batters.

The Surf Avenue Sluggers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth.  After Dimas Ponce led off with a double and was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple, Phillip Evans followed with another double.  Alexander Sanchez then hit the third double of the inning off Corey Black to drive home Evans.  The Bombers finally tied the game in the seventh off Robles.  Jose Rosario doubled home Matt Snyder with the tying run.

John Mincone took over for Hansel Robles and pitched a scoreless ninth inning.  Mariel Checo; Staten Island's fourth pitcher; was called upon to pitch the home ninth against the Brooks.  He kept them scoreless, striking out two, to send the game into extra-innings for the second time this series.

Mincone retired the Yanks in order in the tenth.  But in the bottom half of the inning, Mariel Checo pitched himself into, then out of trouble.  Eudy Pina led off the home tenth with a single.  A sacrifice bunt and an E-3 moved him to third base.  Checo then intentionally walked the bases loaded.  Kevin Plawecki followed with a fly-out to center but with no advancement of the runners.  Alexander Sanchez then ended the threat with a grounder to second.

In his third inning of work, John Mincone faced the minimum in the eleventh.  Charles Basford relieved Mariel Checo for the Bombers, who set the Cyclones down quietly.  Then Brooklyn's Tyler Vanderheiden was brought into the game to pitch the twelfth inning of play.  He escaped a first and third situation with two outs, and struck out Exicardo Cayones swinging to stop the Yanks cold.

In the bottom of the twelfth with Charles Basford pitching, Brooklyn's Dimas Ponce singled with one out.  Kevin Plawecki hit a two out single that moved Ponce to third base.  Then Alexander Sanchez finally drove home the game winning run with an RBI single to center field.


After some superb relief work out of John Mincone, and a stellar eight inning starting performance from Hansel Robles, Tyler Vanderheiden earned his first win in relief this season, off one inning of work and walking two batters.  Hey, it's like that sometimes.  Staten Island's Charles Bradford gets credited with the loss.  Bradford is now 0-2 this season.


The Brooklyn Cyclones earned a split in the second installment of the Battle of the Boroughs.  Games One and Four were both won by the Cyclones in extra innings.  Thursday night's Game One was a fifteen inning affair.  Overall, the Cyclones lead the season series against Staten Island five games to three.


Brooklyn needed this win to keep pace with the Hudson Valley Renegades, who won their game 8-2 over the Aberdeen Iron Birds.  The two teams are now tied for the McNamara Division lead with identical 21-13 records.  Staten Island is next, trailing Brooklyn and Hudson Valley by seven games, and now sport a 14-20 season record.


The Cyclones' win also gets them one game (9-8) over the .500 mark at home.  The Cyclones will host Aberdeen for two games before hitting the road for a pair of series against Batavia and Mahoning Valley.  The Cyclones have played very well on the road and will look to improve their 12-5 mark away from Coney Island.  But first, they'll look to gain some separation from the Renegades by taking on the McNamara Division's last place club in the Iron Birds.




Mike.BTB

BKN Cyclones ~ Staten Island Quiets Brooklyn; Game Four Today

From the desk of:   THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Battle of the Boroughs - II

BK 1; S.I. 0

S.I. 4; BK 2

S.I. 3; BK 1

Game Four Today in Coney Island

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  Brooks Drop Second Straight to the Richmond Count Bombers.



Richmond County packed the house and watched their Baby Bombers take a second straight game from the visiting Cyclones Satrurday night in the Ballpark at St. George, and now lead this installment of the Battle of the Boroughs two games to one.  The Brooks will now look to gain a series split in Game Four on Sunday in Coney Island.

After Bombers' starting pitcher Evan Rutckyj allowed Brooklyn one run in the third, he clamped down on them for the rest of his seven innings pitched.  The Cyclones' lone run came on a home run by DH Jeffery Glenn.  Otherwise, Rutckyj allowed three scattered hits, walked one, and struck out six.  Reliever James Pazos took care of Brooklyn over the last two innings.  He allowed one hit, and struck out one batter for his second save of the season.

Luis Cessa made his sixth start for the Cyclones.  He was just fine through five innings, somewhat matching Staten Island's starter.  Luis surrendered but three hits and one earned run.  He walked walked two and struck out four before giving way to the bullpen in a 1-1 game.  Matthew Bowman was first out of the Brooklyn pen, and got roughed up by the Yanks.  He allowed five hits in two innings pitched.  He surrendered the go-ahead run, an additional insurance run in the sixth, and took the loss.




Mike.BTB

BKN Cyclones ~ Battle of the Boroughs II; Yanks Take Game Two

From the desk of:   THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS - II

I - Brooklyn Wins Series 3-1

Brooklyn 2; Staten Island 0

Brooklyn 4; Staten Island 1

Brooklyn 7; Staten Island 2

Staten Island 8; Brooklyn 1

II - Series Tied 1-1

Brooklyn 1; Staten Island 0

Staten Island 4; Brooklyn 2

Game Three in St. George

Game Four in Coney Island

 

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  Baby Bombers Gain Spilt After Game Two.  Teams Head Back Over Verrazano Bridge For Game Three in Staten Island.  Series Wraps Up in Coney Island on Sunday.


In the opening game of their second series together, the visiting first place Cyclones needed fifteen innings In Staten Island to put away the Yankees.  Starting pitcher, Gabriel Ynoa pitched six shutout innings and give up one lone hit to Staten Island batters.  He walked two and struck out three before exiting a scoreless game.  Staten Island's Andrew Benack last four innings for the Yankees and surrendered four hits and no runs before giving way to the bullpen.


For the game, Staten Island's pitching was getting by, somehow managing Brooklyn for fourteen innings.  The Cyclones wrapped eleven total hits, with four doubles in the game.  But the Seaside Sluggers had troubles pushing runs across the plate as they batted a mere 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position.  The Yankees didn't fare much better batting 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.  Seven Brooklyn pitchers limited the Yankees to four hits all game.


Late in the night, Dimas Ponce led off the top of the fifteenth inning with a double off the fifth Staten Island pitcher, Alex Smith, who was in his third inning of work.  Dimas moved to third on Jonathan Clark's bunt single.  Richie Rodriguez then lifted a fly to center, on which Dimas Ponce tagged-up from third and scored the games only run.


Out of Brooklyn's bullpen came Tyler Vanderheiden to preserve the lead and end the game.  He made it interesting by walking a batter and hitting another.  But with a strike out, and inducing his last batter into a game ending double play, his sixth save of the season was secured, as was the Brooklyn Cyclones' twentieth win.

*

The series crossed over the Verrazano and headed back to Coney Island for Friday night's second game of the series.  Under threatening skies and Fall type weather conditions, Staten Island took an early 1-0 lead after two innings, and a 3-0 lead after three against Boardwalk Bum starter, Luis Mateo, who was making his sixth start this season, and in search of his fifth win.  But the Baby Bombers had other ideas.


The Yankees' Gabriel Encinas managed five innings pitched.  He allowed six hits and one earned run.  He struggled a bit walking for, but also recorded four strikeouts.  Evan DeLuca took over for Encinas and pitched the next two innings, and also allowed Brooklyn one run.  But that's all the Surf Avenue Sluggers would get this night.  Stefan Lopez and Taylor Garrison kept the Cyclones subdued over the last two frames to preserve a 4-2 Yankees victory.


Brooklyn scored lone runs in the fifth and sixth innings.  Kevin Plawecki had an RBI single to put the 'Clones on the board.  In the sixth, Jayce Boyd led off with a double.  The next batter, Eudy Pina, also doubled to drive in Boyd for the home team's second and last run of the evening.  In this game, the Cyclones batted 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.  That makes them three for their last twenty-four times at bat with RiSP.


Starting pitcher Luis Mateo is now 4-2 on the season.  He pitched six full, and allowed six hits, and four earned runs.  He surrendered one home run, walked three and struck out three.  Beck Wheeler and Ernesto Yanez combined on three stellar innings in relief however.  Wheeler struck out four batters in two innings of work.  Neither allowed Staten Island a hit, and issued no walks.


Brooklyn's lead in the McNamara Division is now just one game over the Hudson Valley Renegades, who defeated the Aberdeen Iron Birds by a 3-2 score Friday evening up in Fishkill, N.Y.  Staten Island's third place standing is unchanged.  They now sport a 13-19 record, and are seven games back of the Cyclones.


Friday's loss drops Brooklyn to 8-8 at home.  They have not enjoyed the dominance yet, they are so accustomed toused to in Coney Island.  On the road is where they have played best, to the tune of a 12-4 record.  The hottest team in the League, the Stedler Division leading Tri-Citi Valley Cats are tops in the circuit with twenty-four wins.  The Cyclones are second with twenty.




Mike.BTB

BKN Cyclones ~ The Kids of Summer Outlast Yanks on Opening Day

From the desk of:   THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  Opening Day Turns Into a Pitcher's Duel.  Brandon Nimmo Scores First Run of Cyclones Season.  The Coney Island Nine Gain Their First Victory of Summer.

Game One in the Battle of the Boroughs, and of the 2012 regular season, goes to the Borough of Kings.


Right away, Brooklyn fans were in for a treat.  Opening Day in Coney Island turned into a classic pitcher's duel.  Through the first seven innings, the Baby Bombers and the Surf Avenue Sluggers remained scoreless.


For the Cyclones, starting pitcher, Ynoa Gabriel, pitched six innings of superb ball.  He allowed three hits, no runs, walked none, and struck out four.  For the Baby Bombers, Taylor Morton, equalled Gabriel's effort with six shut-out innings of his own.  He allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out a pair.


Both teams turned to their bullpens in the seventh.  For the Yankees, Conner Mullee was summoned.  And for the Cyclones, Coach Donnelly charged Dawrin Fias with Brooklyn's initial relief outing of the season.  Both pitchers kept the game scoreless for another frame.  Dawrin Frias pitched the eighth as well, and again kept the Yankees off the board.


In the home eighth, the Yankees handed the ball off to James Pazos.  With one out, Brandon Nimmo worked out a walk against Pazos.  He advanced to second base when Phillip Evans drew a second consecutive walk.  Alexander Sanchez then reached safely on an infield hit to load the bases.  When Stephan Sabol drew yet another base on balls, Brandon Nimmo crossed home plate with the first Cyclones' run of the game, and of the 2012 season.  A sac-fly by Cole Frenzel drove in Phillip Evans from third to give Brooklyn a 2-0 lead.


That's the way it stayed.  Tyler Vanderheiden was called in to close the game for Brooklyn.  And he did not disappoint.  He retired Staten Island in order, striking out the last two batters swinging, for his first save of the season.  For Ynoa Gabriel, his effort earned him his first win , and Dawrin Frias gets credit for a hold.  The three Cyclone pitchers combined to limit the Yankees to four hits all game.


The thrills and chills of Coney Island are officially back.  Let the Summer begin!


Let's Go Cyclones!




Mike.BTB