Brooklyn Cyclones One Win Away From New York Penn League Title

From the desk of: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

NEW YORK PENN LEAGUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

GAME ONE

Brooklyn Cyclones  2

Lowell Spinners       1

FINAL

LeLacheur Park

Brooklyn pitchers throw another gem and the Cyclones win another nail biter to close within one game of capturing the 2019 New York Penn League championship.

Cyclones starter Garrison Bryant pitches brilliantly, allowing no runs on just one hit and three walks with one strikeout through six innings pitched.  He faces 22 batters while throwing 75 pitches with 46 going for strikes, but does not factor in the decision.  Brooklyn and Lowell duel to a scoreless tie through seven.  Jared Biddy throws two scoreless innings of no-hit ball in relief of Bryant.  Lowell starter Brock Bell and reliever Jorge Rodriguez match Brooklyn with seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball with six strikeouts through seven.  With Lowell's Tom Windle in to pitch the eighth, Brooklyn finally breaks through for a pair on runs batted in from Antoine Duplantis and pinch-hitter Jose Peroza.  Manager Alfonzo hands the game off to Matt Mulenbach in the ninth.  But with one out he walks designated hitter Joe Davis, and with two outs he walks right fielder Nick Decker.  Manager Alfonzo then turns to Reyson Santos who induces pinch-hitter Roldano Baldwin into a game ending force play at second.  Biddy is credited with the win, and Santos earns the biggest save of his young career.  New York Mets 2019 first round draft pick Brett Baty goes 2 for 3 with a run scored.

This marks Brooklyn's first championship series appearance since 2010, but more significantly marks their first championship game victory since 2001, when after defeating the Crosscutters in game one at Williamsport the tragic events of 9/11 force the rest of the series to be canceled.  Brooklyn and Williamsport are declared co-champions.  After which the Cyclones are swept in 2003 by the Crosscutters; swept in 2007 by the Auburn Doubledays; and swept again in 2010 by the Tri-City Valley Cats.

They have yet to win a championship outright.

The Cyclones now have two opportunities to win one game at Coney Island.

Round One

Cyclones defeat Renegades

ICYMI:

Cyclones Earn Trip Back To Championsip Series

Hudson Valley Outlasts Brooklyn Cyclones in Playoff Opener

From the desk of: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

DUTCHESS STADIUM

Renegades lead series 1-0

I - HVR 5; BRK 4

THURSDAY

Hudson Valley Renegades (1-0)

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones (0-1)

FROM

Old Steeplechase Grounds

A do or die situation awaits the Cyclones at Coney Island when the series shifts to Brooklyn for game two against the Renegades, as Hudson Valley outlasts the Cyclones in Wednesday's opening game of the New York Penn League playoffs at Dutchess County.

• NEW YORK PENN LEAGUE

Brooklyn keeps pace with the Renegades who score a run in the second and two in the third.  The Cyclones counter with a run in the third, and two in the fourth to forge a three all tie.  Coney takes their first lead of the game in the fifth when Antoine Duplantis scores on a fielder's choice.  But the advantage is short lived.  Renegades center fielder K.V. Edwards works out walk leading off the bottom half of the frame against Brooklyn starter Michel Otanez.  Shortstop Greg Jones follows with a home run to right for a 5-4 Hudson Valley lead and ultimate victory.  Michel Otanez yields all five runs on three hits and four walks with one strikeout pitching into the fifth.  He also surrenders a home run to first baseman Jacson McGowan in the third.  The Cyclones get runs batted in from Jake Mangum, Jose Peroza, and Luke Ritter.  Mitch Ragan and Jared Biddy join to pitch four scoreless innings of four hit ball with three strikeouts in relief of Otanez.  Hudson Valley's Jayden Murray allows four runs, but only one earned, on eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts through seven innings pitched for the victory.  Ryan Jackson closes the door on Brooklyn with two scoreless innings in relief of Murray for the save.  Michel Otanez earns the loss.

Brooklyn Cyclones: One More Win and They're In

From the desk of: 

THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS  &  THE RICHMOND COUNTY RATS

BATTLE of the BOROUGHS

Brooklyn leads series 2-0

I - BRK 11; SIY 2

II - BRK 5; SIY 4

LABOR DAY

Staten Island Yankees

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones

FROM

Coney Island

Brooklyn Rallies For Ninth Inning Victory at Staten Island; Hudson Valley Clinches Playoff Berth With Win Over Aberdeen.

Brooklyn scores in their first at-bat, but trail the Yankees 4-1 after four.  The Cyclones make it a 4-2 game in the fifth.  Starter Garrison Bryant exits on the losing side after yielding four runs, three earned, on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts.  After which the bullpen pitches brilliantly whilst the Cyclones mount their comeback.

With two outs in the sixth Joe Genord, Jose Peroza, and Jake Ortega all single consecutively; Genord scores making it a 4-3 game in Staten Island's favor.  In the top of the ninth Yankees reliever Barrett Loseke commits a cardinal sin of baseball when he walks Brooklyn lead-off batter Kenedy Corona, who then advances to second on a wild pitch.  Antoine Duplantis singles putting runners on the corners.  Jake Mangum likewise singles to left scoring Corona.  With Wilmer Reyes at the plate, Barrett Loseke unleashes another wild pitch advancing Duplantis to third, whom then scores on a subsequent throwing error by catcher Carlos Narvaez giving Brooklyn a 5-4 lead and ultimate margin of victory.

Jared Biddy allows just one hit through two innings in relief of Bryant.  Josh Hejika pitches a scoreless eighth for the victory, and Nelson Leon tosses a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts for his fourth save.  The three relievers combine on four scoreless innings of one-hit ball with no walks and four strikeouts.

• New York Penn League

Hudson Valley breaks a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth.  Aberdeen rallies for two runs in the top of the eighth, and into extra innings they go at Dutchess County.  The Renegades ultimately walk off with a 3-2 win in the tenth.  Hudson Valley clinches at least a wild card.  Heading into the last game of the regular season, the Renegades lead the McNamara Division by one full game over the Cyclones.  The Ironbirds are eliminated from the division race.  With another victory over Aberdeen on Monday the Renegades would clinch the division title.  In turn Brooklyn now leads the wild card race by one full game over the Ironbirds.  One more victory over Staten Island on Monday would stamp Brooklyn's ticket to the playoffs.  As a result of Sunday's loss the Yankees are eliminated from wild card contention.

Dare I contemplate a McNamara Division tie?

Brooklyn Cyclones: Tied in Knots With Seven Games Left

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Cyclones lead series 2-0

I - BRK 12; VMT 3

II - BRK 2; VMT 0

Vermont Lake Monsters

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones

FROM

Coney Island

Make that two straight against the Lake Monsters.  However, Hudson Valley, Aberdeen, and Staten Island, also win on Monday.  Therefore everything remains as it was as of close of business Sunday.  The Cyclones, Renegades, and Ironbirds, will spend another day locked in a three way tie for both first place of the division and the wild card standings, and for the league's best record as well.  That said, the Staten Island Yankees sit a mere 1.5 games back of both the division lead and wild card race.  In fact the league's four best clubs (four top records) all reside in the ultra competitive McNamara Division.  But time is running short as only seven more games remain in the regular season.  It seems apropos the Cyclones and Yankees should play a home and home series to close out the regular season.

• New York Penn League

Game two starter Garrison Bryant, Jared Biddy, and Josh Hejka, join together in limiting Vermont to just five hits and no walks with a combined 14 strikeouts en route to a 2-0 whitewashing of the Lake Monsters Monday night at Coney Island.  Bryant yields just two hits and no walks with nine strikeouts through 6.1 innings.  He throws 73 pitches with 53 (73%) going for strikes en route to his fifth victory against one loss with a declining 2.18 ERA.

Meanwhile Brooklyn batters outlast Lake Monsters starter Michael Murray whom tosses a gem of his own, yielding no runs on just one hit and no walks with five strikeouts.  But once out of the game, Antoine Duplantis and Wilmer Reyes each drive in a run apiece against reliever Jack Cushing.  After which Cyclones relievers Jared Biddy and Josh Hejka take care of the rest.

Brooklyn hosts one more against Vermont before traveling down to Maryland for a three game showdown versus the Aberdeen Ironbirds.  And keep a close eye on Staten Island versus Hudson Valley, as the Yankees can leapfrog em all.

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

Walk-Off at Coney Puts Cyclones Back In Control of Wild Card

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Cyclones lead Valley Cats 2-0

I - BRK 2; TRI 1

II - BRK 5; TRI 3

GAME THREE
Tri City Valley Cats

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones

FROM

Steeplechase Grounds

When play resumes as of Saturday's postponement in the sixth inning on Sunday, the Valley Cats break a scoreless tie with a run on four hits off the Cyclones Jared Biddy pitching in place of Garrison Bryant.  In the bottom half of the frame Brooklyn loads the bases against Tri-City's Kyle Serrano whom then walks in two runs.  And that's a wrap on Saturday's conclusion.  Biddy earns the victory, and Matt Mullenbach earns his fifth save.

In Sunday's regularly scheduled game, albeit abbreviated, the teams dueled to a three all stalemate through seven innings requiring over time.  With Antoine Duplantis starting the bottom of the eighth at second base, Yoel Romero connects off Valley Cats reliever Miguel Figueroa on a game ending two run home run.  Nelson Leon earns the victory in relief of starter Michel Ortanez and Mitch Ragan.  Brooklyn also gets runs batted in from Duplantis and first baseman Gavin Garay.

WALK OFF!

Meanwhile the Staten Island Yankees spend the weekend taking two straight from the first place Hudson Valley Renegades while the Lake Monsters defeat Aberdeen on Sunday.  As a result Brooklyn claws back to within 1.5 games of the McNamara Division lead, and close the weekend once again in control of the wild card.  All four McNamara Division clubs are playing above the .500 mark.  The very viable Staten Island Yankees are only two games back of the Renegades and trail Brooklyn by one-half game in the wild card race.

Thirteen games remain in the Cyclones regular season.

Brooklyn Cyclones Win Fourth Straight

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Cyclones lead Lake Monsters 2-0

I - BRK 2; VER 1

II - BRK 5; VER 1

GAME THREE

Brooklyn Cyclones

vs.

Vermont Lake Monsters

For a second straight night Brooklyn pitching limits the Sea Monsters to a lone run in game two at Burlington, Vermont.  The Cyclones score five times all with two outs off Vermont starter Tyler Baum in the first inning.  Yoel Romero and Luke Ritter hit safely, and Jose Peroza follows with a third straight hit scoring Romero.  Joe Genord then steps in hitting his sixth home run of the season.  The Lake Monsters get one back in the bottom half of the frame on Logan Davidson's first home run of the season.  Brooklyn otherwise shuts them out over the final eight innings of play, and score once more in the ninth for good measure.

Making his first start for Brooklyn, right-hander Michel Otanez is promoted from Kingsport were he posts a 2-2 record and 3.31 ERA with 44 strikeouts through 32.2 innings pitched.  On Saturday against Vermont he faces 21 batters, throwing 79 pitches with 51 (65%) going for strikes.  In winning his first New York-Penn league game he yields just one run on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts through five innings pitched.  Jared Biddy and Brian Metoyer combine to pitch four scoreless innings of no-hit baseball with three strikeouts.  Metoyer earns his second save.

That's four straight for the Cyclones.  Brooklyn and Aberdeen end the day locked in a mathematical tie for first place.  With Saturday's loss against the Ironbirds, Hudson Valley falls one full game back.