Suddenly slumping Cyclones get break

Brooklyn Drops Three of Four Entering Annual All-Star Hiatus

July 14, 2015 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Gaby Almonte tossed seven strong innings, but the Brooklyn bats never got going in the Cyclones’ 2-0 home loss to Aberdeen on Monday afternoon at Coney Island’s MCU Park.

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What began as a “blip on the radar,” according to second-year Cyclones manager Tom Gamboa, has swelled into first-place Brooklyn’s first significant slump of the New York-Penn League season.

Despite seven strong innings from starter Gaby Almonte, the Cyclones (15-8) dropped a series for the first time this summer, suffering a 2-0 loss to visiting Aberdeen, Monday afternoon in their final game before the annual off-day for the Major League All-Star Game.

Almonte (2-2) went seven innings, yielding two runs on four hits with three strikeouts without issuing a walk, but the Brooklyn offense managed only four hits against six IronBirds pitchers en route to their third loss in four games against Aberdeen following a five-game winning streak.

“This is what development is about,” noted Gamboa, who saw his previously red-hot team’s seven-game home winning streak come to an end with Sunday’s ugly 9-3 loss to Aberdeen, which featured a franchise record-tying five errors.

“We have the chance to have a real good team,” the skipper insisted. “And good teams don’t just win, they try to intimidate the opposition by playing steady. You don’t want to lose that fine edge.”

Despite dropping two of three to the ‘Birds, and three of their last four overall, the Baby Bums maintained a two-game lead over second-place Staten Island (13-10) entering Tuesday’s mini-break from the 76-game summer grind.

They also own the league’s second-best team ERA at 2.47 and own a league-best 1.09 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched).

If Brooklyn can shore up its at-times shaky defense and find some more consistency at the plate, Gamboa’s squad will be in position to deliver the franchise’s first title since the inaugural 2001 campaign.

“I’m really proud of this pitching staff,” Gamboa said. “All the starters and relievers are just phenomenal. They’re riding a nice wave and all kind of [feed] off each other.”

Having been held to two runs or fewer in three of its last five contests, Brooklyn will try to re-establish itself as the team to beat in the McNamara Division beginning Wednesday night at Staten Island, kicking off a three-game series with the Yankees.

Gamboa has been adamant that the Cyclones will only go as far as their desire and teamwork takes them.

“You try to get them to bond together as a unit,” he said. “You’re not going to do it with nine individuals. You need them pulling for each other like they’re doing here.”

The Cyclones will have NY-Penn strikeout leader Matt Blackham on the mound when they visit the Yanks at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Wednesday before celebrating Irish Heritage Night on Coney Island Thursday in the middle game of the series.

The first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a Shamrock jersey in honor of Jersday Thursday.

The Cyclones are doubtlessly hoping the good fortune they enjoyed during a 14-5 start returns in a hurry as last season’s near-miss of the playoffs still haunts Brooklyn baseball fanatics.

This, That and the Other Thing: One Cyclone who hasn’t taken a dip in performance during the team’s brief slump is RHP Christian Montgomery, who boasts a blemish-free 0.00 ERA following his first eight innings on the hill out of the Brooklyn bullpen. Montgomery, who spent last year at Rookie-level Kingsport, has dominated the opposition, yielding just three hits while striking out 16 and walking one.

Coming here, my expectations were just to dominate, you know, just do what I have to do to help the team win—come in, throw strikes and get guys out,” Montgomery said on the team’s website (www.brooklyncyclones.com). “I’m just going day by day, trying to get better every single day, and being close with my teammates so we get stronger out here together as a team. Once we do that, everybody’s performance gets better.” … 2B prospect Vinny Siena appears to have been a steal for the Mets in the 14th round of the June MLB Draft. The University of Connecticut alum is batting .361 thus far this season with 30 hits, three doubles, five RBIs and five steals. … The Cyclones only had one runner in scoring position during Wednesday’s shutout loss. It was the first time in 23 games Brooklyn was blanked this season. …. Even RHP Tyler Badamo, the reigning NYP Pitcher of the Week, had a down week for Brooklyn, surrendering season highs of six earned runs and eight hits over only 4 2/3 frames during Sunday’s error-filled loss to Aberdeen.