Brooklyn Cyclones Retake First Place of McNamara Division

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

McNamara Division:

1) Brooklyn           20-17

2) Aberdeen          19-18

3) Hudson Valley  19-18

4) Staten Island    19-18

BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Look Who's Number One..., Again!

On Tuesday, the Coney Island Nine and Staten Island Yankees entered that night's action tied for 1st place, with the Aberdeen Ironbirds and Hudson Valley Renegades a mere game behind in the McNamara Division standings.

By Wednesday, all four McNamara teams were tied for 1st place with identical 19-17 records.

The square dance now seems to be breaking up - maybe.

Staten Island lost their second straight to the Batavia Muckdogs, Aberdeen lost to the Auburn Doubledays, while Brooklyn defeated the Hudson Valley Renegades to recapture sole possession of the 1st place.

Moreover, with Wednesday's 6-3 victory over the Renegades, the Cyclones became the fourth team in the circuit, and first team in their division to achieve 20 victories this season.

The McNamara remains the only division with all its members still playing .500 baseball or better.  

The Pinckney Division Williamsport Crosscutters, however, lead the New York Penn League with a 25-12 record.

7/29 - Renegades @ CYCLONES: Game 2

Brooklyn's Kevin Canelon made Wednesday's start at Coney Island Grounds, and was opposed by Hudson Valley's Roel Ramirez.

The Cyclones jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first.  Tucker Tharp and Vinny Siena led-off with back-to-back singles, then scored on Michael Bernal's triple to center field.  Bernal soon scored the third Cyclones' run on David Thompson's ground out to second.

Tucker Tharp led-off the bottom of the 5th with a home run to left, giving the Cyclones a 4-0 lead.

Hudson Valley ruined the shutout in the 6th, but Brooklyn stormed right back with a pair of runs in the 8th.  After DH Brandon Brosher received a 1-out walk, Jeff Diehl connected on a home run to left.

The Renegades scored 2 runs in the top of the 9th, charged to reliever Ruben Reyes to make it a 6-3 final score.

• Starter Kevin Canelon tossed 6 innings, allowed just one earned run on 4 hits, walked one and fanned 7 batters to earn his third victory of the season.  He is now 3-2 with a 3.82 ERA over 33 innings pitched.

Closer Alex Palsha recorded his league leading 8th save of the season.  He has yet to allow a run over 13 appearances and 15.2 innings pitched.  To date, he's allowed 7 hits, issued just 4 walks, and fanned 18 batters.

Now down to .220, the Cyclones team average keeps spiraling precipitously downwards towards the infamous Mendoza Line.  On a team level, I never thought that possible.  Whether they achieve that dubious distinction remains to be seen.

On this night, they managed 9 hits, while usually averaging 7.16 hits per game.  Their 6 runs were also somewhat of an outburst when compared to their 3.75 runs per game average over 37 games played.

Despite Wednesday's output, Brooklyn's team batting average is presently .220, and spiraling precipitously downwards towards the infamous Mendoza Line.  On a team level, I never thought that possible.  Whether they achieve that dubious distinction remains to be seen.

On the bright side, a pair of home runs gave the Cyclones 18 for the season, which ranks them 4th in the league.

Brooklyn, would then be well served by getting just a few more people on base.  They presently sport a league low .297 OBP, making them the only team below the .300 mark.  The Cyclones have drawn the 4th least walks, have the league's least amount of hits, and as you might guess, they trail the league in total bases.

The Renegades and Cyclones will play the rubber game of their series Thursday evening at Dutchess Stadium.



Mike

BK Cyclones: McNamara Division Proving Difficult to Conquer

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

McNamara Division:

1) Brooklyn          19-16  .543

2) Staten Island    19-16  .543

3) Aberdeen          18-17  .514

4) Hudson Valley  18-17  .514

BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Division race following same twisting, and looping track as neighboring Thunderbolt roller coaster.

The tourniquet constricting the McNamara Division continues to tighten.  All four teams are playing above .500, while just one game separates the last place club from first.

The light hitting Brooklyn Cyclones remain locked in a tie for 1st place with Staten Island, largely due to the Yankees' current 3-game losing streak.  Meanwhile, both the Aberdeen Ironbirds and Hudson Valley Renegades are tied, just a game behind.

The Cyclones now have 35 games in the books, as the NYPL arrives at their season's mid-point this week.  At this rate of play, the 2015 Wild Card winner could very well come out of the McNamara Division.

That remains to be seen, but the Cyclones had better improve at the plate.  It's clear they're operating with little room for error.  Despite their present standing, the Surf Avenue Sluggers have failed to live up that moniker this season.

They are last in the 14-team circuit in hits, and a .220 batting average, and rank 13th in runs scored, runs batted in, OBP, and slugging.

The Yankees haven't fared much better.  They're 5th worst in the league with a .244 team average.   For the moment, however, parity rules the day.  The Aberdeen Ironbirds are last in runs scored, OBP, slugging, and 13th in hits and home runs, yet, as noted, reside just a game out of first place with a .500 record to boot.

Brooklyn's Vinny Siena leads the McNamara Division with a .313 batting average.  Power wise, Michael Bernal, Brandon Brosher, and Jeff Diehl all rank in the league's top ten with 3 home runs apiece.

Staten Island's Jhalan Jackson is 2nd in the league with a .511 slugging average, while Brooklyn's Michael Bernal is 5th with a .465 mark.

Jhalan also leads the division with 4 home runs, while team mate Drew Bridges ranks in the league's top-10 with 3 homers as well.  Both Jhalan Jackson and team mate Brad Valera additionally rate in the league's top-10 with 18 RBI apiece.

This season, the Cyclones are getting by on pitching.  They lead the league with a 2.74 ERA.  The Yankees trail in 4th place with a 3.25 mark.  The Hudson Valley Renegades are making their mark in 3rd place with a 3.14 ERA.

Brooklyn pitchers have additionally surrendered the least number of hits, home runs, posted the best WHiP, and have fanned the second most batters in the league, while Renegades and Yankees pitchers have issued the least walks.

In fact, 4 of the top 6 teams in WHiP come from the McNamara Division.  In other words, the combined mound work of each club has created a too-tough-to-gauge divisional race with roughly 40 games left in the regular season.

The Cyclones fared poorly during their most recent road trip, getting clawed by the newly minted West Virginia Black Bears, then playing pedestrian baseball against Mahoning Valley.

Brooklyn is now 4-6 in their last 10 games, as is Staten Island.

TUESDAY

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

vs.

Hudson Valley Renegades

FROM

Dutchess Stadium

FISHKILL, N.Y.

After Monday's NYPL scheduled day off, the Cyclones will open a home-and-home series in Hudson Valley against the Renegades with clear first place implications.  The Yankees will host an out of division series against the Batavia Muckdogs.

The rivalry between Brooklyn and the Renegades has intensified over the last three years.

In 2012, the Renegades edged out the Cyclones for the division flag.  Brooklyn gained a Wild Card berth, however, only to get eliminated by Hudson Valley in the first round of the post-season.  Then last season, Hudson Valley outpaced the Cyclones by 4 games en route to another division flag.

Hudson Valley recently enjoyed a brief taste of first place as well.  They're the league's 5th highest slugging team, and lead the league in stolen bases.  On the mound, the Renegades are 3rd in the league with a 3.14 ERA.  They've additionally issued the least walks and are 5th in the circuit in team WHiP.



Mike

BK Cyclones vs. S.I. Yankees: Battle of the Boroughs - II

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BATTLE of the BOROUGHS - II

Cyclones lead season series 2-1

I - BKN 3; SIY 2

II - SIY 8; BKN 3

III - BKN 6; SIY 4

WEDNESDAY

Brooklyn Cyclones

vs.

Staten Island Yankees

FROM

Rotten Island

BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Richmond Bombers Host Series Opener 2 games back of 1st place Bums.

Baby Bums taking cue from parent club; 

contending with strong pitching, but with little hitting to speak of.

All four McNamara Division teams are playing above .500 baseball, led by the Brooklyn Cyclones.   The Coney Island Nine own a 2-game edge over the Staten Island Yankees, and a 3-game lead over the the Aberdeen Ironbirds and Hudson Valley Renegades, respectively.

The Cyclones (15-8) are in 1st place today based largely on the strength of their pitching.  Their 1.09 WHiP leads the league and their 2.47 ERA ranks second.  They are second in the league in strikeouts, allowed the second least hits and runs, and lead the circuit with 4 shutouts.

• After five starts and 31.1 innings pitched, Tyler Badamo is 1-2 with a 2.87 ERA, and a 0.93 WHiP.   He is fourth in the circuit with 26 strikeouts.  Team mate Matt Blackham leads the league with 30 strikeouts.  He is 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA, and a 0.99 WHiP.  Closer Alex Palsha has yet to surrender a run over 11.1 innings pitched, and leads the league with 5 saves.

The 2nd place Staten Island Yankees (13-10) rank fourth with a 3.41 ERA, a 1.25 WHiP; they're fourth in strikeouts, and have allowed the fourth least hits, and the sixth least runs.

• With a 3-1 record, right-hander Luis Cedeno is tied for the league lead (with team mate Derek Callahan) in victories, and owns a 1.37 ERA, and 0.99 WHiP over 26.1 innings pitched, with 18 strikeouts.

Staten Island owns a distinct edge at the plate.  They are second in the league in runs scored and fourth in hits.  They lead the circuit in OBP, and rank fifth in slugging and team average, and sixth in home runs.

• Outfielder Griffin Gordon leads the team with 6 doubles and a .342 average.  Jhalan Jackson leads the team with 4 home runs and 14 RBI.

The Cyclones on the other hand, are last in the New York Penn League in hits, team average, and OBP, rank twelfth in slugging, eleventh in runs scored, struck out the fourth most times and are tied for fourth in home runs.

• Vinny Siena is second in the league in hits, second with a .361 batting average, and sixth in OBP.  He is presently the Cyclones' lone .300 hitter.  Right fielder Michael Bernal leads the circuit in runs scored and is fifth in slugging.  He leads the team with 5 doubles, 3 home runs and 10 RBI.

The Cyclones will open the series in Richmond County, then host the Baby Bombers on Thursday.   The series will conclude on Friday back in Staten Island.



Mike

BK Cyclones: Bring on the Renegades

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Brooklyn leads season series over Hudson Valley 2-1

I - BKN 7; HVR 0

II - BKN 2; HVR 1

III - HVR 4; BKN 1

TONIGHT

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

vs.

Hudson Valley Renegades

FROM

DUTCHESS STADIUM

Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Renegades have been a thorn in Baby Bum's side over past three seasons.

After enjoying a day off, the Cyclones start a 3-game series against their Dutchess County rivals, Hudson Valley Renegades this evening.  It was Hudson Valley who stood center of the Cyclones' path in 2 of the last 3 season post-season bids.

In 2012, the Cyclones fell short in the division race to the Hudson Valley Renegades, and as Wild Card qualifiers were ultimately eliminated from the post-season by the 'Gades as well.

Last season, Coney Island finished the regular season with a fine 42-34 record, 4 games back, however, of the McNamara Division winning Hudson Valley Renegades.

After 17 games played this season, Brooklyn leads the McNamara Division with a 12-5 record, and a 2.5 game lead over the Staten Island Yanks.  Hudson Valley is in 3rd place, just 3 games out, so this is indeed an early season division showdown against the Renegades.

Brooklyn took 2 of 3 games from the 'Gades to open the month, then swept 3 games from the Williamsport Crosscutters making them 5-1 in July.

Michael Bernal and Vinny Siena have lead the Cyclones offense through the early going.  Bernal leads the circuit with 14 runs scored and is 2nd with 3 home runs.  He leads the team with 4 doubles and 10 RBI.  Siena is 2nd in the NYPL with a .390 batting mark.  He leads the team with 23 hits and is 2nd behind Bernal with 12 runs scored.

Catcher Brandon Brosher is batting .250, with a pair of home runs, and is 2nd on the team with 9 RBI.  Seven of those came during Sunday's 9-2 victory over the Crosscutters setting a new Brooklyn Cyclones record.

On the mound, right-hander Tyler Badamo was named New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Week for the period ending July 5th.  In 4 starts and 26.2 innings pitched thus far, Tyler is 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA and 0.67 WHiP.

Closer Alex Palsha has thrown 9.1 innings over 6 appearances.  He is yet to yield a run, allowed 3 hits, and has 3 saves.



Mike

Brooklyn Cyclones Defeat S.I. Yanks in season's first Battle of the Boroughs

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Battle of the Boroughs - I

Brooklyn wins Opening Series 2-1

I - BKN 3; SIY 2

II - SIY 8; BKN 3

III - BKN 6; SIY 4

BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Party Poopers; Baby Bums and Baby Bombers spend weekend ruining each other's home openers.

If there's any consolation to Brooklyn losing their Coney Island home opener on Saturday, it's no doubt taking a pair from the Yankees in Staten Island, and ruining Richmond County's opening weekend as well.

Preview: 2015 Brooklyn Cyclones

The Staten Island Yankees hosted this year's opening of the 2015 New York-Penn League season on Friday, and jumped out to a 2-0 lead on right fielder Jhalan Jackson's 2-run home run off Brooklyn starter Tyler Badamo in the 2nd.

After an RBI by Tucker Tharp in the 4th, Michael Katz scored on a wild pitch in the 6th, knotting the game at two through 6 innings of play.  That's the way things stayed, as the first game of the season required extra innings.

With 2-outs and Enmanuel Zabala at second base in the top of the 12th, Michael Bernal's liner to left finally delivered the go-ahead run.

Reliever Gaither Bumgardner then retired the Yankees in order, striking out the final two batters to earn the win, and secure Brooklyn's opening night 3-2 victory.

*     *     *

In Saturday's Cyclones home opener at MCU Park, the Staten Island Yankees struck back to post a crowd deflating 8-3 victory over Brooklyn.

Starter Gabby Almonte climbed the hill, and was clubbed for 8 runs, 6 earned, on 8 hits and 2 walks.   He fanned 3 before departing the game on the losing side.

The Surf Avenue Sluggers were quiet this day.  First baseman Michael Katz was credited with the only Cyclones' RBI of the game.

*     *     *

The series shifted back to Staten Island for Sunday's rubber game, where the Cyclones built a 5-0 lead by the 5th, then held on to post a 6-4 victory, and an opening series win.

Right fielder Michael Bernal was 2 for 4 with a double, triple, 2 runs scored and an RBI.  DH Jeff Diehl was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBI, and first baseman Zach Mathieu drove in a pair as well.

Starter Michael Gibbons pitched 5.2 innings.  He faced 22 batters, and threw 94 pitches with 61 going for strikes.  He allowed 2 earned runs on 2 hits and 2 walks, and fanned 6 batters en route to his first victory of the season.

*     *     *

Next: the Brooklyn Cyclones will host the Tri-City Valley Cats.




Mike