Cyclones 1
Hudson Valley 0
July 9 at MCU Park
Blake Taylor, Andrew Church and Carlos Valdez combined to pitch a shutout in the Cyclones’ seven-inning, rain-shortened win against Hudson Valley to improve to 14–5.
Tucker Tharp’s run-scoring double in the third inning was all the support the Brooklyn pitchers would need.
Blake Taylor, who was acquired by the Mets in the Ike Davis trade with Pittsburgh, tossed three shutout innings in his first appearance as a Cyclone. He threw 56 pitches, walking one, giving up one hit, and striking out three.
Hudson Valley starter Cameron Vargas didn’t fare as well. After getting Tharp to ground out, Vinny Siena’s line drive hit Vargas in the elbow and knocked him out of the game. Michael Velasquez replaced Vargas in the mound.
Brooklyn got on the board when Enmanuel Zabala led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Tharp’s double.
Andrew Church entered the game in the fourth. Also making his first appearance as a Cyclone, Church pitched three shutout innings and picked up the win.
The Renegades almost got to Church in the sixth. Jake Cronenworth led off with a triple, but was stranded when Church induced a pop-up and back to back strikeouts.
Tom Gamboa called on Carlos Valdez to pitch the seventh. Alex Schmidt singled with two outs but was stranded when Valdez got Nic Wilson to strike out to end the inning.
It would be the last chance for Hudson Valley as the game was delayed and then called in the bottom of the seventh inning. Rain interfered with another Cyclones game although it meant Brooklyn only had to get 21 outs instead of 27.
The first-place Cyclones will look to sweep the Renegades when they meet at 7:05 pm at Hudson Valley.
UPS AND DOWNS
The game was called after a 37-minute delay in the bottom of the seventh.
Siena was the only player with two hits in the game. Brooklyn finished with five of the eight hits.
The Cyclones have reached the quarter-mark of the season with a 14–5 record.
