Cyclones power their way out of slump

Three Homers Help Baby Bums End Five-Game Losing Streak

August 10, 2017 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Jose Maria belted one of three Brooklyn home runs Wednesday night in West Virginia as the Cyclones powered their way past the West Virginia Black Bears to snap a five-game losing streak. Eagle photo by Jeff Melnik

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The Cyclones finally climbed out of last place Wednesday night in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Not out of the McNamara Division cellar, of course. But rather in the New York-Penn League’s team home run standings.

Brooklyn entered the contest with a league-low nine long balls through its first 47 contests, but launched three dingers en route to a 9-4 victory over the West Virginia Black Bears in front of 2,267 fans at Monongalia County Ballpark, snapping a five-game losing streak with the rare display of power.

Center fielder and Mets’ third-round pick Quinn Brodey began the offensive assault with a two-run shot in the opening frame, plating New York-Penn League All-Star Walter Rasquin to stake Brooklyn to an early lead.

Jose Maria added a two-run blast in the second and Franklin Correa launched a solo homer in the sixth to give the Cyclones a 7-3 cushion. Correa’s two-run double in the eighth capped the scoring for Brooklyn, which now sits third from last in the league power rankings with 12 homers on the summer.

The league-worst Cyclones (15-33), who hadn’t won a game since topping Tri-City here in Coney Island on Aug. 2 put up their second-highest run total of the campaign, topped only by a 10-6 victory in Connecticut on July 21.

Correa finished with four RBIs, Rasquin scored a pair and Jose Miguel Medina, Brooklyn’s second and final All-Star selection this season, added a pair of hits as the Cyclones finally broke out the lumber after scoring three runs or fewer in each of the five games during its most recent slide.

Jake Simon (1-3) picked up his first win of the summer with two innings of relief, but it was Nicolas Debora who stole the show and earned the save, yielding just one hit and a walk while striking out six over 3 2/3 frames of scoreless work.

The Cyclones were scheduled to finish off their three-game set with the Black Bears on Thursday night before heading to Hudson Valley for a trio of contests against the Renegades.

The ’Clones will be back in Brooklyn Aug. 16 to kick off a three-game set with Aberdeen.