Brooklyn Cyclones: Fend Off Monsters For Second Straight Win

From the desk of:   THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:

Coney Island Gains a Game on Hudson Valley.

Win Second Straight Over Vermont Lake Monsters.

AFTER MISSING FIVE GAMES, BRANDON NIMMO RETURNS TO ACTION

In game two of their weekend series, Brooklyn finally turned up the offensive production Saturday with six runs on nine hits against the Vermont Lake Monsters.  Four Brooklyn pitchers chipped in to keep the Monsters at bay.  Brandon Nimmo made his return to the line-up, and four Cyclones hitters had multi-hit games.  Ultimately, two unearned runs allowed by Vermont would send their game off in the wrong direction.



Making his seventh start, Brooklyn's Julian Hilario, pitched in search of his second win against three losses this season.  And he'd get it.  Julian left the game after five innings pitched, in which he allowed Vermont one earned run, on five hits.  He walked two and struck out five before leaving the game.  Matthew Kotch first out of Brooklyn's bullpen.  Vermont roughed him up though.  In one inning of work, he surrendered two runs, on four hits, and issued one walk.  But Brooklyn escaped the sixth inning still holding on to a 6-3 lead.



Beck Wheeler and Paul Seward pitched the final three innings.  In two innings of work, Wheeler allowed no hits, walked none, and struck out three Monsters.  Paul Sewald pitched the ninth to secure his fourth save of the season.  He surrendered one hit, and struck out two to close out the Cyclones' thirty-third win of the season.



The Brooks took an early lead in the first inning.  Brandon Nimmo led off Brooklyn's night by drawing a walk.  He advanced to third on Phillip Evans' single.  Then a balk called against Vermont's starter, Michael Ynoa, allowed Nimmo to score.  Phillip Evans later came around to score on an RBI single by Kevin Plawecki, to make the score 2-0 Cyclones.  In the fourth, Brooklyn struck for two more runs.  Brandon Nimmo had an RBI single, and came around to score on a Phillip Evans single, making it a 4-0 game at that point.



In the fifth, Kevin Plawecki led off the inning with his fourth home run of the season.  And in the very next inning, Eudy Pina led off the sixth with a solo home run as well, to give Brooklyn their six run total.  That was Eudy Pina's fourth home run of the season.  The pair of long balls brings Brooklyn's total up to twenty-nine, which still ranks them second in the league.



This was Brandon Nimmo's first game back after getting hit by a pitch on the shoulder, which caused him to miss five games with discomfort.  But Saturday night, he picked up where he left off, and  continues to thrive batting lead-off.  He was two for four at the plate in his return.  The day before being inserted into the lead-off spot on July 25th, he was hitting eighth in the order, and at a .228 clip.  Since then, he has raised his average to a .270 mark.  He is ninth in the league in runs scored; is sporting a .391 OBP; is third in the league in walks; and is tied for second among the circuit leaders in doubles.



Hudson Valley lost to the Lowell Spinners in thirteen innings up in Peekskill, N.Y.  That means Brooklyn gained a game on the Renegades.  The Brooks are now back to being two games behind Hudson Valley for the McNamara Division lead, with twenty-three games remaining in the regular season.  The Cyclones still maintain a five game lead over State College for the Wild Card.





Mike.BTB

BKN Cyclones ~ Sweep... and Away!

From the desk of:   THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  After Taking Three Straight From the Doubledays, and Reducing Hudson Valley's Lead to One Game, The Surf Avenue Sluggers Are Heading to Lowell.


Sweep....and away!  The Coney Island Nine completed a three game sweep of the Auburn Doubledays today in a matinee game by the beach, and are now off to Lowell, Massachusetts, where they will take on the Lowell Spinners.  Monday's win also allowed the Cyclones to chip away another half-game away from Hudson Valley's McNamara Division lead.  Brooklyn brought the margin down to a single game, but the Renegades still play Monday evening.


Rainy Lara started for the Cyclones Monday and stayed strong through six full innings.  But  Brooklyn's bullpen was even stronger.  Auburn opened the game with three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs against Lara.  A six-to-three fielder's choice, plated Auburn's first and only run of the game.  Rainy Lara then proceeded to keep the Doubledays very quiet over the next five innings.  He surrendered five hits in all, and allowed one earned run.  He walked none, struck out three, and lowered his season ERA to a 2.56 mark.  Rainy Lara is now 6-1 this season.


After Rainy Lara, Brooklyn's bullpen assumed full control.  Logan Taylor, Beck Wheeler, and David Wynn were all charged with pitching an inning apiece.  The three combined to allow no hits, no walks, and struck out six batters.  David Wynn earned his first save of the season.  For the game, Cyclones pitching walked no batters and struck out a total of nine.


Brooklyn turned up the power and finally got on the scoreboard with two runs in the fourth inning.  Kevin Plawecki (3) and Stefan Sabol (4) crushed back-to-back home runs, giving the Cyclones a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.  The Brooks scored a third time in the fifth.  After Dimas Ponce was hit by a pitch leading off, he left the game for a pinch-runner.  Richie Rodriguez and Eudy Pina then followed with consecutive singles to load the bases.  Pinch runner Jeff Reynolds came home on Phillip Evans' sac-fly to center field, to give the Cyclones a 3-1 lead, and the game.


Brandon Nimmo did not play in Monday's game.  And Phillip Evans committed two errors in the field.


With Monday's victory, starting pitcher Rainy Lara is now tied for the New York Penn League lead in wins with six.  Rainy's 0.33 WHIP is also tied for fourth best in the league with his teammate, Gabriel Ynoa.  As a matter of fact, Brooklyn pitchers dominate with four of the best seven WHIPs in the circuit.  What's more, the league sports a circuit low .213 batting average against Cyclones' pitching, and their staff ERA is second only to that of the Tri Citi Valley Cats by two points.  Brooklyn also owns the league high with six combined shut-outs pitched.




Mike.BTB

BKN Cyclones ~ Brandon Nimmo Helps Knot Series Against Scrappers; Rubber Game Tonight

From the desk of:   THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  The Surf Avenue Sluggers Are Back!  Three Home Runs Power Brooks Past Mahoning Valley.

Series Tied 1-1

I - M.V. 3; BKN 2

II - BKN 10; M.V. 5

III - TONIGHT

Game Recap: Travelling Brooks Drop Game One in Ohio

Ask and ye shall receive.  A day after pointing out some of the Cyclones offensive woes, the Surf Avenue Sluggers struck back with a "Take That!" response for me, your author.  Late Sunday afternoon, the Brooks smashed out sixteen hits, and scored ten runs in game two of their series against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of Ohio.

Brooklyn took a 3-0 lead right away.  Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a single.  Batter number two; Jeff Reynolds; drew a base on balls.  Then Phillip Evans stepped in against Mahoning's starting pitcher; Ryan Merritt; and crushed his fourth home run of the season.  Two batters later, as quickly as Ryan Merritt's day started, was as quickly as it ended.  Before he could finish out the first inning, Merritt was lifted for Mahoning Valley's first relief pitcher of the game; Josh Martin.

In the second, Julio Concepcion and Brandon Nimmo hit a pair of two-out, back-to-back home runs, giving the Cyclones a 5-0 lead.  The Scrappers got a run back in the bottom of the second, and scored a second run in the third inning.

Brooklyn's starting pitcher; Julian Hilario; only pitched three full innings.  He allowed five hits and two earned runs.  He issued one walk and struck out four before leaving the game.  Beck Wheeler took over pitching duties for Brooklyn in the fourth, and pitched very well over three scoreless innings.  He walked two, and struck out six batters.

After loading the bases full of Cyclones in the fifth, an RBI sac-fly by Jayce Boyd ended Josh Martin's night.  In to pitch came Scrapper reliever number two; James Stokes.  Alexander Sanchez said hello to him with an RBI single to drive home Phillip Evans with Brooklyn's seventh run of the game.  In the sixth inning, the Cyclones pounded out another four consecutive hits, and scored two more runs off Stokes for a 9-2 lead.  They would scored one last run in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Jayce Boyd to make it a 10-2 game.

Out of the bullpen, Brooklyn's Timothy Peterson got roughed up for three runs in the home eighth.  Otherwise, Logan Taylor closed out the ninth inning for the Cyclones, securing a 10-5 win.  Julian Hilario was credited with a no-decision.  Beck Wheeler got the win for his three scoreless innings of work.


Coach Donnelly has been batting Brandon Nimmo in the lead-off spot during this current road trip through Batavia and Mahoning Valley.  While his .240 batting average this season indicates a struggle, his .368 OBP is something Coach Donnelly was looking to exploit at the top of the order.  But over the first four games of this trip, the results weren't so good.  He batted 3 for 17, with one double, and drew only one base on balls.  He then had a monster game on Sunday.  Against Mahoning Valley, Brandon Nimmo went 4 for 6, with a home run and a double.  That was Brandon Nimmo's third home run and eleventh double in 150 at-bats this season.


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 ~ Take Three of Four from Defending Champs

From the desk of:   THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS

Brooklyn Wins Series 3-1

I  -  BK 2; SI 0

II  -  BK 4; SI 1

III  -  BK 7; SI 2

IV  -  SI 8; BK 1

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  Brooks Win Opening Series 3-1.  Staten Island Wins First Game in Final Try.

Kids of Summer Outlast Yanks on Opening Day
Brooks Dump On Staten Island's Home Opener


After the Brooklyn Cyclones denied the Baby Bombers their first home victory in two tries, the Staten Island Yankees avoided an Opening Day four game series sweep by taking Thursday evening's final game in Coney Island.  Brooklyn outscored the Yanks by a 13-3 margin over the first three games.  But Staten Island unloaded against the Brooks for an 8-1 win; their first of the season.

Hansel Robles started on the mound for Brooklyn, and pitched rather brilliantly. Over five full innings, he allowed one earned run on four hits.  He walked one and struck out seven.  Once out of the game, the Yanks started to make their way against Richard Ruff.  The first man out of the 'Clones' pen walked three and allowed a run in one inning of work.  Coach Donnelly then called on Beck Wheeler.  He fared worse.  Wheeler surrendered four earned runs while unable to complete a full inning.

The Cyclones' lone run came in the seventh, on Phillip Evans' first home run of the season.

Brooklyn visits the Aberdeen Iron Birds this weekend.




Mike.BTB