Brooklyn Cyclones: Playoff Fate To Be Decided Monday

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

VERRAZ(Z)ANO NARROWS SHOWDOWN

MONDAY

Staten Island Yankees

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones

FROM

Old Steeplechase Grounds

Brooklyn Cyclones: Brooks Escape Staten Island With Victory; Playoff Fate To Be Decided on Labor Day at Coney Island.

Labor they must, for on Monday there's much work to be done.

Brooklyn's nerve wracking victory over the Yankees at Richmond County grounds on Sunday affords the Cyclones one last opportunity at qualifying for this season's playoffs.  However, they're still dependent on Monday's outcome between Auburn and the Muckdogs at Batavia scheduled for early afternoon.  Very simply, an Auburn victory means both the Cyclones and Yankees are out.  But should both Brooklyn and Batavia emerge victoriously, the Cyclones move on to their first post-season appearance after a five year absence.  Therefore both Brooklyn and Staten Island should know what exactly is at stake heading into their late afternoon clash at Coney Island.

The Cyclones have relievers Billy Oxford and Tommy Wilson largely to thank for making Monday's game relevant. 

After spotting Cyclones starter Jose Butto to a 5-0 lead after just three and a half innings of play, Staten Island roars back in the bottom half of the fourth.  Butto contributes a base on balls and a hit batsman, but is knocked out of the box upon surrendering three hits, two going for extra bases, and allowing the Yankees to close within one.  Coach Alfonzo calls upon reliever Billy Oxford whom is successful in dousing the fire, then continues on to pitch a scoreless fifth.

Tommy Wilson takes over pitching duties in the sixth, and completely stymies the Yankees.  He faces 14 batters through the game's final four innings, throwing 54 pitches with 41 (76%) going for strikes.  He allows no runs on just two hits and walks none, while striking out six to earn a rather clutch and  lengthy save.  Billy Oxford is credited the victory.

Third baseman Chandler Avant's base hit in the fourth drives in what proves to be the difference in the game.  At the bottom of the order, second baseman Angel Manzanarez is big man on campus going 2 for 4 with a double, RBI, and a run scored.

At the very least, Edgardo Alfonzo will have guided the Cyclones to their first winning season since 2014, after which the team strings three losing seasons - the organizations only losing seasons since 2001.  Last year was easily their worst, having lost fifty game for the first time in their history.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Trying to Unseat Lowell Spinners from Wild Card Perch

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Edward L. LeLacheur Park 

Lowell, Massachussetts

Game Called

Saturday's series opener against the Lowell Spinners at LaLacheur Park is postponed do to rain.

Recent storm activity is a clear indication the dog days of baseball are upon us.  For Brooklyn that means seizing upon upcoming opportunities set to present themselves over their final 22 games of the regular season.

Six of those games will be against the first place Hudson Valley Renegades who the Cyclones presently trail in the McNamara Division standings by 3.5 games.  Brooklyn must also fend off equally tough Staten Island who they lead by two games, with three more against them yet to play.  That's nine games remaining against their primary competition with little margin for error.

In the Wild Card race, Brooklyn trails the Auburn Doubledays by 1.5 games, and are just one-half game behind the Lowell Spinners, therefore adding a sense of urgency to this weekend's series.  They have no games scheduled against Auburn.

The Cyclones have not qualified for the post-season since 2013.  Two years later they post their first ever losing, and haven't had a winning season since.  Last season is Edgardo Alfonzo's first as manager, who has them playing competitively with a 29-25 record.

*          *          *          *          *          *

Six players will represent the Brooklyn Cyclones in this year's New York-Penn League All-Star game.

Standout pitcher Jaison Vilera leads the New York-Penn League with five victories versus just one loss with a league leading 1.43 ERA.  He also leads with 63 strikeouts through 50.1 innings pitched, and is second with a 0.87 WHiP.

Billy Oxford is tied for the league lead with Vilera with five victories all in relief.  He owns a 1.80 ERA over 17 appearances and 30 innings pitched, and a 1.30 WHiP.  Fellow reliever Yeudy Colon is 3-2 with a 1.18 ERA and two saves.He has 26 strikeouts in 22.1 innings pitched too o along with a 1.15 WHiP.

Outfielder Ross Adolph is slashing .261/.326/.425 with two home runs, 21 RBI, and seven stolen bases.  His fellow outfielder Wagner Lagrange is slashing .291/.370/.352, but with seven home runs and 30 RBI.  Second baseman Carlos Cortes is slashing .284/.349/.422, with three home runs and 19 RBI.

The New York-Penn League All-Start Game is scheduled for Aug 14, at Medlar Field, home of the College State Spikes.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Season Starts Getting a Little Wild

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Brooklyn Cyclones: Mother Nature and Coney Hurlers Too Much for Lowell Spinners; Baby Bums Take Two.

Brooklyn's Baby Bums put a halt to Lowell's winning streak, but not without an assist from Mother Nature.

On Friday, the red hot Spinners promptly take game one at Coney Island for their eleventh victory in a row.  The Cyclones were then trailing 2-1 on Saturday when the rains came forcing a suspension after just three innings of play.

Picking up where game two left off, Nick Meyer's RBI single in the fifth, and Ross Adolph's sac-fly in the sixth give Brooklyn a 3-2 lead.

• Selected in the sixth round of this year's draft, Meyer (21 for 66) is slashing .318/.348/.409 with five extra-base hits, only two walks, but just five strikeouts!

Cyclones pitching takes care of the rest.  Reliever Billy Oxford climbs the bump for Sunday's restart.  He faces eleven batters over three innings, allowing no runs on just three hits and no walks, with three strikeouts.  He throws forty pitches with 30 (75%) going for strikes en route to his fourth victory of the season against just one loss.  He boasts an identical 1.19 ERA and WHiP through 22.2 innings pitched.  Yeudy Colon follows with two scoreless innings, and Ryley Gilliam pitches a scoreless ninth for his second save.

GAME TWO

With Sunday's regularly scheduled game shortened into a seven inning affair, Walter Rasquin's RBI in the third would be all the Brooks would need.  Making his seventh start, Jaison Vilera throws 5.2 innings of scoreless ball, allowing just five hits, walking three, and fanning five for his second win over Lowell this season.  Tommy Wilson completes the Lowell whitewashing with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.

• Jaison Vilera improves 4-1 through seven starts and continues to impress.  His minuscule 0.92 ERA ties him for the league lead.  With just 21 hits allowed through 39 innings pitched, he is tied for fifth with an 0.87 WHiP, while his five strikeouts give him 48 for the season, ranking him second.

The Cyclones add a run when second baseman Chandler Avant scores from third on a passed ball in the fourth.  Three base hits and a pair of Lowell errors in the fifth give the Cyclones a 4-0 lead and their final margin of victory.

GETTING A LITTLE WILD

With a twin-bill sweep of the Lowell Spinners the Cyclones join the New York-Penn League's twenty win club (20-16) and slide back into second place of the McNamara Division standings, one-half game ahead of the Staten Island Yankees, and three games back of the Hudson Valley Renegades.  The Lowell Spinners fall to second place in the Stedler Division, and into a tie with the Brooklyn Cyclones for the top Wild Card spot.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Downward Spiral Continues Against Yankees

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Staten Island leads season series 4-3

GAME ONE

Brooklyn    2

Staten Is.   3

FINAL

Don't look now, but that piano falling out of the sky has a Brooklyn Cyclones logo on it.  After jumping out of the gate with an 8-2 record, the Brooks have gone just 3-9 since.  On Saturday, they lose their fifth in a row, and their seventh in their last eight games.  It is also their fourth loss in seven games so far against Staten Island.

As a result, the Cyclones drop down to third place, three games behind the first place Hudson Valley Renegades.

The Cyclones enter today's action looking to even up with the Yankees and climb a game back over a .500 again.  Lose, and Edgardo Alfonzo's crew falls below par for the first time this season.  After losing the opener at Staten Island on Saturday, the series shifts back to Coney Island for today's Sunday afternoon game.  After which, teams head back to Staten Island for Monday's series finale.

On Saturday, Brooklyn second baseman Carlos Cortes collects three of Brooklyn's four hits.  Catcher Kevin Hall strikes Brooklyn's only other hit against Staten Island pitching.  Otherwise, the rest of the Cyclones line-up goes 0 for 21 with five strikeouts.

The Yankees rough up Cyclones starter Christian James for a pair of runs on nine hits and a walk in just 4.0 innings pitched.  But he escapes with a no-decision.

Staten Island holds a 2-0 lead after five.  In the the top of the sixth, an E-6 by Yankees shortstop Eduardo Torrealba clears the way for two unearned Cyclones runs.  The game remains tied entering the eighth.  But with one out in the bottom half of the frame, Yankees right fielder Junior Soto homers to left off Cyclones reliever Billy Oxford, whom sustains his first loss of the season.

SUNDAY

Staten Island Yankees

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones

FROM

Coney Island