Batavia 1
Cyclones 0
Aug. 2 at MCU Park
The anemic Cyclones’ offense was held to just two hits in a 1–0 loss to the Muckdogs.
Jordan Holloway gave up one hit in six scoreless innings to get the win, but he didn’t impress Clones’ manager Tom Gamboa, who let his team have it after the game.
“The disappointment to me is that the guy who started for them will never get above ‘A’ ball, and to only get two hits off a guy like that it’s just really too bad,” said Cyclones skipper Tom Gamboa.
Brooklyn starter Chris Flexen worked in and out of trouble in the first four innings and was the hard-luck loser. After retiring the first two batters in the fifth, Flexen allowed a triple and two walks.
Flexen hit the pitch limit and was taken out. Gamboa thought Flexen pitched great, although the fifth was a bit of a downer.
“My only disappointment was that the last two hitters that he faced, he made no adjustment. I knew every pitch was going to be high before he threw it because he never made a mechanical adjustment to get the ball down. It’s a shame his outing ended on a bad note.”
Gamboa called on Johnny Magliozzi to get out of the jam. The first pitch he threw crossed up Brandon Brosher and rolled away for a run-scoring passed ball.
“It’s a crime that the game was decided on a mix-up on the pitch between Magliozzi and Brandon,” Gamboa said.
The Cyclones finally got a runner on base when Enmanuel Zabala led off the fourth with a single, but the center fielder was subsequently picked off.
Brosher walked in the fifth but was erased on a double play.
Holloway worked to the minimum 18 batters in his six innings with only two Cyclones getting the ball out of the infield.
Ryley MacEachern pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for Batavia.
Jeff Diehl led off the eighth with a walk but was erased on a double-play ball off the bat of Brosher.
After Jose Garcia singled, Batavia manager Angel Espada called on Steve Farnsworth for a four-out save.
The Cyclones got a runner in scoring position when Garcia moved to second on a wild pitch, but pinch-hitter Michael Bernal grounded out to end the inning.
Brooklyn went down in order in the ninth to end the shutout loss.
The 22–19 Cyclones travel to Lowell for a 7:05 pm Monday=night game.
UPS AND DOWNS
In addition to having Giovanny Alfonzo (nephew of Edgardo) on the team, Batavia also has Alex Fernandez, son of the Marlins pitcher of the same name. In case you’re wondering, the older Alfonzo went 5-for-15 with a homer in his career off Fernandez, who beat the Mets on Opening Day of the 1999.
Out of 160 minor league teams, the Cyclones are 158th in batting average. Yeesh.
