Hudson Valley Pounds Brooklyn for Division Lead

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Hudson Valley vs. Brooklyn

I - HVR 7; BKN 4

II - BKN 7; HVR 5

III - HVR 11; BKN 4

Cyclones Get Beached on Coney Island

The North Division pendulum continues to swing.  Thursday, it went back in Hudson Valley's favor.

Brooklyn's Jose Peroza remains red hot and, in the opening frame, doubled home the game's first run.  He drove in two Cyclones' runs, with William Lugo and Alex Ramirez knocking in the others. 

Otherwise, game three was all Renegades, who scored early, often, and late en route to an 11-4 game three victory.

Brooklyn starter Tommy Hunter opened with two scoreless innings of one-hit ball.  Right-hander Junior Santos followed but had his offerings punished, allowing seven runs on nine hits and three walks in three innings pitched for the loss.  After Nathan Lavender hurled two scoreless innings, Justin Courtney was next to get punished for four runs on four hits, including two home runs. 

Afterwhich, Sammy Tavarez was needed to secure the last out in the ninth.  BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Go Down Quietly in Wilmington

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

FRAWLEY STADIUM

Brooklyn vs. Wilmington

I - WIL 9; BKN 3

II - BKN 8; WIL 1

III - BKN 7; WIL 6*

IV - WIL 7; BKN 1

Junior Santos Gets Knocked Around; Blue Rocks Even Series

The Cyclones were limited to just four hits in Friday's contest, two of which came in the third inning when William Lugo and Alex Ramirez generated Brooklyn's lone run of the game.  Left fielder Matt Rudick and Shervyen Newton accounted for the 'Clones only other hits.  The lineup drew for walks and fanned eleven times.  Starter Junior Santos was knocked around for five runs on ten hits, including a two-run home run in the sixth, and Justin Courtney fared no better, allowing two runs on a hit and three walks in 1.1 innings.  However, the Cyclones maintain their first-place standing as the Aberdeen Ironbirds blanked the Hudson Valley Renegades ten to zero.

Winston-Salem Dash Salvages Split Against Brooklyn Cyclones

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Winston-Salem vs. Brooklyn

I - WSD 4; BKN 2

II - WSD 8; BKN 0

III - BKN 5; WSD 1

IV - BKN 2; WSD 0

V - BKN 3; WSD 1

VI - WSD 5; BKN 2

Winston-Salem Dash Salvage Finale For Series Split

With single runs in the final three frames, Winston-Salem held on to win Sunday's finale and salvage a split of their first-ever series on Coney Island.  The Dash scored against five of six Cyclone pitchers faced.  Only Justin Courtney kept Winston-Salem off the board with 1.1 scoreless innings.  Starter Luis Moreno allowed one run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in a brief three-inning outing for the loss.  Brooklyn drew five walks, mustered six hits, but left ten runners on base and batted 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position.  Left fielder Matt Rudick hit a solo home run in the eighth, his third this season.  Brooklyn presently leads the Hudson Valley Renegades by one-half game in the North Division standings with thirty games left on their schedule.

Brooklyn Cyclones Hold Off Hudson Valley Renegades

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Brooklyn vs. Hudson Valley

I - HVR 10; BKN 2

II - BKN 6; HVR 2

III - HVR 5; BKN 2

IV - BKN 5; HVR 1

V - BKN 7; HVR 5

Brooklyn Stages Hit Parade In Wappingers Falls; 'Clones Take Series Lead

Brooklyn held on for a second straight victory at Hudson Valley and now own a 3-2 advantage in the series.  Second baseman Rowdey Jordan and Nic Gaddis scored in the first inning.  Jordan then tripled home a pair of runs in the fourth, and Joe Suozzi tripled home a run and scored in the top of the fifth for a 6-0 lead.  Hudson Valley finally caught up with starter Nick Zwack in the bottom half of the frame and cut Brooklyn's lead by half.  After a scoreless sixth and seventh, center fielder Stanley Consuegra 

homered in the eighth, giving the Cyclones a 7-3 lead.  After having pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth, Nolan Clenney climbed the mound again in the ninth but this time yielded a two-run home run by left fielder Grant Richardson to pull the Renegades within two.  But Brooklyn would hold them there, as Justin Courtney secured the final out to earn his sixth save.  Southpaw Cam Opp earned the win with 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Nick Zwack.  Rowdey Jordan finished 3 for 5 with a triple and two runs batted in.  Third baseman Jose Peroza also went 3 for 5 with a double and one run batted in.  Three other Cyclones wielded multiple hits as part of Brooklyn's 14-hit attack.

Brooklyn Cyclones Come Up Short Against the Grasshoppers

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Greensboro vs. Brooklyn

I - BKN 6; GRB 5

II - BKN 9; GRB 0

III - GRB 6; BKN 5

Greensboro Grasshoppers Notch First-Ever Victory Against Brooklyn Cyclones

Brooklyn got things going when Rowdey Jordan scored on an E-6 in the first.  In the second, center fielder Jaylen Palmer scored on a fielder's choice, and Jose Peroza's two-run home run in the third staked starter Luis Moreno to a 4-1 lead after three.  The score remained unchanged until the sixth, when Greensboro pulled within two.  Making his sixth start with Brooklyn, Luis Moreno exited on the winning side after allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk in 5.2 innings.  The Grasshoppers tallied once against reliever Brendan Hardy in the seventh.  Facing Justin Courtney in the top of the eighth, Grasshopper designated hitter Abraham Gutierrez struck the decisive blow, a three-run home run to left/center.  Second baseman Nic Gaddis tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the ninth, but the Cyclones would tally no more.  Luis Moreno escaped with a no-decision while Justin Courtney blew the save and took the loss.  BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Get Two-Hit By Renegades at Dutchess Stadium

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

BROOKLYN vs. HUDSON VALLEY

I - HVR 5; BKN 2

II - HVR 8; BKN 5

III - BKN 6; HVR 1

IV - BKN 6; HVR 2

V - HVR 2; BKN 1

Cyclones Get Two-Hit; Renegades Take Series Lead

If you look in the dictionary for the definition of a hard-luck loss, you'll find the boxscore of Saturday's contest at Dutchess Stadium.

Making his fourth start (fifth appearance) with Brooklyn, right-hander Luis Moreno climbed the bump opposed by Yoendrys Gomez for the Renegades.

Hudson Valley scored in the fourth on third baseman Tyler Hardman's home run, then added an unearned run in the sixth.  Brooklyn scored once on a wild pitch in the fifth.  Otherwise, the Cyclones mustered little else.

Making only his fourth start of the season, Yoendrys Gomez held the Cyclones scoreless over 3.1 innings of no-hit ball, with one walk and three strikeouts, but departed the game to a no-decision.

Right-handed reliever Jhonatan Munoz followed Gomez, allowing an unearned run on two hits and one walk with three strikeouts for the win, his third this season.  Twenty-six-year-old Ryan Miller, who had his contract purchased from Sioux City of the American Association earlier this season, closed the game with a seven-out save.

Brooklyn's Luis Moreno allowed two runs (one earned) on just three hits and no walks with nine strikeouts in six innings and took the loss.  Right-hander Justin Courtney closed the game with two scoreless innings of one-hit ball.

First baseman JT Schwartz and second baseman Branden Fryman accounted for Brooklyn's only hits.

With the victory, Hudson Valley takes a 3-2 series lead, with the finale slated for Sunday.  Boxscore

Brooklyn Cyclones Open Second Half With Series Victory Over Jersey Shore

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BATTLE OF THE BEACHES

Jersey Shore vs. Coney Island

I - BK 4; JS 3

II - JS 5; BK 3

III - BK 3; JS 1

IV - BK 2; JS 1

V - BK 6; JS 2

VI - BK 3; JS 2

Cyclones Take Sunday Finale; Bullpen Closes Out Strong Series Performance

Yet another pitching duel unfolded at Coney Island on Sunday afternoon.  

The Blue Claws and Cyclones entered the eighth inning tied at two with only four and three hits, respectively.  Catcher Nic Gaddis doubled home Brooklyn's first run in the opening frame, and JT Schwartz scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.  Jersey Shore recovered with two runs in the fifth.

Brooklyn put the potential go-ahead run at second base with one out in the home eighth but left him stranded.  In the top of the ninth, right fielder Joe Suozzi threw out the potential tying run at the plate to preserve the tie.

In the bottom of the ninth, designated hitter Matt O'Neill singled home Jose Peroza with the winning run.

Making his third start with Brooklyn, Luis Moreno allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in a no-decision effort.

The bullpen once again performed brilliantly.  Right-hander Brendan Hardy allowed no runs and no hits with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings, and Carson Seymour allowed no hits in two scoreless innings pitched.  Both pitchers graduated up from St. Lucie this season.  Brooklyn mainstay Justin Courtney 

threw a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth win this season.

With the victory, the Cyclones win their third straight, take the series from Jersey City five games to one, and begin the second half of the season with a 3-0 record.

Brooklynn Cyclones Takes Series Lead Against Jersey Shore

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BATTLE OF THE BEACHES

Jersey Shore vs. Coney Island

I - BK 4; JS 3

II - JS 5; BK 3

III - BK 3; JS 1

Cyclones Use Their Few Hits Wisely; Pitchers Shut Out Jersey Shore Over Final Eight

Game three at Coney Island featured right-hander Dominic Pipkin for the Blue Claws against Mike Vasil for the Cyclones.  

Jersey Shore bunched together three hits to take a 1-0 first-inning lead.  

After being held scoreless through the third, Nic Gaddis singled home the tying run in the fourth and runs batted in by Jose Peroza, and Shervyen Newton put the Cyclones ahead for good.  Otherwise,  Brooklyn was held to three hits all game.

Three Cyclone pitchers limited the Blue Claws to just a pair of hits over the final eight innings.  Mike Vasil allowed four hits and no walks with five strikeouts in six innings pitched for the win.  Right-hander Justin Courtney followed with two scoreless innings of one-hit ball, and Grant Hartwig closed out the ninth with two strikeouts for his sixth save.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Pitching Wins the Day at Wilmington

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Brooklyn vs. Wilmington

I - WIL 6; BKN 5

II - BKN 4; WIL 2

III - WIL 9; BKN 5

IV - BKN 3; WIL 2

V - WIL 4; BKN 3

VI - BKN 1; WIL 0

VII - BKN 4; WIL 1

Brooklyn Sweeps Saturday Twin Bill

Game one featured a fine pitching duel at Frawley Stadium between Brooklyn starter Nick Zwack and left-hander Mitchell Parker for Wilmington.  Zwack yielded no runs on four scattered hits, and no walks with three strikeouts through six innings.  He faced 21 batters and threw 82 pitches, with 53 (64.6%) going for strikes.  Parker completed seven innings, allowing three hits and three walks with five strikeouts.  Both pitchers exited the game to no decisions.  Cyclone right-hander Justin Courtney threw a scoreless bottom half of the seventh inning, and into extra innings, the teams went.  Facing Blue Rock right-hander Amos Willingham in the top of the eighth, phantom runner Shervyen Newton advanced to third base on Matt Rudick's leadoff base hit.  Left fielder Rowdey Jordan followed with a single to center knocking home the go-ahead run.  Justin Courtney then retired the Blue Rocks to earn the win.  

• Boxscore

In a make-up game from May 12, the Cyclones utilized the long ball in completing a Saturday twin bill sweep over the Blue Rocks.  Wilmington grabbed an early lead with a first-inning home run.  First baseman JT Schwartz knocked home the tying run in the third, and designated hitter Nic Gaddis 

followed with a two-run home run giving the Cyclones a 3-1 lead.  Right fielder Tanner Murphy 

homered in the fourth, giving Brooklyn a 4-1 margin of victory.  Brooklyn right-hander Garrison Bryant allowed one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts through six innings for the win.  Grant Hartwig pitched a scoreless seventh out of the pen with two strikeouts for his fifth save.

• Boxscore

Frawley Stadium, Wilmington

Brooklyn Cyclones Power Over Hudson Valley Renegades in Twin Bill Sweep

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

pic.twitter.com/w4jpBAdEor

— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) May 21, 2022

Hudson Valley vs. Brooklyn

I - BKN 5; HVR 3

II - BKN 5; HVR 4

III - HVR 3; BKN 1

IV - HVR 12; BKN 2

V - BKN 5; HVR 4

VI - BKN 3; HVR 1

Bobbleheads and Thrills on Coney Island

It brings me great joy to say on Saturday, I got my Francisco Alvarez bobblehead, and on Sunday, the Cyclones completed a doubleheader sweep of the Renegades.

Brooklyn mounted a five-run lead in game one.  Afterwhich it became a matter of holding on.  Shortstop Shervyen Newton homered in the first inning, third baseman Jose Peroza homered in the second, and New York native Jaylen Palmer connected in the fourth.  Designated hitter  Jose Mena was 1 for 3 with two runs batted in.  Hudson Valley scored twice against starter Junior Santos in the fifth and rallied for two more against Justin Courtney in the sixth.  Making his Brooklyn debut, Grant Hartwig secured the final four outs to earn the save and preserve the victory for Santos.  BOXSCORE

Coney Island gave Hudson Valley a taste of its own medicine in the second tilt.  It's nice to be on the other side of one of these for a change.  Right-hander Nolan Clenney limited the Renegades to one run on just one hit, and no walks with eight strikeouts through the game's first five innings.  He faced 16 batters while throwing 61 pitches, with 43 (70.4%) going for strikes.  Right-hander Hunter Parsons closed out the game with two scoreless innings of no-hit ball for his second save.  Shervyen Newton homered in the fourth, and Jaylen Palmer hit a two-run home run in the fifth.  BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Take Second Straight from Hudson Valley Renegades

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Hudson Valley vs. Brooklyn

I - BKN 5; HVR 3

II - BKN 5; HVR 4

Coney Island Wins Two in a Row Against Bronx Affiliate

Coney Island defeated the Hudson Valley Renegades in a second straight game.  

Renegades starter Will Warren and Brooklyn's Oscar Rojas opened with three scoreless innings.  Warren issued a bases-loaded walk to force home the game's first run in the top of the fourth.  The Cyclones then erupted for five runs in the bottom half of the frame.  Right fielder Brandon McIlwain, Wilmer Reyes, and Branden Fryman drove in a run apiece, and Jaylen Palmer doubled home a pair.

Afterwhich, it was a matter of holding on.  Hudson Valley scored a single run in the sixth and two more in the eighth inning but would score no more.

In a no-decision effort, Oscar Rojas allowed one run on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts over 3.2 innings.  Right-hander Sammy Tavarez followed with 2.1 innings pitched for the win.  Rehabbing from injury and making his first-ever appearance with the Cyclones, Jordan Yamamoto 

allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings pitched, and Justin Courtney secured the last four outs for his fourth save this season.

• BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Withstand Late Wilmington Rally for the Win

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Wilmington vs. Brooklyn; 1-1

I - WIL 12; BKN 5

II - BKN 5; WIL 4

Hunter Parsons Earns Well Deserved Win in Relief; Cyclones Even Series With Blue Rocks

Up from St. Lucie and making his second start for Brooklyn, southpaw Nick Zwack exited on the winning side of a 4-2 game, allowing two runs on two hits, including a home run and one walk, with three strikeouts over four innings pitched.

The Cyclones opened the first inning with three consecutive extra-base hits.  Left fielder Rowdey Jordan led off with a double.  Shortstop Shervyen Newton followed with another two-bagger, scoring Jordan.  Catcher Matt O'Neill then tripled home Newton and scored on JT Schwartz's grounder to second for a 3-0 Brooklyn lead.

Designated hitter Nic Gaddis doubled home JT Schwartz in the third, and with the bases loaded in the fifth, Wilmer Reyes' sac-fly to center scored Schwartz giving the Cyclones a 5-2 lead.

Afterwhich, it was a matter of holding on.  The score remained unchanged through the eighth.  Facing right-hander Justin Courtney in the ninth, the Blue Rocks rallied for two runs on four hits, two for extra bases.  With two outs and the tying run on second base, Courtney struck out Yasel Antuna to end the game.

Right-hander Hunter Parsons threw three scoreless innings in relief of Nick Zwack to earn the victory, and Antuna got the save.

Brooklyn Cyclones Slam the Brakes on Hot Rods

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Brooklyn leads Bowling Green; 3-2

I - BK 5; BG 4

II - BG 4; BK 1

III - BG 7; BK 6

IV - BK 3; BG 1

V - BK 5; BG 2

Cyclones Seize Series Lead Over Hot Rods

The Cyclones for a second straight game defeated visiting Bowling Green on Saturday to take a 3-2 series lead against the Hot Rods.

Starting pitchers Nathan Wiles for Bowling Green and Brooklyn's Garrison Bryant each walked off to a no-decision.  The Cyclones promptly opened the scoring on runs batted in by Wilmer Flores and Jose Mena in the first inning.  Wiles exited the game after allowing five total hits with two strikeouts in three innings.  Bowling Green tied the game in the fourth at two.  Garrison Bryant was relieved after yielding five total hits and no walks with three strikeouts through five innings pitched.

In the sixth, catcher Nic Gaddis' sac-fly to left scored Reyes from third.  Two innings later, Wilmer Reyes connected on his first home run this season, deep over the center field wall.  Getting the start at second base, Warren Saunders singled home Brooklyn's sixth and final run of the game.

Right-hander Justin Courtney picked up the win with two scoreless innings in relief of Bryant, and Josh Hejka pitched the final two innings to earn his first save.

Brooklyn Cyclones Even Series at Hudson Valley

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Brooklyn vs. Hudson Valley; 1-1

I - HVR 5; BKN 3

II - BKN 4; HVR 3

Feel the Breeze..!

Here we go again ...

Baseball's indifference to striking out is ponderous to me.

In Tuesday's series opener, the Cyclones struck out 17 times in 33 at-bats.  On Wednesday, they struck out 18 times in 32 at-bats.  That's 35 strikeouts in their last 65 at-bats.  

Through their first eleven games, the Cyclones as a team are striking out at a rate of 35% (108/308), which I find crazy.

Clinging to a 3-2 lead entering the ninth inning, Brooklyn pushed across what would prove to be the game's decisive run.  Left fielder Matt Rudick drew a leadoff walk and scored on JT Schwartz's single to center.  Hudson Valley rallied for a run in the home ninth, but Cyclones right-hander Reyson Santos held on through his second inning of work for the save.

JT Schwartz finished 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs batted in.  Starter David Griffin walked off to a no-decision, allowing one run on three hits and one walk with five strikeouts through 4.0 innings pitched.  Right-hander Justin Courtney earned the victory in relief.