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 vs. Hudson Valley Renegades First Round Preview

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

NEW YORK PENN LEAGUE

SEMI-FINAL SERIES

GAME ONE

Brooklyn Cyclones

vs.

Hudson Valley Renegades

FROM

Dutchess Stadium

The Cyclones and Hudson Valley Renegades played eight games this season but six are at Dutchess County where Brooklyn posts a 4-2 record.  The remaining two games are played at Coney Island where the Cyclones sweep both for a 6-2 overall record this season against the Renegades.

Hudson Valley fanned on their opportunity to clinch the league's best record due to their end of season loss against Aberdeen.  They go 5-5 down the homestretch and fall into a first place tie with Brooklyn whom finish the season with six victories over their last ten games, and win their final three in a row against Staten Island to gain the McNamara Division flag.

The Renegades are 22-16 at home; the Cyclones are 19-18 on the road.

Brooklyn Cyclones

43-32 (.573)*

McNamara Division Champions

TEAM HITTING

• #6) Runs; 304
• #8) Home Runs; 36
• #9) Total Bases; 787
• #3) Team Avg; .241
• #8) OBP; 38
• #8) SLG; .342
• #5) SB; 80

TEAM PITCHING

• #5) ERA; 3.31
• #3) WHiP; 1.15
• #4t) Home Runs; 33
• #4) Saves; 22
• #8) Strikeouts; 628

* 2B/Wilmer Reyes; slashing .323/.350/.441/.791; 15 extra-base hits; 33 rbi; 12 stolen bases.
* 1B/Joe Genord; tied for sixth with nine home runs; third with 44 rbi.
* 2B/Luke Ritter; ninth with 36 rbi.

* rhp/Garrison Bryant; leads Cyclones with five wins; 2.39 ERA; 0.84 WHiP; 75 strikeouts.
* rhp/Matt Mullenbach; 2.84 ERA; 1.07 WHiP; 14 hits/26 strikeouts in 25.1 innings; five saves.
* rhp/Frank Valentino; 3.41 ERA; 1.12 WHiP; 52 hits; 63 strikeouts; 58 innings pitched.

Right-hander Michel Otanez is penciled in for game one at Hudson Valley.  He owns a 2.97 ERA and 1.42 WHiP, yielding 26 hits and 17 walks with 26 strikeouts through seven starts and 30.1 innings pitched.

Hudson Valley Renegades

43-32 (.573)*

2019 Wild Card

TEAM HITTING

• #3) Runs; 335
• #13) Home Runs; 20
• #11) Total Bases; 755
• #6) Team Avg; .239
• #2) OBP; 330
• #12) SLG; .325
• #1) SB; 116

TEAM PITCHING

• #2) ERA; 3.00
• #4) WHiP; 1.17
• #4t) Home Runs; 33
• #4) Saves; 23
• #5) Strikeouts; 645

* SS/Greg Jones; slashing .335/.413/.461/.874; 18 extra-base hits; 24 rbi; 19 stolen bases.

* 1B/Jacson McGowan; tied for third with 17 doubles; fourth with 43 rbi.
* OF/Hill Alexander; fifth with 41 rbi.

* rhp/Edisson Gonzalez; 2.45 ERA and 1.09 WHiP; 55 hits and 77 strikeouts in 62.1 innings
* lhp/John Doxakis; 1.93 ERA and 0.95 WHiP through 32.2 innings with 31 strikeouts.
* rhp/Evan McKendry; 1.60 ERA and 1.07 WHiP; 43 strikeouts and four walks in 39.1 innings.

NEW YORK PENN LEAGUE

GAME ONE

Lowell Spinners @ Batavia Muckdogs

FROM

HISTORIC DWYER GROUNDS

Brooklyn Cyclones Clinch Sixth McNamara Division Title

From the desk of:  CONEY ISLAND'S DIVISION CHAMPS!

Cyclones Sweep Yankees 3-0

I - BRK 11; SIY 2

II - BRK 5; SIY 4

III - BRK 4; SIY 1

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

McNAMARA DIVISION CHAMPIONS

2001    2003-2004    2007    2010    2019

Despite being limited to just one run on three hits, the Aberdeen Iron Birds win their season finale in a 1-0 whitewashing of the Hudson Valley Renegades at Dutchess County.  Aberdeen is subsequently eliminated once Brooklyn's victory over the Yankees at Coney Island goes final.  The Renegades appeared on their way towards securing the McNamara Division title with victories over the Ironbirds in games one and two, but fail to execute a sweep.  They finish the season 5-5 over their last ten games and thus end the regular season tied for the division lead with the surging Cyclones.  But Brooklyn owns the tie-breaker and thereby clinch their sixth division title.  More importantly this marks the Cyclones first appearance since 2012 in the New York Penn League playoffs.  The wild card Hudson Valley Renegades will oppose Brooklyn in the first round.  Game one is scheduled for Wednesday at Dutchess County.

LABOR DAY

Yankees    1

Cyclones  4

FINAL

On the last day of the regular season under thundering rain threatening storm clouds, Brooklyn pitchers join together in hurling a gem against the Staten Island Yankees at Coney Island.  Making his eleventh start for the Cyclones Frank Valentino surrenders just one earned run on one hit and two walks with nine strikeouts through 5.1 innings pitched.  He faces 19 batters, throwing 78 pitches with 49 going for strikes en route to his second victory with a 3.41 ERA.  Nick MacDonald throws 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Valentino with three strikeouts.  Hunter Parsons pitches a scoreless eighth, and Reyson Santos strikeouts out the side in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.  Together they limit Staten Island to one run on just five scattered hits and two walks with 16 strikeouts over nine full innings pitched.

• New York Penn League

Brooklyn breaks out for three runs in the third and never look back.  Jake Ortega and Antoine Duplantis lead-off with consecutive singles against Yankees starter Alex Mejias.  With one out, Wilmer Reyes and Luke Ritter follow with consecutive doubles giving the Cyclones a 3-0 lead.  After trading single runs in the fourth, Brooklyn shuts down Staten Island for good en route to a 4-1 playoff clinching victory.

Tied with a league best 43-32 record, third year manager Edgardo Alfonzo has now guided the Cyclones to two straight 40-plus win seasons.  They also finish with a league best 24-14 record at home, and post a McNamara best 18-12 record within their own division.

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.

Brooklyn Cyclones Get Tangled Up By Lowell Spinners

From the desk of: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

The McNamara Division 

Goes Round and Round

A would be battle of the best ends up being Lowell and the rest.  The Spinners improve to a league leading 27-15 record with a twin bill sweep over the Cyclones on Tuesday at MCU Park.  They're presently the only New York-Penn League team playing .600 baseball.

The saying around Brooklyn is if you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best.  And that's precisely what they fail to do.  In game one, the Brooks take a 3-2 lead into the seventh and final frame.  However they commit three errors including one by losing pitcher Matt Mullenbach which all contribute to a pair of runs and a game lost.

Despite taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two, the Cyclones come undone in the third when Lowell strikes for five runs off losing starter Frank Valentino, who is charged with five runs, four earned, on seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts through 2.2 innings pitched.  Brooklyn scores once more in the fifth en route to a 6-2 defeat.  Wilmer Reyes accounts for two of Coney's four hits.

Aberdeen edges out Mahoning Valley and thus takes a half game lead over the now second place Cyclones.  The Renegades fall one full game back after losing to Auburn.

Brooklyn Cyclones Claw Back Valley Cats

From the desks of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Tri-City Valley Cats

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones

member when the Cyclones were in first place as recently as Sunday?  member?

The first place Aberdeen Ironbirds are now winners of five in a row and hold a two game league over both Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley Renegades.  Fourth place Staten Island is fading somewhat, falling five games out of first.  But they weren't fading recently against Aberdeen, were they, when the Cyclones most needed a little help from their Staten Island chums.  So much for being a good neighbor, ya bunch of rats.  That being said, the unavoidable truth is Brooklyn did themselves no favors earlier in the month when they were swept by Aberdeen at Coney.

What now?

How about blowing Tuesday's rain shortened official game?  After trading runs in the first, Tri-City strikes for three runs in the top of the fifth.  The Cyclones are limited to just one crack at a comeback, but go down quietly in the bottom of the frame.  After which Mother Nature grew impatient and did what she does best.

On Wednesday Brooklyn promptly jumps out to a five run lead in the first highlighted by third baseman Jose Peroza's two run home run.  Peroza was recently promoted from the GCL Mets where he posted six home runs, 20 RBI, with a 1.155 OPS in 16 games and 64 at-bats.  Left fielder Antoine Duplantis is 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored.  Joe Genord drives in his 21st run of the season.  Luke Ritter and Wilmer Reyes also drive in a run apiece rounding out Brooklyn's 9-2 margin of victory.

Brooklyn starter Frank Valentino throws 75 pitches in 4.2 innings of work.  He surrenders two earned runs on two hits and two walks with no strikeouts.  Mitch Ragan yields no runs, no hits, and fans three batters through 2.1 innings pitched for the victory.  Daniel Goggin closes out the game with two scoreless innings one-hit ball with a trio of strikeouts.