Brooklyn Boro

Cyclones fail to complete Staten Island sweep

Drop 10-7 Thriller in Extra Innings, Remain in Second Place

August 12, 2015 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Zach Mathieu (right) celebrates a three-run homer against the Yankees at Coney Island's MCU Park on Tuesdaynight, but the game-tying shot couldn't propel Brooklyn past first-place Staten Island. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Cyclones
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Playing their first home game in nine days, the Brooklyn Cyclones appeared fit and ready to complete a three-game sweep of first-place Staten Island and launch themselves back into the top spot in the tightly packed McNamara Division.

But the Baby Bums’ season-long fielding woes came up to bite them in the top of the 12th inning Tuesday night en route to a wild 10-7 loss to the Yankees in front of 5,884 fans at Coney Island’s MCU Park.

Brooklyn committed three errors in total, including a pair in the 12th by center fielder Emmanuel Zabala and catcher Jose Garcia, that helped Staten Island (26-23) snap a 7-7 deadlock and drop the Cyclones (25-25) 1 ½ games back in the division race.

The Baby Bums allowed four unearned runs on a night they desperately needed to reclaim the first-place perch they held for the better part of the season’s first month and a half.

First baseman Zach Mathieu’s offensive heroics nearly attained that goal for Brooklyn.

The 23-year-old New Hampshire native ripped a two-run double in the bottom of the second inning that helped stake the Cylcones to a 3-1 lead, and then drilled a game-tying three-run homer, his second of the summer, in the seventh to even the contest at 7-7.

With a man on and two out in the ninth, Mathieu again stepped to the plate, hoping to send the home faithful happy with a walk-off hit.

But Yankee reliever Jonny Drozd struck out Mathieu, leaving the normally reliable Brooklyn bullpen to bail the Cyclones out in extra innings.

New York-Penn League All-Star Alex Palsha tossed a perfect ninth by inducing three consecutive ground outs, extending his scoreless innings streak to 19 2/3, but Craig Missigman (1-2) was unable to do the same, mainly due to bad defense behind him.

After working into and out of trouble in the 10th, Missigman tossed a 1-2-3 11th and struck out Thairo Estrada to start the 12th.

Following a walk to Ryan Krill, Zabala opened the floodgates by misplaying a fly ball off the bat of Junior Valera, putting runners at first and second with one out. Jhalan Jackson took advantage of the opportunity, ripping an RBI single before Brandon Wagner’s run-scoring double made it 9-7 for Staten Island.

Missigman got Jake Hernandez to hit a grounder to short and the Cyclones appeared to have Jackson dead at the plate on a fielder’s choice, but Garcia dropped Reyes’ throw, allowing the final run of the evening to cross the plate safely.

Zabala tried to make amends by leading off the bottom of the 12th with a booming double, but Mathieu, Reyes and Tucker Tharp were fanned in order by reliever Jose Mesa (2-0), who struck out six over three one-hit innings for the win.

The Cyclones won’t see the Yankees again until Sept. 5-7, when the teams wrap up the regular season with a three-game set here in Brooklyn.

They’ll instead have to settle for scoreboard-watching between now and then as they kick off an important three-game series here with State College, beginning Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

This, That and the Other Thing: Cyclones pitching coach Dave LaRoche has had plenty to do with RHP Gaby Almonte’s development this season. The 22-year-old Dominican right-hander, who tossed an eight-inning scoreless gem against the Yankees on Tuesday night, leads the team with six wins thus far this summer and is a candidate to start the Aug. 18 New York-Penn League All-Star Game. “He’s been one of the top pitchers in the league,” LaRoche told MiLB.com earlier this week. “He walks very few people, excellent command, and he keeps the ball down. He really has an excellent changeup, which helps neutralize a lot of hitters and makes his fastball a lot better. His command is what’s made the difference really. Just throwing strikes, keeping the ball down and changing speeds. That’s put him over the top in terms of having a quality year and being a quality pitcher.” … RHP Tyler Badamo (2-5, 3.10 ERA) was slated to pitch the series opener against State College. Badamo has lost four of his last five decisions, but still boasts the best ERA among all Brooklyn starters with Almonte right behind him at 3.22. … Brooklyn’s lone position player to make the Southern All-Star squad, 2B Vinny Siena, lifted his average to a team-best .301 Tuesday night by going 3-for-6 with two RBIs.

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