Brooklyn Cyclones Fall to Jersey Shore in Regular Season Finale

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

20th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

REGULAR-SEASON FINALE

JERSEY SHORE @ BROOKLYN

I - BK 5; JS 2

II - JS 4; BK 3

III - JS 8; BK 6

IV - BK 7; JS 4

V - BK 9; JS 2

VI - JS 3; BK 1

Wait Till Next Year!

That's all, folks.  Brooklyn's first season in High-A is in the books.  

With Sunday's defeat against the Jersey Shore Blue Claws, the Cyclones lost their 70th game this season.  It perhaps fits they should lose a three-hitter, which has been a significant point of contention all season long.

Making his tenth start for Brooklyn, J.T. Ginn allows three runs (two earned) on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts over six innings for the loss.  He finishes at Coney Island with a 3-4 record and 3.38 ERA over 53.1 innings pitched.

The bullpen trio of Luis Montas, Michel Otanez, and Dylan Hill join together for three scoreless innings.

Brooklyn scores their lone run in the sixth.  Designated hitter Joe Suozzi draws a leadoff walk and scored from third on Wilmer Reyes' sac-fly to center field.  Shortstop Branden Fryman accounts for two of Brooklyn's three hits, Wilmer Reyes the other.

Jersey Shore wins the season series against Brooklyn with a 17-13 record.

Despite a club record seventy losses, trust me when I say this was one of the most thrilling seasons at Coney Island.  

BOXSCORE

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Shortstop Ronny Mauricio leads the Cyclones with 100 games played and a team-high 63 runs batted in.
• Center fielder Antoine Duplantis wields a club record of 100 hits.
• Catcher Francisco Alvarez leads the Cyclones with 22 home runs with 24 home runs overall.  The 19-year old phenom finishes his season with Brooklyn slashing .247/.351/.538/.889, with 58 RBI in 279 at-bats.
• Right-hander Alec Kisena strikes out 102 batters in 79.2 innings pitched; 11.5 K/9 average.
• Right-hander Justin Lasko, eleven starts, 2.81 ERA, and 64 strikeouts in 64.0 innings pitched.

Twenty seasons of Brooklyn Cyclones baseball - how sweet it is!

Brooklyn Cyclones Ninth-Inning Meltdown Gives Jersey Shore Blue Claws Series Lead

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

20th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

REGULAR-SEASON FINALE

JERSEY SHORE @ BROOKLYN

I - BK 5; JS 2

II - JS 4; BK 3

III - JS 8; BK 6

Late Comeback Goes For Naught as Bullpen Implodes in Ninth

Game three features Jersey Shore right-hander Griff McGarry toeing the slab against Oscar Rojas for Brooklyn.

A single and a triple give the Blue Claws an early 1-0 lead in the visitor's first.  The Cyclones draw three consecutive walks leading off the second, and right fielder Raul Beracierta's sac-fly to right field ties the game at one.

Jersey Shore retakes a one-run lead in the fourth.  With runners on the corners, Francisco Alvarez's errant throw on an attempted theft of second permits the runner from third to score.  

The score remains unchanged through the sixth.

Starter Oscar Rojas allows two runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts through six innings pitched.  Facing Brooklyn's Luis Montas in the seventh, center fielder Johan Rojas triples home a run and scores.  

Second baseman Wilmer Reyes who continues to do nothing but shine since returning to the Cyclones, drives home a run in the home seventh, pulling Brooklyn with two. 

Luis Montas tosses a scoreless top half of the eighth.  Facing Blue Claw reliever Gabriel Yanez, the Cyclones tally three times on runs batted in from Raul Beracierta, Branden Fryman, and Wilmer Reyes, giving Brooklyn a 5-4 lead.

But it does not last.  Facing Michel Otanez in the visitor's ninth, Jersey Shore loads the bases and scores the tying run on a wild pitch.  A subsequent two-out base hit gives Jersey Shore the lead, and a run-scoring double and some other bad stuff provides the Blue Claws insurance.  

Manager Blankmeyer finally removes Michel Otanez, but it's too late.  Or should I say the manager recognized too late?  Opening a ninth-inning yielding a single and a walk should have been his first indication of trouble.  After another hit to load the bases, Blankmeyer still made no move.  Two more hits and a Wilmer Reyes ejection later, Blankmeyer finally acts with the Cyclones down by three.

The Cyclones recover one run in the home ninth to no avail.

Making his sixth start for Brooklyn, Oscar Rojas escapes with a no-decision, while Manager Blankmeyer Michel Otanez blows his third save and takes the loss.

Since returning to the Cyclones, Wilmer Reyes has batted .435 with seven RBI through six games and 23 at-bats.  BOXSCORE

Brooklyn Cyclones Shut Out at Dutchess Stadium; Hudson Valley Renegades Even Series at Three

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

IV - BK 6; HV 4

V - HV 4; BK 1

VI - HV 7; BK 0

It's Groundhog Day at Wappingers Falls

The Brooklyn Cyclones have now lost 66 games this season.  I've covered every single one.  So, I know, and dread going back and checking to see just how many times this season the Cyclones have been limited to four hits or less.  I've made it a point of contention throughout.

On Saturday, they escaped my rage by wielding their fifth hit in the ninth inning.

Thank you, Cody Bohanek.

Hudson Valley's Josh Maciejewski hurls a gem, allowing four hits and no walks with eleven strikeouts over seven innings pitched for the win.  Right-hander Freicer Perez yields one hit over two scoreless innings to complete the shutout.

Brooklyn manages to put only one runner into scoring position.  They draw no walks and strike out 13 times.  Catcher Francisco Alvarez, Wilmer Reyes, Luis Gonzalez, and Zack Ashford account for Brooklyn's four other hits, none for extra bases.

After two impressive starts, right-hander Jose Chacin suffers his first loss as a Cyclone.  He allows five runs on three hits, including two home runs in the third and three walks with eight strikeouts through five innings.  In relief of Chacin, Luis Montas yields a run over two innings pitched, and Evy Ruibal 

surrenders a home run in the eighth.

Brooklyn Cyclones Suffer Familiar Fate in Series Opener at Hudson Valley

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

BROOKLYN @ HUDSON VALLEY

I - HV 7; BK 6

Game Gets Away From Cyclones in the Sixth

Brooklyn got off to a rousing start on Luis Gonzalez's second-inning grand slam home run.  But after keeping HudsonValley off the board through the first four innings, starter David Griffin surrenders a three-run home run off the bat of center fielder Everson Pereira, cutting Brooklyn's lead to one.  

Griffin exits on the winning side of a 3-2 game after allowing five hits and one walk with five strikeouts through five innings.  With Luis Montas pitching the sixth in relief of Griffin, the Renegades muster four runs on five hits, with two going for extra bases for an abrupt 7-3 lead.

Shortstop Ronny Mauricio hits a two-run home run in the eighth, but it's not enough.

David Griffin is reduced to a no-decision, while Luis Montas takes the loss.  Right-hander Nolan Clenney closes out the game with two scoreless innings.  

Meanwhile, three Hudson Valley Renagade pitchers join together in limiting the Cyclones to a mere four hits, albeit two went for home runs and just two walks with 13 strikeouts for the joint effort victory.  Right-hander Matt Sauer earns the win, and Derek Craft the save.

The Hudson Valley Renegades now own a lopsided 21-9 record against the Brooklyn Cyclones by taking Tuesday's series opener.

Ronny Mauricio takes over the team lead with 19 home runs.  BOXSCORE

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.