J.T. Ginn Twirls a Gem in Brooklyn Cyclones Series Opening Win Over Jersey Shore

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

20th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

REGULAR-SEASON FINALE

JERSEY SHORE @ BROOKLYN

I - BK 5; JS 2

J.T. Ginn Throws Seven Scoreless Innings; Tanner Murphy and Zack Ashford Take Care of the Rest

Making his ninth start for the Cyclones, right-hander J.T. Ginn is opposed by Noah Skirrow for Jersey Shore.  

After dueling through three scoreless innings, Brooklyn strikes for three runs in the fourth; with two outs and the bases loaded, right fielder Tanner Murphy doubles to left field, sending everybody home.

Then again, with two outs in the fifth, left fielder Zack Ashford triples home Wilmer Reyes and Francisco Alvarez for a 5-0- lead.

Meanwhile, J.T. Ginn twirls a gem.  He allows just two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over seven innings pitched.  He faces 24 batters while throwing 79 pitches, with a stellar (57) 72.1% going for strikes.  

In his third appearance for Brooklyn, right-hander Nolan Clenney checks all the boxes, a walk, single, wild pitch, fielder's choice, and a sacrifice fly resulting in two Jersey Shore runs.  Called upon to pitch the ninth, Hunter Parsons hits a batter and strikeouts out three to close out Brooklyn's series-opening win over the Blue Claws.  J.T. Ginn evens his record at 3-3 and gets his ERA back under four with a 3.42 mark through 47.1 innings pitched.

In support of Ginn, the Cyclones batted 3 for 7 with runners in scoring position while all five runs were driven home with two outs.  And wouldn't you know, Coney Island drew five walks and struck out only six times.  In turn, Cyclone pitchers strike out ten while giving up just two hits and issuing two walks.

As they say in from of the ballpark: Amazin' Starts Here!  BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Litter Back of Left Field Wall With Baseballs in Thrilling Twin Bill Sweep Over Hudson Valley Renegades

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

BROOKLYN @ HUDSON VALLEY

I - HV 7; BK 6

II - BK 4; HV 0

III - BK 10; HV 8

CONEY ISLAND BRINGS THRILLS TO WAPPINGERS FALLS

The Brooklyn Cyclones win both ends of a doubleheader at Dutchess Stadium.  Game one features a join-effort four-hitter pitched against Hudson Valley highlighted by Francisco Alvarez's team-leading 19th home run (tied with Ronny Mauricio).  During game two, while the bullpen was putting out fires, the Cyclones hit three more home runs, two by battery mate Nic Gaddis.

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Francisco Alvarez Hits Number 19; Cyclone Pitchers Join Together on Four-Hit Shutout

GAME ONE - Making his eighth start for Brooklyn, J.T. Ginn is opposed by right-hander Mitch Spence for Hudson Valley.  

Leading off the top of the second, Coney Island's phenom catcher Francisco Alvarez smashes a hanging breaking ball over the left-field fence at Wappingers Falls grounds.  

The score remains unchanged through the sixth inning.  

Renegade starter Mitch Spence exits on the losing side of a one-run game, allowing four hits and no walks with nine strikeouts through 5.2 innings pitched.  Facing Feicer Perez in the top of the seventh, Brooklyn strikes for three runs on three hits highlighted by back-to-back doubles from Cody Bohanek and Antoine Duplantis en route to a 4-0 final score.

J.G. Ginn allows just three hits and two walks with five strikeouts through five scoreless innings pitched for the win.  He faces twenty batters and throws 87 pitches, with 49 (56.3%) going for strikes.  Right-hander Colby Morris yields four hits over the final two innings to complete the shutout.  

Francisco Alvarez hit his 19th home run with the Brooklyn Cyclones and his 22nd this season.  He and Ronny Mauricio are again tied for the team lead in home runs; Mauricio has 19 in 98 games while Alvarez has 19 home runs in 76 games.

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Early Slugfest Turns Into Battle of the Bullpens; Cyclones Complete Twin Bill Sweep

GAME TWO - Making his first start this season for Brooklyn and alumni of the 2019 champion team, Garrison Bryant toes the rubber in opposition of southpaw Edgar Barclay for the Renegades.

Designated hitter Anthony Volpe right away gets Hudson Valley on the scoreboard with a first-inning leadoff home run.  

In the top of the second, third baseman Jose Peroza reaches base on an E-5, and Luke Ritter singles to left field.  Then with one out, Nic Gaddis homers to left field, giving Brooklyn a 3-1 lead.

Cody Bohanek draws a walk leading off the visitor's third, and with one out, Ronny Mauricio singles.  Jose Peroza then follows with a three-run home run to left.  With two outs, second baseman Luis Gonzalez singles, sending Renegade starter Edgar Barclays to the showers.  Next up, Nic Gaddis greets incoming reliever Nelvin Correa with another home run - his second - giving the Cyclones a commanding 8-1 advantage. 

But the Renegades say not so fast, answering back in the home half of the third with a three-run home run by right fielder Jake Sanford, a follow-up home run in the very next at-bat from Pat DeMarco.  Then with two outs, Garrison Bryant surrenders his third home run of the inning, a two-run shot off the bat of left fielder Frederick Cuevas making this an 8-6 affair in favor of Brooklyn.

Garrison Bryant exits after three innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits and two walks through three innings pitched.  Cyclone right-hander Reyson Santos enters the game in the fourth and promptly surrenders a run on a leadoff double and base hit, pulling the Renegades within one.

Nelvin Correa tosses a scoreless top half of the fifth, and Reyson Santos likewise retires the Renegades in the bottom half.  Hudson Valley right-hander Nelson L Alvarez then enters the game and pitches a scoreless sixth.  Brooklyn's Michel Otanez reciprocates in the bottom of the frame.

Nelson Alvarez climbs the bump again in the ninth and immediately issued a leadoff walk to Jose Peroza, and we all know that's never a good thing.  Luke Ritter strikes out.  But, uh oh, a wild pitch advances Peroza to second base.  Luis Gonzalez then singles, putting runners on the corners.  With Nic Gaddis at the plate, Gonzalez steals second, but a wild pitch to the plate allows Peroza to score from third and Gonzalez to scoot over to third.  Gaddis then walks.  With two outs, left fielder Joe Suozzi draws another four-pitch walk loading the bases.  With two outs, another wild pitch by Nelson Alvarez allows Nic Gaddis to score for a 10-7 Brooklyn lead.

Michel Otanez surrenders a run in the home ninth but otherwise closes out the game for the save.  Reyson Santos earns the win in relief.  Hudson Valley's Edgar Barclay takes the loss.

Three Wilmington Pitchers Join Together For One-Hit Shutout Over Brooklyn Cyclones

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

WILMINGTON @ BROOKLYN

I - BRK 5; WIL 0

II - Rained Out

III - WIL 6; BRK 0

No, this was not a deja vu; it really happened.  In one of several instances this season, the Brooklyn Cyclones were yet again one-hit by the opposition, this time via the arms of three Wilmington pitchers.

Starting for the Blue Rocks, southpaw Evan Lee pitches the first six innings.  He retires Brooklyn in order during the first and second innings.  Left fielder Zack Ashford singles leading off the third but is quickly erased when Nic Gaddis grounds into a 5-4-3 double-play.  Evan Lee again retires Brooklyn in order during the fourth and fifth innings.  The Cyclones draw their first base on balls in the sixth but nothing more.  

Brooklyn starter J.T. Ginn throws five scoreless innings, then yields a leadoff double and a two-out run-scoring single in the sixth.  Thus, Evan Leee exits on the winning side of a one-run affair.  His counterpart J.T. Ginn allows the one run on seven hits and one walk with one strikeout over 5.2 innings.

 Josh Hejka secures the final out in the sixth, then tosses a scoreless seventh.

Facing Todd Peterson, the Cyclones go down in order in the seventh, and in the eighth, Luis Gonzalez

reaches safely on a strikeout that gets away but is stranded in place.  In the ninth inning, reliever Zach Brzykcy issues only the Blue Rocks' second walk.  Otherwise, the Cyclones go down quietly into the night.

The So-Called Surf Avenue Sluggers: one hit, two walks, four baserunners, twelve strikeouts.

Hitting aside, Coney Island's bullpen could not pick up where J.T. Ginn and Josh Hejka left off.  Making his first appearance with the Cyclones, Luis Montas allows two runs on three hits in the eighth, and in the ninth, Bryce Montes de Oca surrenders three more runs on three hits giving the Wilmington Blue Rocks a 6-0 victory over Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Cyclones Split Tightly Contested Twin Bill With Aberdeen Ironbirds

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

ABERDEEN @ BROOKLYN

I - BRK 9; ABD 6

II - ABD 2; BRK 1

III - BRK 1; ABD 0

Classic Pitching Duels Unfold in Both Games of Wednesday Night's Doubleheader at Coney Island.  Aberdeen Takes Opener in Extra Innings; Boardwalk Bums Shut Out Iron Birds in Game Two

GAME ONE 

The front end of Wednesday's twin bill was nothing short of a classic pitcher's duel.  It's just unfortunate in games like this, one team must lose due in no part to lack of effort and performance.

Right-hander Zack Peek starts for the visitors and is opposed by J.T. Ginn for Brooklyn.  Making his sixth start with the Cyclones, Ginn allows just one earned run on seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts through 23 batters, and five innings pitched.  Peek surrenders one run, a home run, two other hits, and no walks with seven strikeouts against 18 batters in five pitched innings.  Both exit to a no-decision.

Reliever Clayton McGuinness enters in the sixth, as does Colby Morris for Brooklyn.  Both trade zeroes through the seventh, and into extra innings, they go at Coney Island.  

With Brian Metoyer called upon to pitch the ninth, Aberdeen bunts over the phantom runner from second to third, who scored on a sacrifice fly to center field.  Ironbird right-hander Shelton Perkins then sits down the Cyclones to close out the eighth and final frame.  McGuinness earns the win, and Perkins the save.  Brian Metoyer takes the hard-luck loss.  

Center fielder Jaylen Palmer drives home Brooklyn's only run.  BOXSCORE

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GAME TWO (Make-Up: 5/28/2021) 

Right-hander Connor Gillispe toes the slab for Aberdeen, and David Griffin climbs the bump for his third start with the Cyclones.  

First baseman Jeremy Vasquez's hit gives the Cyclones a 1-0 lead in the fourth, scoring Jaylen Palmer from second base.  Connor Gillispe exits on the losing side after four, while David Griffin continues pitching through the fifth.  With two outs and runners on the corners in the sixth, David Griffin freezes the final batter looking at strike three.  

Clinging to a one-run lead, Bryce Montes de Oca is tasked with closing out the seventh.  The first batter grounds to second, the next strikes out swinging, batter three keeps the inning alive with a single, a wild pitched advances the tying run into scoring position.  Still, Montes de Oca gets the following batter to fly weakly to right field.

Despite only two hits, the Cyclones hold on for a tight, error-free 1-0 victory to salvage a split of the twin bill.  David Griffin earns his first win for Brooklyn, and Montes de Oca earns his fifth save.  Designated hitter Luke Ritter accounts for Brooklyn's only other hit.  BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Suffer Crushing Defeat at Hudson Valley as Passive Manager Blankmeyer Looks On

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

BROOKLYN vs. HUDSON VALLEY; 1-2

I - HVR 3; BRK 2

II - BRK 11; HVR 7

III - HVR 6; BRK 5

Cyclone Skipper Draws a "Blank"

Trailing 5-4 Entering the Home Ninth, 

Hudson Valley Hits Two-Run Walkoff Home Run

In match number three between New York City's rival affiliates, the Renegades serve with single runs in the first and third innings.  Brooklyn return serves with a run in the fifth and four aces in the sixth.  But the Renegades volley with a run in the bottom of the sixth and two more in the seventh, tying the game at five.

Hudson Valley starter Edgar Barclay is knocked out of the box with two outs in the top of the sixth, but not before surrendering four runs on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts through 5.2 innings pitched.  Making his fifth start for the Cyclones, J.T. Ginn allows three runs on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts through six full innings pitched while exiting on the winning side of a 5-3 affair.

Facing Brooklyn's Connor O'Neil in the home seventh, Hudson Valley is helped to a pair of runs.  O'Neil surrenders a leadoff hit, then advances the runner with an errant pickoff attempt.  The Renegades then score on a fielder's choice.  Afterwhich, Connor O'Neil issues four consecutive bases on balls forcing in a second run and tying the game at five.  Manager Blankmeyer finally removes O'Neil in favor of Evy Ruibal, who closes out the seventh without further damage.

Hudson Valley's Charlie Ruegger and Evy Ruibal then pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Leading off the ninth, second baseman Luke Ritter doubles, and Jose Mena singles putting runners on the corners with one out.  Ritter then scores on Antoine Duplantis' fielder's choice to second, but Jose Mena is thrown out at second base on the continuation to end the inning, not before the Cyclones take a 6-5 lead.

Evy Rubial is sent blackout for the home half of the ninth and promptly yields a leadoff single.  That right there usually serves as a red flag, but an unconcerned manager Blankmeyer makes no move.  His ambivalence proves unfortunate, if not costly.  Because the very next batter, designated hitter Anthony Volpe launches a game-winning two-run home run over the left-field wall.

A deflating loss, for sure.  I'm left with little choice but to call manager Ed Blankmeyer on the carpet over this one.  Back in the seventh, Conner O'Neil clearly lacked effectiveness/control and perhaps was left in the game too long.  Insofar as Evy Rubial, he did his job in the seventh and again in the eighth.  Sending him out again for the ninth was already a questionable move.  But blame for not removing Rubial once the leadoff hitter singled safely falls squarely on the manager.

Luke Ritter finishes 2 for 4 with two runs batted in, and with one hit Ronny Mauricio also drives home two runs giving him 52 RBI in 84 games to date.  Third baseman Jose Peroza goes 2 for 4 with a double and one run batted in.

BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Stage Comeback To End Skid Against Renegades

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Hudson Valley leads Brooklyn; 3-1

I - HVR 5; BRK 0

II - HVR 3; BRK 2

III - HVR 5; BRK 3

IV - BRK 9; HVR 6

The Bullpen Brings Renegades to a Screeching Halt; Ronny Mauricio and Antoine Duplantis Lead the Comeback

Making his third start for the Cyclones, J.T. Ginn does not fare well, allowing five runs on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in only three innings pitched.  He faces 17 batters while throwing an uneconomical 62 pitches, with 40 (64.5%) going for strikes.

A superlative bullpen effort then becomes the main feature at Coney Island.  The first act goes to Hunter Parsons, who twirls two scoreless innings in relief of Ginn; Michel Otanez yields one run over two innings, and Willy Taveras then hurls a scoreless eighth and ninth innings to close out Brooklyn's first win of the series.  Brooklyn pitchers join together for 15 strikeouts and issue just four walks.  J.T. Ginn escapes with a no-decision while Taveras earns the win in relief.

Brooklyn chips away at an early 5-1 deficit with two runs in the third and one in the fourth.  But after Hudson Valley makes it a 6-4 game in the visitor's sixth, the Surf Avenue Sluggers promptly put the game out of reach with five runs in the bottom of the frame highlighted by Antoine Duplantis' bases-loaded double.  It was one of four Brooklyn extra-base hits giving Duplantis a team-high three runs batted in.  Shortstop Ronny Mauricio hits home run number 15 with a runner on back in the third.

• BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Split Twin Bill at Jersey Shore

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

CONEY ISLAND vs. JERSEY SHORE; 2-2

I - BK 14; JS 5

II - JS 3; BK 1

III - BK 4; JS 0

IV - JS 3; BK 0

Back on the field after Thursday's rainout, the Cyclones and Blue Claws on Friday evening played two at Jersey Shore.

GAME ONE - Making his tenth start for Brooklyn, right-hander Justin Lasko yields five hits (all singles) and three walks with seven strikeouts over 5.2 scoreless innings pitched for the win.  He faces 23 batters while throwing 95 pitches, with 54 (56.8%) going for strikes.  Right-hander Bryce Montes de Oca continues with 1.1 scoreless innings to complete the shutout.  He allows just one hit and strikes out three to earn his fourth save.  Catcher Francisco Alvarez doubles in the fourth and scores on Zach Ashford's base hit.  In the fifth, LT Struble draws a leadoff walk and eventually scores on a ground ball double-play.  Afterwhich,  Ronny Mauricio connects for his 14th home run this season.  LT Struble again leads off the seventh with a walk, steals second, and scores giving the Cyclones a 4-0 final margin of victory, their eighth in their last nine games. 

GAME TWO - Making only his second start for Brooklyn, 22-year old J.T. Ginn toes the slab and is opposed by Ethan Lindow for the Blue Claws.  Right fielder Jhailyn Ortiz opens the scoring when he tags up from third on a sacrifice fly in the second.  Shortstop Jonathan Guzman leads off the third with a double and scores, and catcher Vito Friscia drives home another giving the Blue Claws a 3-1 lead after the third.  Ethan Lindow sets down Brooklyn in order in the fifth while limiting them to just two hits.  J.T. Ginn also negotiates a scoreless fifth, inducing an inning-ending 5-4-3 double-play.  With only six outs left in the contest, the Cyclones manage just two hits in the ninth, which go for naught when Luis Gonzalez bounces into a rally-killing 5-4-3 double-play.  J.T. Ginn takes the loss upon yielding three runs (two earned) on four hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Ethan Lindow goes the distance, allowing just four hits and no walks with seven strikeouts for the win.