Brooklyn Cyclones: Lowell Spinners Force Decisive Game Three at Coney Island

From the desk of: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

NEW YORK PENN LEAGUE 

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Series tied; 1-1

I - BRK 2; LOW 1

II - LOW 3; BRK 1

GAME THREE

LOWELL SPINNERS

vs.

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

FROM

CONEY ISLAND

INTRODUCTIONS & NATIONAL ANTHEM

MEETING AT HOME PLATE

STARTER FRANK VALENTINO TAKES HIS WARM-UPS

FIRST PITCH

VALENTINO DEPARTS GAME IN THE FIFTH

One could tell straightaway Lowell was making solid contact against Cyclones starter Frank Valentino.  Only the superlative play of shortstop Wilmer Reyes allows him to escape the first inning unscathed.  Spinners right fielder Nick Decker leads-off the second with a single.  After which Luke Ritter fails to cleanly handle shortstop Antoni Flores' grounder to second.  Next up designated hitter Stephen Scott squares around to bunt and to everyone in attendance appears to foul the pitch for strike one, all except the umpires that is, whom award Scott first base on a controversial hit by pitch thus loading the bases.  Center fielder Gilberto Jimenez then singles up the middle plating two more runs for a 3-0 Spinners lead.  The Coney Island crowd gives home plate umpire Cilburn Rondon the business Brooklyn style.

Frank Valentino faces 21 batters, throwing 72 pitches with 52 going for strikes.  He allows three runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts through 4.1 innings pitched for the loss.  Relievers Corey Gaconi, Josh Hejka, and Hunter Parson, join in limiting the Spinners to no runs on just two hits and one walks with eight strikeouts over the final 4.2 innings.

The Cyclones get on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame when Ranfy Adon singles home Joe Genord.  With two outs in the top of the sixth, Ranfy Adon also makes a nifty diving catch of Stephen Scott's liner to right. 

BOTTOM SIXTH

Two Outs w/ Tying Runs In Scoring Position

With one out in the bottom half of the sixth Luke Ritter and Joe Genord stroke consecutive singles, then advance on Jake Mangum's grounder to short.  With two outs and two runners in scoring position, reliever Chris Murphy ends the threat when he fans Brett Baty swinging at a well executed slider.  Murphy then strikes out the side in the seventh.  In relief of Murphy, Osvaldo De La Rosa retires the Cyclones in order in the eighth.  With Lowell's Kris Jackson in to pitch the ninth, Joe Genord greets him with a blast off the top of the left field wall, but the ball caroms perfectly to left fielder Will Dalton who turns and fires to second ahead of a sliding Genord.  After which both Jake Mangum and Brett Baty strike out ending the game.

GAME THREE
WEDNESDAY @ CONEY ISLAND

Brooklyn Cyclones One-Hit Renegades Forcing Game Three

From the desk of: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Semi-Finals Tied 1-1

I - HVR 5; BRK 4

II - BRK 1; HVR 0

NEW YORK PENN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

GAME THREE

Hudson Valley Renegades

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones

FROM

Old Steeplechase Grounds

Coney Island hosts its first playoff game in seven years, and the Cyclones do not disappoint.  Four Brooklyn pitchers join forces on a one-hit masterpiece over the Hudson Valley Renegades in game two Thursday evening at MCU Park.

Nathan Jones, the Mets 2019 fifth round draft pick, starts for Brooklyn.  He faces 12 batters and throws 42 pitches with 25 going for strikes.  He yields no hits, no walks, and fans three through three innings pitched.  Next on the bump is the Mets 2019 third round selection, Matthew Allan, who faces six batters and throws 15 pitches with 10 going for strikes.  He allows no hits and no walks in two innings for the victory.  With one out in the seventh Hudson Valley right fielder Hill Alexander strokes the Renegades lone hit of the game off reliever Corey Gaconi whom otherwise strikeouts out five through three innings pitched.  Nelson Leon then tosses a scoreless ninth closing out Brooklyn's one-hit whitewashing of the Renegades.

Jed Lowrie, on rehab assignment from the Mets and starting at second base, plates the lone run of the game in the fourth when he deposits the first pitch he sees off Renegades starter Evan McKendry into the right field bleachers.  Despite pitching well McKendry suffers the loss after allowing just one run on three hits with three strikeouts through six innings.

• New York Penn League

Brooklyn forces a series deciding third game at Coney Island on Friday.  The winner goes on to face the Lowell Spinners/Batavia Muckdogs in the New York Penn League championship series.

Brooklyn Cyclones Complete Very Necessary Sweep of Valley Cats

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Cyclones Sweep Valley Cats 3-0

I - BRK 2; TRI 1

II - BRK 5; TRI 3

III - BRK 5; TRI 0

Four Cyclones pitchers each do a little, and together accomplish a lot.  Nathan Jones makes the start in game three at MCU Park, allowing just two hits and two walks with two strikeouts through three scoreless innings.  Corey Gaconi takes care of the next three innings, yielding no runs on two hits with five strikeouts.  Hunter Parsons enters the game in the seventh and contributes two more scoreless innings of one-hit ball with a pair of strikeouts.  And finally Josh Hejka pitches a scoreless ninth completing the combined effort shutout.  Together the four man line reads no runs on five hits and just two walks with ten strikeouts.  Brooklyn scores single runs in the first, second, and fourth, and two more in the six for good measure.  Catcher Jose Mena is big man on campus going 3 for 4 with a double, home run, and three RBI.  Luke Ritter drives in his 25th run of the season, and designated hitter Gavin Garay drives in his eighth.

AND LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR ... STATEN ISLAND IS THERE

Yankees sweep Renegades 3-0

I - SIY 4; HVR 3

II - SIY 4; HVR 1

III - SIY 4; HVR 3

Richmond County has been a tremendous help of late, likewise completing a three game sweep over the first place Hudson Valley Renegades.  That ties the Yankees with Aberdeen at one game out of first place.  Brooklyn meanwhile is now within one-half game of first place, but hold a half-game lead in the wild card race over Aberdeen and Staten Island.  And the Batavia Muckdogs have suddenly arrived on the scene, one full game behind the Cyclones.

• New York Penn League

Brooklyn Cyclones: All Alone in First Place

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Cyclones Sweep Lake Monsters 3-0

I - BKN 2; VER 1*

II - BKN 5; VER 1

III - BKN 9; VER 1

* 10-innings

How about those Hudson Valley Renegades!  Now there's an example of a good neighbor unlike those rats from Richmond County.  Our Dutchess County friends to the north take two of three from Aberdeen with their rubber game defeat of the Ironbirds on Sunday.  Coupled with Brooklyn's victory over the Lake Monsters, the week long mathematical voodoo spell cast over the recent McNamara Division standings is broken.  The Brooklyn Cyclones once again own a full game lead over both the Renegades and Ironbirds as of close of business Sunday.  Said another way, fractions be damned.

For a third straight game Brooklyn pitching limits Vermont to just one run.  They also hold them to just three hits; five hits in game two; and just two hits in game one.  That's three runs and just ten hits through three games.  Sunday's was a group effort.  Manager Alfonzo tasks five pitchers to cover the load.  Starter Colin Holderman kicks things off will three scoreless innings of no-hit ball with four strikeouts, although he did not factor in the decision.  Next in Corey Gaconi yields just one hit through three scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and is credited with his second win of the season.  Justin Lasko yields the Monsters lone run of the game in the seventh.  Matt Mullenbach chips in with a scoreless eighth, and Luis Silva closes out the ninth with two strikeouts.

Brooklyn tallies nine runs on 15 hits, striking four extra-base hits including home runs from shortstop Wilmer Reyes and Gavin Garay (making the start at first).  The two account for five RBI all with two outs.  The Cyclones hit 7 for 12 with runners in scoring position and strand just four runners on base.

The Kids from Coney are now winners of five straight.

TUESDAY
Brooklyn Cyclones

vs.

Lowell Spinners