Hudson Valley 3
Cyclones 2
Aug. 16 at MCU Park
All-Star Alex Palsha blew his first save of the season — and gave up his first run — as the Cyclones lost to Hudson Valley in 11 innings.
It was the first time that the 25–30 Cyclones lost when leading after eight innings, and the first time Palsha has failed to close a game. But the loss wasn’t a shock to the team’s skipper, who watched the closer toss nearly 20 scoreless innings before finally blowing one.
“Palsha has been flawless but it’s ludicrous to think that somebody’s going to pitch a whole season and not give up a run,” manager Tom Gamboa said. “Everybody in that room just assumes that when they come in come in it’s going to be zeroes.”
Brooklyn scored twice in the second but was shutout for the final nine innings, and fell to five game under .500 for the first time this year, upsetting the manager.
“We took it to a new low on this home stand,” Gamboa said. “I look in the notes and I see we’re setting all kinds of negative records.”
After leaving the bases loaded in the first, the Cyclones got to Travis Ott in the second.
Jose Garcia was hit by a pitch and moved to third on Zach Mathieu’s double off the left field wall.
Enmanuel Zabala’s single scored Garcia, and Mathieu scored on a double play.
It looked like two runs as Andrew Church cruised through the first six innings allowing only a single and a hit batter.
Michael Russell led off the seventh with an opposite field double off the right field wall. Church recovered and got Joe McCarthy to fly out to center, which kept Russell at second.
Russell advanced to third on a Hector Montes ground out. With two outs in the sixth, Gamboa made a somewhat surprising decision to remove Church in favor of Craig Missigman.
The skipper explained his decision with three points, bulletted below for your conveniece:
• Taylor and Palsha had not pitched in five days and, with the two-day All-Star break a day away, Gamboa knew they were throwing the eighth and ninth, and one inning of work would benefit Missigman.
• In each of Church’s previous outings he falters when the manager pushed him too far.
• Matt Dacey was due up, and he took Church some 412 feet in his previous at-bat.
But Missigman struggled with his control, walking Dacey. Then Hudson Valley scored on a passed ball by Jose Garcia. Another Missigman walk put runners on first and second.
The Cyclones caught a break when Dacey was caught stealing third to end the inning.
Corey Taylor pitched a perfect eighth and Palsha came on to close it out in the ninth.
The Clones skipper had a bad feeling about his All-Star closer.
“I had bad vibes,” he said. “I told the coaches about it tonight.”
Gamboa’s concerns were well found as Palsha surrendered a leadoff single to Jake Cronenworth.
Michael Russell attempted to bunt Cronenworth over but the bunt was taken off after he fouled the first attempt off.
Cronenworth stole second and scored on Russell’s triple to right to tie the game at two.
Joe McCarthy reached on catcher’s interference and stole second.
Things looked dire as Palsha fell behind 2–0 on Hector Montes, but the rel reliever recovered to get Montes on a ground out with the infield in. After an intentional walk, Palsha struck out back to back Renegades to preserve the tie.
The Cyclones had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth as Zabala was hit by a pitch with one out and stole second.
Alfredo Reyes flew out and pinch-hitter Vinny Siena struck out to end the threat.
Tucker Tharp led off the 10th with a walk and stole second but Jeff Diehl, Brandon Brosher and Jose Garcia struck out as the game entered the 11th inning.
Garcia was ejected for smashing his bat.
With Nicco Blank on the mound, Russell reached second on an error by David Thompson.
“In my mind, I think Thompson got caught thinking about his hitting on defense and the ball just exploded on him because he makes that play 99 times out of 100,” Gamboa said.
Russell advanced to third on a ground out. After Montes was hit by a pitch, Matt Dacey’s double to left gave the Renegades a 3–2 lead.
The Cyclones went down quietly in the 11th as Mathieu grounded out and Zabala and Reyes struck out.
Brooklyn is now three and a half games behind the hated Staten Island Yankees.
The 25–30 Cyclones will host Lowell on Wednesday at 7 pm, after the All-Star Break.
