The 11–11 Cyclones can’t seem to get on a roll. For every heroic, come-from-behind win this season, there seems to be a blown save or a seven-walk inning to bring the Brooks back to earth. Here are all the game summaries since our last edition:
Cyclones 4
IronBirds 2
June 26 at Keyspan Park
The Cyclones banged out 15 hits in a barrage that included three from rehabbing Mets star Ryan Church, who also drove in a run on a double. Also making his debut was rookie phenom Ike Davis, who doubled in his first pro at-bat. Clone starter Brad Holt made up for a disastrous debut last week, tossing five no-hit innings with six K’s. Yuri Santana got his fourth save with 1 1/3 no-hit innings.
Cyclones 4
Ironbirds 3
June 27, at Keyspan Park
Games like this are what every Little Leaguer dreams of: With the game tied at 3 and a runner on first and third, Will Vogl sent a game-winning fly ball soaring over the drawn-in outfield. But Vogl wouldn’t even have had a chance without a Matt Bouchard double that scored a run in the fifth and a two-RBI double by Kirk Nieuwenhuis that tied the score in the sixth. Rehabbing Met star Ryan Church was 0–3, but his Cyclone teammates more than covered for him, thanks to a 12-hit barrage. Starting pitcher Pedro “No Relation” Martinez was initially shaky, but settled into six decent innings.
Ironbirds 4
Cyclones 1
June 28, at Keyspan Park
On Superhero Night, the Cyclones refused to act heroic. After a lengthy rain delay, the team came out flat, falling behind 2–0 and only managing a run in the fifth, thanks to a Will Vogl triple and a Dan Murphy single. Starter Tim Stronach (1–2) took the loss.
Renegades 6
Cyclones 4
June 29 at Keyspan Park
A rare let-down by the Cyclones bullpen was the story here, with Hudson Valley scoring five runs in the last three innings. The ’Clones got on the board in the second, scoring on a groundout after a Josh Satin double. After the Renegades got the run back in the third off starter James Fuller, the Cyclones stormed back for two runs on an Ike Davis double and a Zach Lutz groundout. But then, the Renegades struck — first with two runs in the second to tie the game and hand reliever Manuel Olivares his first blown save of the year. The pesky ’Gades added two more in the eighth. After Mike Lynn put two men on, reliever Roy Merritt induced groundouts, but both runners scored. The Cyclones got one back in the ninth on a Dan Murphy single. Murphy was 3-for-5 on the night.
Cyclones 6
Renegades 5
June 30 at Keyspan Park
The Cyclones snatched a victory from the jaws of yet another disappointing defeat on Monday night, thanks to Ike Davis’s walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth that sent the Hudson Valley Renegades home muttering what might have been.
Indeed, the pesky Renegades, who have given the Cyclones fits all season long, scored two runs in the top of the frame to tie the game, only to see the ’Clones mount a comeback that started with a walk, a sacrifice bunt, two more walks and then Davis’s single. The first-round draft choice was promptly mobbed by his Cyclone teammates midway between first and second base.
But that celebration was a long time coming. The Renegades had jumped on the board first, with two runs in the second off otherwise impressive starter Scott Shaw. The Cyclones scraped back with a run in the third on an Eric Campbell single, and two more in the fifth, courtesy of a Davis double and a Campbell single.
Then, the trouble began for the Cyclones. The Renegades tied the score at 3 in the eighth, getting a run off usually stingy reliever Jimmy Johnson (whose ERA entering the game was 1.35). Thankfully, the Cyclones scored two more in the bottom of the frame — the key blows being a Sean Ratliff RBI triple and a Zach Lutz RBI single.
Then, the ninth: After the Renegades tied the score with two runs off Jesse Orosco-like closer Yuri Santana — who picked up his first blown save of the year — the Cyclones stormed back. Leadoff hitter Will Vogl walked and was bunted to second with perfection by Cesar Cordido. Two more walks loaded the basis for Davis — and the top pick delivered the game-winning single and got Santana an unexpected win. Davis was 3-for-5 on the night and is hitting .318 since joining the Cyclones.
Renegades 2
Cyclones 1
July 1 at Hudson Valley
The pesky Renegades, who have owned the Cyclones this year, beat our boys for the fourth time out of five contests this season. Starter Brad Holt took the loss, though he pitched adequately, giving up four hits and one earned run in his three-and-two-thirds innings of work.
The Cyclones did get on the board in the eighth, thanks to a John Servidio single, but that was all she wrote.
If there was any bright spot, it was the Cyclones bullpen, which has been mostly reliable this season. Four relievers combined to give up just two hits over the last 4 1/3 innings.
Cyclones 4
Crosscutters 3
July 2 at Williamsport
Now this was a victory to savor! Down 3–0 and having managed only four hits through the first seven innings, Cyclone bats came alive, scoring the last four runs of the game. The revival started in the top of the eighth, thanks to a Reese Havens walk followed by back-to-back singles by Zach Lutz and Sean Ratliff.
Then, in the ninth, a walk to Jake Eigsti and an error put two men on for first-round pick Havens’s first homer as a Cyclone. The three-run blast, combined with Yuri “Iceman” Santana’s one-two-three ninth, provided the margin of victory for the 8–8 Cyclones.
Starting pitcher Pedro “No Relation” Martinez was effective in his four innings of work, giving up just one hit (a homer) and striking out four.
Cyclones 12
Crosscutters 3
July 3 at Williamsport
The Cyclones offense showed more signs that it is awaking from its slumber, thanks to a 15-hit attack that yielded a season-high 12 runs. The scoring started with a Brandon Richey RBI single in the third — and Richey was one of two runs that scored on an error in the fifth. Richey also has an RBI triple in the sixth and later scored on Reese Havens’s second homer of the year. In the eighth, Jake Eigsti’s triple scored two. And in the Havens hit a double and later scored on a wild pitch. Although the Cyclone bats were wide awake, the team was greatly assisted by four Crosscutter errors on the night. Starting pitcher Tim Stronach had his best outing of the year, giving up just one earned run and three hits in six innings. He struck out eight and dropped his ERA to 2.61. The Cyclone pitching staff struck out 12 Crosscutters overall, extending the staff’s league-leading strikout total.
Cyclones 9
Crosscutters 2
July 4 at Williamsport
A 10-hit offensive attack — including homers by Zach Lutz and John Servidio — propelled the Cyclones to victory. The scoring started in the first, with an Ike Davis RBI single followed by a run-scoring single by Servidio. In the second, Davis came up with bases loaded — and promptly cleared them with a double. The Crosscutters managed to blank the Clones in the third, but the barrage continued in the fourth, with Lutz and Servidio’s homers. The Cyclones capped the scoring in the fifth, adding a run on an error. Starting pitcher Jeffrey Kaplan (1–0, 1.29 ERA) was stellar in his five innings.
Scrappers 6
Cyclones 1 (10 innings)
July 5 at Mahoning Valley
This is one you just have to shake off. After a cat-and-mouse game for most of the night, Cyclone reliever Matias Carrillo served up a grand slam in the 10th inning to ruin everyone’s night. Josh Satin hit his first homer of the year in the fourth, but that was all the Cyclones could muster. Starting pitcher Scott Shaw was strong, allowing just one run over his 5 1/3 innings.
Cyclones 4
Scrappers 2
July 6 at Keyspan Park
The Scrappers got two runs off generally solid starter Brad Holt, who only gave up three hits, while striking out seven in just five innings. After that, it was all Cyclones. The scoring barrage started in the fifth inning, when John Servidio slammed his fifth double of the season and later scored on a groundout. In the seventh, Sean Ratliff hit a solo shot, his first of the year. Then, with the score tied at 2 apiece, the Cyclones scored two in the eighth, thanks to a Josh Satin two-run double. Closer extraordinaire Yury Santana retired the Scrappers in order in the ninth to earn his league-leading sixth save. Wendy Rosa (2 innings pitched) and Brandon Moore (1 IP) gave up no hits in relief.
Scappers 8
Cyclones 1
July 7 at Keyspan Park
As Frankie Frisch used to say, “Oh, those bases on balls!” — and he’d be rolling in his grave if he heard that Cyclone pitchers walked seven batters in a row in the fifth inning en route to a horrifying, depressing, demoralizing day-game loss. Already down 2-0 after a Juan Valdes homer, the Cyclones watched as starter Jenrry Mejia walked the first three batters in the fifth, then reliever Wendy Rosa walked the next batter, only to have his reliever, Jimmy Johnson walk the next three men. Finally, Roy Merritt ended the disaster, striking out his first batter. Merritt went on to pitch three innings of no-hit ball, but the damage was already done. The only Cyclone run came in the fourth on a Kirk Nieuwenhuis single. Nieuwenhuis was the only other bright spot on the day — he was 4-for-4.
Jammers 4
Cyclones 3
July 9 at Jamestown
Well, it started off well, with the Clones getting a run in the first on a Reese Havens double and an Ike Davis sac fly. After Jamestown tied it up with a second-inning homer, the Cyclones answered back with two runs in the third on an Eric Campbell RBI single and a Kirk Nieuwenhuis sac fly. But the suddenly leaky Brooklyn pen couldn’t hold the lead. Usually reliable closer Yury Santana took the loss, giving up two runs in the bottom of the eighth to led Jamestown seal the win.
