Brooklyn Cyclones Starter Connor Grey Falls Two Outs Shy of No-Hitter Against Jersey Shore

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Jersey Shore vs. Brooklyn tied; 2-2

I - BRK 1; JS 0

II - JS 3; BRK 2

III - JS 13; BRK 3

IV - BRK 6; JS 1

Coney Island Thriller; Connor Grey Flirts With No-Hitter

Brooklyn's 27-year old right-hander Connor Grey falls two outs short of a masterpiece but hurls a brilliant gem nonetheless.  

Grey yields just two walks and strikes out nine over the first eight innings.  But with one out in the ninth, center fielder Corbin Williams lashes an inside-the-park home run into the right/center field gap spoiling the no-hitter and the shutout.  

His mates provide him with plenty of support.  Left fielder Joe Suozzi connects on a two-run home run in the second.  Afterwhich, Edgardo Fermin,  Ronny Mauricio, Cole Kleszcz, and Joe Genord all drive home runs in a four-run third.

Connor Grey takes care of the rest.  He finishes strong, retiring eight consecutive batters until surrendering a home run.  Grey faces 27 batters, throwing 95 pitches with a very effective 68 (71.5%) going for strikes while averaging 11.7 pitches per inning en route to his first victory this season.  

Manager Blankmeyer brings in Michel Otanez, who secures the final two outs.

Brooklyn ties the series with Jersey Shore at two games apiece.

• BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Humbled and Held Hitless at Hudson Valley

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Hudson Valley leads Brooklyn; 5-0

I - HVR 9; BRK 7

II - HVR 3; BRK 2

III - HVR 6; BRK 4

IV - HVR 7; BRK 1

V - HVR 5; BRK 0*

*7 inning no-hitter

I'm as short for words as the Cyclones were for hits Saturday against the Hudson Valley Renegades.

BOX GAME ONE - Brooklyn trails 4-0 after the first, then 5-0 through the fifth inning.  The Cyclones tallied their lone run of the game on Luis Gonzalez's home run in the sixth to ruin the shutout.  Hudson Valley scores twice more in the bottom half of the frame en route to a commanding 7-1 victory in game one.  Two Renegades pitchers join together in limiting the Cyclones to just three hits and two walks with ten strikeouts.  Right-hander Mitch Spencer earns the win.  Brooklyn starter Connor Grey surrenders five runs (three earned) on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts.  He yields one home run back in Hudson's four-run first.  Shortstop Ronnie Mauricio and Jeremy Vasquez account for Coney Island's only other hits.

BOX GAME TWO - Twenty-six Brooklyn Cyclones step up to the plate.  Five batters draw walks, six different batters strikeout, two of them twice, and not one of them wields a single hit.  Renegades starter Sean Boyle twirls four no-hit/no-run innings, Nick Ernst throws two hitless innings to earn the win in relief of Boyle, and Derek Craft closes out the game with a hitless seventh inning.  Meanwhile, starter Justin Lasko yields five earned runs, including three home runs, five total hits, one walks with six strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched for the loss.  Southpaw Andrew Edwards records the last two outs of the game.

⚾

• Brooklyn - two games, 51 plate appearances, 44 at-bats, three hits, seven walks, 18 strikeouts.

• According to SNY-TV on Saturday night, the highly touted third baseman Brett Baty is being promoted to the (AA) Binghamton Rumble Ponies. 

Luis Gonzalez started at second base because ...

Just spoke to Cyclones coach Mariano Duncan. Luke Ritter out for about 2 months with broken hemate bone in hand. @BTB_MikeII @JohnMackinAde @ernestdove

— John From Albany (@JohnFromAlbany) July 10, 2021

 

Brooklyn Cyclones' Bullpen Cleans Up Own Mess To Secure Victory at Aberdeen

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Aberdeen Ironbirds lead Brooklyn Cyclones; 3-2

I - ABD 7; BKN 3

II - ABD 2; BKN 1

III - BKN 7; ABD 6

IV - ABD 2; BKN 0*

V - BKN 6; ABD 5

*game called bottom 6th

BULLPEN BENDS BUT DOES NOT BREAK

Leading off, Antoine Duplantis opens the game with a single, and with one out Brett Baty likewise singles.  With two outs, the Cyclones execute a rare double steal.  Second baseman Luke Ritter then drives home both Duplantis and Baty.  Afterwhich, Zach Ashford drives home Ritter for a prompt 3-0 lead.

Duplantis doubles home first baseman Jeremy Vasquez (double) for a 4-0 Brooklyn lead 

the second.  But Aberdeen strikes back against starter Connor Grey for three runs in the bottom half of the frame; Connor Grey's throwing error didn't help matters.  With Aberdeen now trailing by one, the score remains unchanged through the fourth.  Connor exits a 4-3 contest on the winning side, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts.  

Brooklyn plates insurance in the fifth on Luke Ritter's double into center field scoring Francisco Alvarez, and Brett Baty singles and scores on a wild pitch in the seventh for a 6-3 advantage.

Right-hander Colby Morris pitches two scoreless innings with two strikeouts in relief of Grey.  

Hunter Parsons enters in the seventh in relief of Morris and immediately pitches into trouble.  He walks the leadoff batter, who, two wild pitches later, arrives at third base.  Parsons then hits the next batter putting runners on the corners, and another walk loads the bases.  Parsons then unleashes his third wild pitch permitting a run.  Afterwhich, right fielder Zach Watson's sacrifice fly to center makes it a one-run game.  Head Cyclone in Charge Ed Blankmeyer finally removes Parsons in favor of Andrew Edwards, who strikes out the third baseman Gunnar Henderson to end the Ironbirds' threat.  

Edwards returns to hurl a scoreless eighth, followed by Bryce Montes de Oca, who closes out the ninth for his second save.  Connor Grey escapes with a no-decision, and Colby Morris earns a well-deserved win.

Antoine Duplantis finishes 3 for 5 with a double and a run batted in, and Luke Ritter is 2 for 5 with a double and three runs batted in, giving him 31 for this season. 

• BOXSCORE

Home of the Ironbirds

More Long Balls Power Brooklyn Cyclones To 3-2 Series Lead Against Jersey Shore

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

 Coney Island leads Jersey Shore; 3-2

I - JS 7; BK 5

II - BK 3; JS 2

III - JS 3; BK 0

IV - BK 7; JS 2

V - BK 8; JS 5

VI - SUNDAY

Back-To-Back Home Runs From Brett Baty, And Francisco Alvarez Prove Decisive

One score and twenty-four hours ago, the Brooklyn Cyclones play their first-ever game at Coney Island.  

That's it ... I just wanted to use this definition of score in a sentence.

Otherwise, Jersey Shore gets on the board in the top of the third.  Brooklyn answers with two runs in the bottom of the frame; first baseman Joe Genord doubles home Cody Bohanek, and Jose Mena doubles home Genord.

The Blue Claws score another run in the fourth, and the Cyclones again answer with two in the bottom half of the frame.  With one out and two runners on, Bohanek reaches safely on an E-6; Francisco Alvarez scores on the play.  Genord then singles home Luke Ritter from third.

Jersey Shore starter Jhordany Mezquita allows all four runs on three hits and six walks through four innings.  Brooklyn starter Connor Grey yields two earned runs on three hits and just one walk with six strikeouts through five innings pitched before departing on the winning side of a 4-2 affair.

But Jersey Shore then scores unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings, tying the game at four.  In relief of Grey, right-hander Colby Morris yields both runs on four hits and two walks in 1.2 innings pitched.

The Surf Avenue Sluggers finally breakthrough with four runs in the home eighth highlighted by back-to-back home runs from Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez.  It's Alvarez's second home run in as many days.  With one on and one out, Cody Bohanek singles, but an error in left field permits Ritter to score all the way from first.  Afterwhich, Bohanek scores from third on a wild pitch giving Brooklyn an 8-4 lead.

Pitching in relief of Colby Morris, Michel Otanez gives up a run in the ninth but closes out the victory for Brooklyn.  Otanez earns a well-deserved win allowing just two hits and striking out five in 2.1 innings of quality work.  A fine start by Connor Grey earns him a no-decision.  Brooklyn pitchers join for twelve combined strikeouts.

The Cyclones generate just six hits, but four are for extra bases.  They strike out just seven times, draw eight walks, and bat 3 for 8 with runners in scoring positions.  Joe Genord is the lone Baby Bum with multiple hits and runs batted in.

Brooklyn takes a 3-2 series lead, with the finale slated for Sunday afternoon at Coney Island.