Brooklyn Cyclones Forge Three-Way Tie For First Place

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BROOKLYN CYCLONES IMPROVE TO 

A LEAGUE BEST 21-13 RECORD AT HOME

GAME ONE

Vermont Lake Monsters  3

Brooklyn Cyclones         12

FINAL

Brooklyn scores early and often en route to a 12-3 slaying of the Vermont Lake Monsters in Sunday afternoon's series opener at Coney Island.  The Cyclones score ten runs in the first three innings alone with tack on runs in the fifth and seventh.  Starter Matt Cleveland faces 20 batters and throws 82 pitches with 47 going for strikes.  He limits the Monsters to just one run on two hits and four walks with five strikeouts through 4.1 innings, but does not figure in the decision.  Andrew Edwards earns the victory in relief of Cleveland despite yielding two runs on four hits with two strikeouts.  Christian Tripp takes care of the final two innings allowing no runs on one hit while fanning two.  Brooklyn strikes for 15 total hits in 38 at-bats, with five going for extra bases, and go 8 for 16 with RiSP.  Center fielder Kennie Taylor hits his second home run of the season.  Antoine Duplantis, Wilmer Reyes, Joe Genord, and Ranfy Adon each drive in a pair of runs apiece.

Sunday's victory forges a three way tie along with Aberdeen and Hudson Valley for first place of the McNamara Division.  The three teams are likewise locked in the three way tie for the Wild Card with only eight games remain in the regular season.  Connecticut lends Brooklyn an assist with an extra-inning victory over Hudson Valley.  Lowell however is soundly beaten by Aberdeen.  Staten Island splits a double-header up at Troy and close out the weekend 1.5 games out of both the division lead and the wild card.

• 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.