Video recap
If it looks like a rivalry, smells like a rivalry — and fights like a rivalry — friends, you have a rivalry.
And as baseball rivalries go, the Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees might stand just a rung below the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Well, at least things played out that way this past weekend.
Down two games in the standings, the Cyclones headed to Staten Island with a chance to grab a share of first place with a home-and-home set against the Baby Bombers.
Out on the Island, the Clones had a 1–0 lead going into the seventh when things suddenly came crashing down.
Mitch Hilligoss’s fly ball to left was butchered by Dustin Martin, resulting in a two-base error. Hilligoss later scored on this sacrifice fly to Martin, knotting the score at one.
The Yanks loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th, and up stepped Hilligoss with just one out. His single to left off Cyclones closer German Martin got the Yanks the win.
The next night, former Mets hurler and 1986 World Series Champion Sid Fernandez threw out the first pitch and, in his honor, the Clones donned limited-edition blue Hawaiian shirts instead of their standard home whites.
But the Yanks took an early lead, as Kyle Larsen launched a double to right, scoring Wilkins DeLaRosa, who had singled to start the game.
The Brooks answered back immediately, as leadoff man Joe Holden hit his second homer of the season over right field wall — a rare feat at Keyspan Park.
Moments later, with Jon Schemmel on second, Ivan Naccarata tripled to the wall in left center, giving Brooklyn its only lead of the night.
The Clones tacked on two more runs in the inning, as Jesus Gamero singled to left, scoring Naccarata. After Gamero stole second, Tim Grogan drove a pitch to right field to give the Cyclones a 4–1 lead.
The Yanks regained the lead in the second, scoring four times and knocking out Cyclones starter Jake Ruckle. He was replaced by Jonathan Castillo, who gave up a single to Hilligoss, scoring DeLaRosa.
Still, the Clones were able to even the score in the second, as Gamero singled in Holden.
But things began to disintegrate in third when Cyclones errors led to four more Yankee runs. Francisco Cervelli’s slow roller was thrown away by Castillo, resulting in a run and a two-base miscue. Two batters later, the Yanks had a run in and runners on first and third when DeLaRosa launched a double to left center. Two runs came in, but on a close play, DeLaRosa was called out at third.
That brought out the Yanks fiery manager, Gaylen Pitts, who pleaded his case to the umpire before being ejected from the game.
By the fifth inning, the game had already included 15 runs and 23 hits, and it stayed that way until the seventh, when the Yanks began to pour it on. After a Hilligoss double to the gap in left, the floodgates opened, as the three Yanks got plated in the seventh, and another seven came home in the eighth, which featured a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double to left by Larsen.
Things came to a boil in the ninth when, after Kevin Smith was hit by a pitch, words were exchanged and the benches cleared.
While no punches where thrown, Pitts — in his shower shoes — rushed back onto the field to offer a few choice words for Cyclones management.
In the bottom of the ninth, Teddy Dziuba mercifully grounded out to Larsen, putting an end to the 21–6 massacre. With the two losses, the Clones fell four games behind the front-running Yanks.
While Cyclones skipper George Greer downplayed the rivalry, claiming it didn’t exist, his players don’t necessarily feel the same way.
“There’s always [bad blood] between these two teams,” said Cyclones hurler Grady Hinchman after the game. “It will last the rest of the year. I can guarantee. It will probably last the rest of the year, until we beat them in the championship.”
The teams will face off just two more times this season, with a home-and-home set begining on Monday on Staten Island.
August 26, 2006 issue
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