Cyclones 3
Staten Island 0
July 24 at MCU Park
Five Brooklyn pitchers combined to shut out the hated Staten Island Yankees in a 3–0 win on Sunday at MCU Park.
“Today is kind of a manager’s and a pitching coach’s dream,” Cyclones skipper Tom Gamboa said.
Brooklyn got on the board in the second. Staten Island starter Simon De La Rosa walked Pete Alonso to begin the inning and a wild pitch advanced him to second. Nick Sergakis reached on an error by shortstop Angel Aguilar, who had a ground ball go under his glove when he looked up early to see where Sergakis was.
With runners now at first and second, Jay Jabs singled to right, but Alonso was thrown out at home as right fielder Timmy Robinson fired one to Eduardo Navas at the plate.
Sergakis went to third on the single and throw, and then scored when Desmond Lindsay hit into a 3–6 force out.
The Cyclones added another run in the fifth as Michael Paez drove in Arnaldo Berrios with a two-out single to left-center. In the sixth – facing David Palladino – Brooklyn added some insurance as Gene Cone drew a bases loaded walk to push across a run and give the Cyclones a 3–0 lead. The cushion was more than enough for the Cyclones pitching staff to work with and the group effectively shut down Staten Island.
Brooklyn starter Thomas Szapucki – a fifth-round pick by the Mets in 2015 – picked up the win with five-and-one-third innings of scoreless ball, working around four hits and three walks, and striking out eight.
“I felt really good,” Szapucki said. “My team played great defense behind me, we had a lot of energy and I got to put away some guys so I feel happy about that.”
It took a few batters before Szapucki settled into a rhythm, but it didn’t take long for him to impress in his New York-Penn League debut.
“My only concern with Thomas today was in that first inning,” Gamboa said. “The pace was slow because he was fighting himself on his breaking ball. He never knew one for a strike. And though he was throwing very hard, I know in the other dugout, I’m sure there chatter was ‘Hey, he can’t throw a breaking ball for a strike, he’s got a good fastball but that’s the only thing to look for.”
“Fortunately, when he found it, as soon as he threw two breaking balls in there for strikes, you could almost see their bats go flat.”
Kyle Regnault recorded the final two outs of the sixth, and Adam Atkins, Taylor Henry, and Joseph Zanghi each pitched a scoreless inning.
“Atkins, Henry and Zanghi had all scuffled of late and it was a blow to all three of their confidence,” Gamboa said. “So against the first place team, and at home, it was good to see all three of them kind of dominate and not just pitch ok, but pitch great to get thief confidence back.”
The 17–19 Cyclones are back in action on Monday night at MCU Park as they take on the Evil Empire of the New York-Penn League at 7 P.M.
UPS AND DOWNS
To honor new Hall of Fame member Mike Piazza, the Cyclones wore black jerseys in the style of the 1999 Mets.
“Everybody loved them and guys were asking me in the first inning if this could be one of the jerseys and hats we wear because I think it looked really sharp,” Gamboa said of the jerseys that will be auctioned off. “But unfortunately, as we told the guys, I barely walked in my office and they had my jersey off my back.” Szapucki liked the jerseys but brought up one point. “It was pretty cool. I mean, I don’t know about the black on this hot day but it was pretty good.”
