Brooklyn Cyclones Earn Trip Back to Championship Series

From the desk of: THE McNAMARA DIVISION CHAMPIONS

NEW YORK PENN LEAGUE
SEMIFINALS

Cyclones defeat Renegades 2-1

I - HVR 5; BRK 4

II - BRK 1; HVR 0

GAME THREE

Hudson Valley Renegades  3

Brooklyn Cyclones              4

FINAL

Hurricane Dorian Darkened Skies Over MCU Park

PRE-GAME MEETING AT HOME PLATE

Renegades manager Blake Butera and Cyclones manager Edgardo Alfonzo 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

MATT CLEVELAND TAKES HIS WARM-UPS

FIRST PITCH

Hudson Valley wastes no time stirring up trouble against Cyclones starter Matt Cleveland, who surrenders two earned runs on two hits (home run by right fielder Hill Alexander), with two walks and one strikeout through 1.1 innings.  Dan Goggin (below) enters the game in relief of Cleveland in the second, and yields another earned run on two hits and no walks with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work.

DAN GOGGIN ENTERS GAME IN RELIEF OF CLEVELAND 

CYCLONES TIE THE GAME IN THE FOURTH AT THREE

The Cyclones tie the game at three on Luke Ritter's RBI sac-fly scoring Antoine Duplantis in the first and Ranfy Adon's home run leading off the third inning.  After which Jake Mangum singles and comes around to score on a pair of passed balls and a throwing error in the fourth.

CYCLONES RALLY IN THE NINTH

Reliever Nick McDonald pitches a scoreless sixth and seventh innings, allowing just one hit with four strikeouts through seven batters faced.  Andrew Edwards enters the game in the eighth.  He faces seven batters and strikes out five through the top of the ninth.

Bottom of the ninth: Cyclones second baseman Yoel Romero stands at second base after drawing a lead-off walk against Renegades reliever Eleardo Cabrera, then being advanced by Jake Ortega's successful sacrifice bunt.  Ranfy Adon stands in at the plate.   

RANFY ADON STROKES A LINER INTO THE RIGHT/CENTER GAP

ROMERO SCORES WINNING RUN AS REST OF

CYCLONES COME POURING OUT OF DUGOUT

CELEBRATION TIME 

AT CONEY ISLAND

Shortstop Wilmer Reyes is 4 for 4 with a run scored.  Ranfy Adon is big man on campus going two for four with a home run leading off the third, and the game winning hit in the ninth.  It was Adon's first home run of the season.  Four Brooklyn pitchers join in allowing Hudson Valley three runs on five hits with three walks and 13 strikeouts.  The Cyclones are headed back to their first NYPL championship series since the 2012 season.  They will face the Lowell Spinners whom defeat the Batavia Muckdogs two games against one.  The finals open Sunday evening at Lowell's LeLacheur Park.

Brooklyn Cyclones: And Then There Were Ten

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Cyclones Lead Series 2-1

I - CON 1; BRK 0

II - BRK 4; CON 0

III - BRK 5; CON 0

SATURDAY

Brooklyn Cyclones

vs.

Connecticut Tigers

FROM

THE DODD

With just ten games left in the regular season both the McNamara Division and Wild Card remain up for grabs.  On Thursday Brooklyn bows to the Connecticut Tigers in a rain shortened five inning game.  First baseman Joe Genord records the Cyclones lone hit of the night.  Meanwhile starter Frank Valentino is once again the hard luck loser upon yielding just one earned run on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts through 4.2 innings pitched.  Heavy storms continue through the evening postponing game two of a scheduled double-header (stemming from yet another 7/22 PPD).

On Friday the teams finally play two at the Dodd where pitching wins the day.  Brooklyn hurlers join forces on back to back shutout efforts over the Tigers yielding a mere six total hits through 18 innings pitched.

Michel Otanez starts game one throwing 4.1 innings of scoreless one-hit ball with three walks and three strikeouts.  Mitch Ragan enters in relief of Otanez, allowing no runs on two hits with a strikeout.  Josh Hejka then pitches a scoreless ninth.  Ragan earns his second win of the season to go along with a 2.32 ERA.  Otanez lowers his ERA to a 2.49 mark.  Brooklyn gets runs batted in from Luke Ritter, and Joe Genord, and Wilmer Reyes hits his fifth home run of the season en route to a 4-0 Cyclones final.

• Game one marks Edgardo Alfonzo's 100th victory as manager of the Cyclones.

In game two Brooklyn and Norwich duel through six scoreless innings before the Cyclones finally break through for five runs in the top half of the seventh.  Tigers starter Jack O'Loughlin stymies Cyclones batters through six full, yielding just three hits and two walks while fanning six.  Coming off Wednesday's NYPL all-star game, Brooklyn starter Dan Goggin is limited to a pair of innings during which he allows just one hit, but walks three and fans four.  Hunter Parsons pitches two innings in relief of Goggin allowing just one hit and one walk while fanning six.  Jared Biddy is then tasked with pitching the final three innings.  He faces nine batters, yields one hit, walks none and fans four in completing Brooklyn's second straight whitewashing of the Tigers.  The Cyclones three combine for a three-hit, 14-strikeout effort.  Biddy now sports a stellar 0.40 ERA through eleven appearances and 22.1 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts.  Ranfy Adon is big man on campus going 3 for 3 with a run batted in.  Wilmer Reyes drives in his 25th run of the season.

The Cyclones enter Saturday's McNamara Division race tied with Aberdeen in second place one game behind first place Hudson Valley.  Meanwhile Brooklyn and Aberdeen are now tied for the wild card.  Staten Island loses their second straight to Aberdeen, getting limited to just six hits and no runs against the Ironbirds on Friday.  In fact Aberdeen are winners of three straight.

• New York Penn League

Brooklyn Cyclones Still Chasing The Leader

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Cyclones defeat Connecticut 2-1

I - BKN 3; CON 2

II - BKN 12; CON 1

III - CON 5; BKN 2

Brooklyn Cyclones

vs.

Staten Island Yankees

FROM

Ballpark at St. George

The Cyclones win their series against the Connecticut Tigers but lose a game in the standings after Saturday's 5-2 loss at Coney Island.  Despite center fielder Kennie Taylor's first inning home run, the best Brooklyn can manage is a two all tie through four.  Catcher Jose Mena singles in Brooklyn's second run in the fourth.  Cyclones starter Frank Valentino surrenders a home run in the fourth.  But the game gets away from him in the sixth.  Valentino winds up allowing four earned runs on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts.  He record falls to 1-3 with a 3.96 ERA.  Dan Goggin allows a run on two hits and a walk through 2.1 innings in relief of Valentino.  Matt Mullenbach pitches a scoreless ninth but the Cyclones comeback would not come.  Brooklyn is just 5-5 over their last ten games and just 8-7 over their last 15 games with just 21 games left in the regular season.

Meanwhile the Hudson Valley Renegades have spent the last three days trouncing the Tri-City Valley Cats.  The Renegades are winners of four in a row and own a two game lead over Brooklyn.  Despite losing their series finale against Aberdeen, Staten Island wins that series and moves into third place ahead of the Ironbirds just 3.5 games back of Hudson Valley.

Staten Island and Brooklyn resume the Battle of the Boroughs Sunday at the Ballpark at St. George.  They flip venues on Monday, and conclude the series back at Staten Island on Tuesday.  The Yankees have hit the most home runs in the New York Penn League this season.  They own the second highest OPS and scored the third most runs.  Brooklyn is eighth in home runs, tenth in team OPS, and seventh in runs scored.  However Brooklyn is second (2.96) in overall team ERA.

Brooklyn Cyclones Swept Away at Williamsport

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Crosscutters Sweep Cyclones 3-0

I - WPT 1; BKN 0

II - WPT 4; BKN 3

III - WPT 4; BKN 3

THE UNHAPPY RECAP: Cyclones Trip and Fall, Lose Frank Valentino Gem at BB&T Ballpark.

All starts out well for the Cyclones.  After three scoreless innings of play shortstop Wilmer Reyes leads-off the fourth with a bunt single up the third base line.  Designated hitter Yoel Romero follows with a single to right.  With one out and two runners in scoring position second baseman Luke Ritter singles them home.

Brooklyn picks up a much needed insurance run in the eighth.  Leading off Wilmer Reyes reaches safely on yet another bunt single.  Yoel Romero bunts him over to second, then Joe Genord gets hits with a pitch.  With two outs and runners on the corners Jose Peroza singles through the right side scoring Reyes from third for a 3-0 Cyclones lead.

Starter Frank Valentino yields no runs on just one hit and no walks with seven strikeouts through six innings pitched.  He faces 20 batters while throwing 76 pitches with 51 (67%) going for strikes.

Mitch Ragan enters the game in relief of Valentino in the seventh.

Crosscutters second baseman Nicolas Torres leads off the bottom half of the eighth with Williamsport's second hit of the game.  With one out third baseman Jake Holmes singles putting runners on the corners.  Center fielder Corbin Williams follows with yet another base hit to right scoring Torres.  With two outs and runners on the corners manager Alfonzo summons Dan Goggin from the bullpen.  Shortstop Bryson Stott greets Ragan's replacement with a sharp hit to left plating both runners and tying the game at three.  Designated hitter Kendall Simmons draws a walk loading the bases, and out comes manager Edgardo Alfonzo for another mound visit.  Goggin stays in the game and retires first baseman Rudy Rott on a grounder to second.

The Cyclones go down quietly in the top of the ninth.  With one out in the bottom half of the frame, Goggin yields consecutive hits to Nicolas Torres and catcher Mitchell Edwards.  Jake Holmes goes down swinging for out number two.  Goggin then walks Corbin Williams on five pitches loading the bases.  Manager Alfonzo makes no move.  Left fielder Johan Rojas ends the game with a base hit through the middle, as Torres crosses the plate with the winning run.

Frank Valentino's gem is wasted.

BLOWN OPPORTUNITIES: Two Weekends Ago the Ironbirds Were Perched Atop the Division.  Last Weekend the Cyclones Were Number One.  This Weekend Hudson Valley Takes Its Turn in First Place.

The McNamara Division standings remain tight as a tourniquet.  As they approach the 50-game mark all four teams are playing above the .500 mark.

• Hudson Valley   28-19
• Aberdeen           28-21  1 GB
• Brooklyn            26-22   2.5 GB
• Staten Island     26-22   2.5 GB

Vermont defeats the Ironbirds at Aberdeen.  But Hudson Valleys rallies late to overtake West Virginia.  The Cyclones meanwhile are now losers of three straight and fall into a tie with the surging Staten Island Yankees, whom by the way are winners of three straight.  Next up, the Cyclones host three games at Coney Island against the first place Renegades.

First Place Brooklyn Cyclones Keep Connecticut Tigers at Bay

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

THE DODD

Brooklyn Cyclones

vs.

Connecticut Tigers

FROM

Thomas Dodd Memorial Stadium

NORWICH

Brooklyn's road trip continues through Connecticut, where the Cyclones begin a three game weekend series against the Tigers on Saturday. 

The home team opens the scoring straightaway on right fielder Kona Quiggle's RBI hit in the first.  However, Cyclones pitching would yield no more.  Starter Matt Cleveland collaborates with three relievers on a one unearned run seven hit performance with just three walks and seven strikeouts.  The Cyclones score four times in the fifth with runs batted in from Chandler Avant (recently shifted from Columbia Fireflies) and Wilmer Reyes.  Reyes would later cap off the scoring with a two run home run in the eighth en route to the 6-1 game one victory at the Dodd.

LEAPFROGGING THE RENEGADES

Wednesday's rain out at Dutchess County ballpark forces the formerly first place Renegades and Cyclones to play a Thursday double-header.  The teams split the day with the Cyclones taking game one by a 3-2 final.  Jose Mena hits a one out home run in the seventh to put Brooklyn ahead, and P.J. Conlon closes out Hudson Valley in the bottom half of the frame for his first save of the season. 

In game two Brooklyn takes a 6-5 lead into the final frame but are unable to close out the game.  Cyclone reliever Hunter Parsons yields a lead-off walk, two hits and surrenders the tying run.  He then unleashes a wild pitch and intentionally walks the bases loaded before surrendering the game winning hit off the bat of Renegade pinch-hitter Mason Mallard. 

In Friday's rubber game the Cyclones get a run batted in from center fielder Jake Mangum, and two more from shortstop Wilmer Reyes.  Starter Daniel Goggin is roughed up for two runs on two hits and three walks with four strikeouts through 2.2 innings of work.  The bullpen however joins for 6.1 innings of scoreless of five hit ball with just one walk and nine strikeouts.  Matt Mullenbach pitches the final two innings in earning his third save of the season.

*         *         *

The McNamara Division race remains tight as a tourniquet.  By virtue of one less loss as of close of business Saturday the Cyclones maintain a precarious hold on first place over the Hudson Valley Renegades whom trail by just one-half game.  The Aberdeen Ironbirds are one game out.  And a mere 3.5 games is all that separate the last place Staten Island Yankees from Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Cyclones Lay Early Claim to Division Lead

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Cyclones Split Series w/ Ironbirds

I - ABD 4; BKN 3

II - BKN 4; ABD 1

TUESDAY

Brooklyn Cyclones

vs.

Lowell Spinner

FROM

LeLacheur Park

With Monday's victory the Cyclones gain a two game split with the Aberdeen Ironbirds, and coupled with their sweep of the Staten Island Yankees close out their season opening home stand with a successful 3-1 record.

New York Mets fifth round selection Nathan Jones makes his professional debut with two scoreless innings of no-hit ball with one walk and five strikeouts.  He faces just seven batters while throwing 39 pitches with 21 (53%) going for strikes.  Garrison Bryant up this season from (R) Kingsport takes over in the third yielding just one run on two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts though 4.1 innings en route to his first victory.  Also making his pro debut, Daniel Goggin pitches a scoreless ninth to earn his first save.  Four Brooklyn pitchers combine in limiting the Ironbirds to a run on just two hits and two walks with 14 strikeouts.

First baseman Joe Genord opened the scoring with a run scoring sac-fly in the first.  Second baseman and seventh round selection Luke Ritter then connected on his first home run as part of a three run third inning giving the Cyclones a 4-0 lead and ultimate 4-1 margin of victory.

Brooklyn now heads to Lowell where they'll take on the Spinners.

Home of the Lowell Spinners