Cyclones 3
Batavia 1
July 31 at MCU Park
Gaby Almonte worked in and out of trouble and won his fifth game of the season holding the Muckdogs to one run in six innings.
After allowing a first-inning run, Almonte got out of a bases-load jam in the second, left two runners in scoring position on in the third, and stranded two more in the fifth, to the delight of manager Tom Gamboa, who admired his toughness.
“If there was a game ball I’d have to give it to him, and I’m sure he’d share it with the three pitchers that helped him get the ‘W’ tonight,” Tom Gamboa said.
The skipper thought about taking him out sooner than he did, although facing the bottom of the order played a factor in letting him go out for the sixth.
“We gave a little consideration after five but he is a great competitor and when we asked him how he felt there was no doubt he wanted to go back out there.”
P.J. Conlon, Corey Taylor and Alex Palsha each pitched an inning of scoreless relief.
Brooklyn took the lead in the second on a two-run, two-out single by Manuel Hilario off Dillon Peters who was making his debut. Jeff Diehl and Brandon Brosher scored on the hit. Brosher finished with two of the Cyclones four hits.
Facing reliever Nick White, Brooklyn added another run in the sixth. David Thompson led off with a walk, moved to second on a walk to Diehl , advanced to third on a fly out by Brosher, and scored on a ground out off the bat of Hengelbert Rojas.
Palsha got Giovanny Alfonzo, nephew of former Met All-Star second baseman, Edgardo, to fly out to center for the final out, and the skipper cheers the back-end of his bullpen.
“Alex seems to get a lot of the credit because that’s his league-leading ninth face but as I keep telling anybody that’ll listen, Conlon, Taylor, Valdez, our whole bullpen by committee, all those guys get the holds that lead up to him getting the glory and the save.”
The 22–17 Cyclones are back at it tonight at 6 pm against the Muckdogs on the beach.
