In spite of sweeping a three-game series with the Lowell Spinners this week behind phenomenal starting pitching by Pedro P. Martinez, Chris Schwinden and Scott Shaw, the Brooklyn Cyclones still found themselves three games back of the Staten Island Yankees for first place in the McNamara Division before Saturday night’s game with the Batavia Muckdogs.

However, unlike the pitching staff that was again on it’s game, Brooklyn’s bats couldn’t lend a helping hand in a 2-0, three-hit loss to Batavia.

11-12 at home this season, the Cyclones still seem confused at the plate behind their hometown fans and are searching for answers as the season begins to wear down.

“It’s hard to win when you have only one hit going into the ninth inning,” said Cyclones skipper Edgar Alfonzo.”

The game remained scoreless through the third, as Brooklyn starter Brad Holt [3-3, 2.08 ERA] and Batavia’s Thomas Eager [3-3, 1.83 ERA] were strong early on, allowing only a hit apiece.

“I got ahead early and got a lot of ground balls,” said Holt. “I felt really good and the defense was strong behind me.”

Things opened in the fourth however, as Holt got himself into a bases loaded jam and ended up coughing up a Chris Swauger single that gave the Muckdogs a 1-0 lead.

Throwing 36 pitches in the inning, Holt was replaced by Mattias Carrillo in the fifth. Carrillo gave up two hits in 1.2 innings pitched, with one being a solo home run by Colt Sedbrook that stretched the Batavia lead to 2-0.

Jeff Kaplan was then summoned out of the bullpen to finish the fifth and kept the game at 2-0 the rest of the way. The Mets Single-A affiliate’s offense continued to struggle off Eager and George Brown however, who replaced him in the sixth and gave up just one hit through the final three innings. Adam Reifer then had mop up duty and despite leaving two runners on, retired Ike Davis for the last out of the game .

With State Island’s win, the Cyclones now find themselves four games back of the McNamara Division lead and know they have to start producing at home if they want to make the playoffs this season.

“We can’t explain it, it’s crazy” said catcher Ralph Henriquez in reference to the team’s play at home this season. “On the road, we’re much more aggressive and at home we freeze up. With four weeks left, we know we’re still in it though. We just have to come out and play hard and anything can happen.”

Notes-

Mets first round pick Reese Havens made his return to the starting lineup on Saturday after missing over two weeks with a pulled groin.

According to Alfonzo, Havens will most likely start at shortstop today as well.

Alfonzo also said that Holt was taken out of the game due to the team’s late arrival today and didn’t want to tire him out. After the game, Holt was fine and actually said he thought he could have pitched into the next inning.

Henriquez reached base twice in the game, once on an error and once with a single in the ninth.

Video-

Reese Havens bomb dies in the Coney Island wind.

YouTube Direkt

Pics by Ron Hatcher and Jim Dolan. Video by Patrick Hickey Jr.

After a week in Brooklyn, Jason Jacobs was headed back to last Friday St. Lucie a different player.

Subbing for injured first baseman Ike Davis who injured his foot a few days earlier, Jacobs was brought to Brooklyn to provide a jolt to an offense in desperate need of one and the leadership that comes with being a two-time New York Penn-League All Star. Hitting just .176 with three hits in four games with his former team, Jacobs’ time in Brooklyn didn’t go exactly as planned, but it did serve a purpose.

Alone in the Cyclones clubhouse after a 9-4 loss against Staten Island on Sept. 4, the shaggy haired catcher packed his bags and talked about his season with the same reporters that watched him slug 12 home runs and 46 RBI last season.

“I’m not hitting the ball as good as I was last year, but I’ve learned a lot,” Jacobs said. “The game is simpler and even though I still make mistakes all the time, I know what they are now and it’s much easier to fix them than it was before. It’s a slow process, but I feel like I’m learning and that’s what being in the minors is all about.”

Spending a week in Brooklyn has afforded the slugger the opportunity to work on his game and continue that process. Quickly becoming one of the boys, Jacobs grew a mustache because every one else on the team had been doing so for about two weeks in a ritualistic effort to get the offense rolling. While Jacobs insists he won’t let his wife see it when he gets home, he proved in a short time that he’s still the same leader in clubhouse he was last season and the year before.

His play on the field isn’t exactly what it was last season however. Before being sent to Brooklyn, Jacobs, In spite of a solid .380 on-base percentage and 20 walks, was hitting .223 with 14 RBI in 38 games with St. Lucie,. Because of those struggles, Jacobs relished the chance to get to work with a coaching staff that watched him flourish last season.

“My swing is not the same as it was last year at all,” said Jacobs. “The coaches here, [Edgar] Alfonzo and [Guadalupe] Jabalera know me better than anyone. The coaches in St. Lucie are just starting to know what to expect from me. Over the past week, I’ve worked really hard and I feel a lot better about my game and I’m looking forward to going back to work.”

Despite heading back to St. Lucie, Jacobs wasn’t about to dismiss his week back in Brooklyn or the two All-Star years that preceded it.

Instead, he deflected the attention to his now former teammates, believing that they have what it takes to do something the teams he was an instrumental part of didn’t- win a NYPL championship.

“It was nice to be back. I missed you all,” he said to the handful of reporters surrounding him. “This a great place to play and winning matters a lot here. Most of the time in the minors, it’s about development, so it’s fun to have that type of competition, it takes you back in college. But being back here for a few days, I’ve gotten an opportunity to play with some great guys that I’ve seen develop in just the week that I’ve been here. I’m looking forward to hearing about this guys taking it home this season.”

Links-

Box Score to last night’s 5-2 Cyclones win.

Photos by Ron Hatcher and Jim Dolan

While every other 18-year-old guy at Keyspan Park is worrying about what bar they’ll secretly hop to after the game, Jenrry Mejia has other things on his mind- getting hitters out.

Looking more like a reggaeton singer than a professional pitcher, with a big, curly, black afro sticking out of his cap and complete absence of facial hair, it’s easy not to think much of the baby-faced hurler when he’s on the mound.

Regardless of his appearance though, Mejia has proven he belongs in Brooklyn and has made a habit of fooling hitters this season. Going a combined 4-1 with a 2.86 ERA with the Cyclones and the Mets other minor league affiliate in the Gulf Coast League, the youngster has opened up the eyes of everyone in the organization.

“He has a bright future,” said catcher Jordan Abruzzo. “He has really dominating stuff and he has a lot of room to get better. He’s going to be a lot of fun to watch one day.”

His age may be one reason for concern, but Mejia, who hails from the Dominican Republic and idolizes Mets hurler Pedro Martinez, speaks barely a lick of English. His body language on the mound however, speaks volumes. Showing the intensity of a major leaguer after every strikeout or hit given up, Mejia’s teammates can never say his heart isn’t in the game.

Regardless of the raw emotion he often emits on the mound, after his first two starts in Brooklyn, where he gave up nine earned runs in eight innings, many scouts thought the youngster was in over head. Bouncing back the same way his team has over the past 20 games, Mejia hasn’t lost a game in over a month and is now a key member of the Brooklyn starting rotation.

“His first few starts, he was a different pitcher,” said Cyclones skipper Edgar Alfonzo. “He was throwing the ball, but now he’s a pitcher. He’s not nervous any more and now it’s obvious that he can pitch at this level. He’s just a tough kid that doesn’t like to lose.”

That kind of success the Brooklyn coaching staff believes has come from his ability to stand up for himself with his teammates and assert himself on the mound by throwing his fastball and breaking ball inside.

Like any teenager, Mejia appeared shy to the media upon his arrival in Brooklyn this season and couldn’t be found in the clubhouse for interviews after his first few starts.

“My first few starts, I was scared and hitters were taking advantage of my mistakes,” Mejia said through a translator. “It felt like they knew what pitches I was going to throw. Now, I know that I can’t just rely on my fastball and I have to work hard to be successful.”

Now comfortable in Brooklyn, Mejia has been seen slapping his teammates on the back in the clubhouse after games and goofing around in the parking lot by the team bus.

Opposing hitters have also felt his wrath, as Mejia has struck out 23 hitters in his last 21 innings pitched.

“He has the potential to be something special one day,” said Alfonzo. “When you have the tools and the heart and you know you’re good, you can play anywhere. I came here when I was 16 and didn’t know the language either and I made out okay. I don’t think it’s a concern for him.”

Still preferring to let his play on the field do the talking, Mejia is soaking up the experience of being a professional ballplayer.

Quickly becoming one of the top prospects in the Mets organization, Mejia’s play may land him in the major leagues much quicker than some think.

Not that it would make much of a difference to him right now.

“I feel like I’m in the big leagues,” said Mejia. “Pitching in Brooklyn has been like a dream come true for me.”

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Box Score to last night’s 2-0 Cyclone win.

Photos by Ron Hatcher.

Two weeks into the 2008 Brooklyn Cyclones season, it looked like 21st round pick Jim Fuller was beginning to carve himself a nice niche on the team as their left-handed spot starter and long reliever.

But after just two appearances, it was apparent that something was wrong with the southpaw, who threw a whopping 93 innings and compiled an impressive 9-3 record at Southern Connecticut State University before being drafted this season. Suffering from a strained left arm for over a month, Fuller’s absence created a void in the bullpen that the team never fully recovered from.

However, since making his first appearance back with the team on Aug. 2, where he threw two scoreless innings, Fuller has proved that good things come to those who wait. During the outing, Fuller showed just how thrilled he was to be back in the lineup by fielding a pair of ground balls and firing them over to first baseman Jason Jacobs with an intensity that could only be described as “energetic.”

Obviously happy to be back on the mound, Fuller is ready to be a influential member of the Brooklyn staff and seems fully recovered from the arm problems that took him off the roster for most of the first half of the season.

“It was the first time I was out there in a month, so I was really anxious to get started,” said Fuller, who’s fastball clocks in at 92 miles-per-hour. “It’s hard sitting on the bench for a month not knowing when you’re going to be ready to come back. All you can do is stick with your rehab and do whatever it is you have to do to get back out there and that’s exactly what I did. I’m so excited to be back”

Aside from his fastball, Fuller also throws a curve ball, slider and a changeup, which gives him an uncanny amount of versatility out of a Brooklyn bullpen that hasn’t been very solid over its past few games.

Looking for more depth in the middle of a pennant race, the Cyclones coaching staff is fully aware of what Fuller brings to the table and plan to use him accordingly.

“We’re happy to have him back and healthy,” said Cyclones skipper Edgar Alfonzo. “We don’t know where he fits in right now, but I do know that we’re going to be working him in as much as we can the rest of the season. He’s going to get plenty of innings.”

Despite the coaching staff’s fondness of his repertoire and poise on the mound, Fuller knows with crafty relievers like Roy Merritt, Chris Schwinden, Wendy Rosa and Jimmy Johnson in the bullpen that playing time may be harder to come by than the coaching staff thinks.

Nevertheless, he’s focused on making the most of what’s left of his season.

“It feels great to know that this team is going to give me an opportunity to prove myself ,” Fuller, who models his game after Mets closer Billy Wagner, said. “I want to help this team win and we’re playing well right now, so it’s good that I get to be a part of all of this. I want to contribute as much as I can.”

Notes- According to a source, former Cyclone Bobby Malek was coaching first base in place of Guadalupe Jabalera, who has left the team for personal reasons. To my knowledge, Malek is the first former Clone to ever serve as a coach.

Link-

Box Score from last night’s 7-0 Cyclone win.

Update-New Podcast up!

Interview with Jordan Abruzzo on 8-04.You can download it from I-Tunes here, or stream it from the web, here. Enjoy!

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Ron Hatcher.

Keeping with yesterday’s motif, here’s a little diddy I wrote about Eddie Kunz in August of 2007…enjoy!

When reliever Eddie Kunz is on the mound for the Cyclones, it’s easy to see the beads of sweat drip down his face while the crowd cheers his name and the hitter wonders what pitch he’s going to get.

Hell, even a small part of Kunz probably has trouble deciding.

Will it be the slider that’ll dance through the strike zone a split second after it leaves his hand, or will it be the changeup that’ll put the poor hitter into the ground like he’s attached to a screwdriver? Or worse yet, will it be the fastball that will sting his hands like a bee if he manages to make contact?

While this chess game goes on inside the hitter’s mind, Kunz doesn’t hear the sound of the crowd. All he sees is his target.

Since making his professional debut with the ‘Clones on August 4, Kunz has four saves in eight games. with his opponents hitting .222 against him, proving he hits his target more times than he misses.

“This place [Keyspan Park] is really high energy, but I don’t hear anything when I’m out on the mound, I’m just in the zone and focused,” said Kunz. “The last time I was out and I got the save, people were cheering my name and I had no idea until my parents called me up and told me they heard it on the radio.”

The Mets first pick in this year’s draft, Kunz has had some bumps in the road this season, giving up six runs in two outings against Aberdeen and Vermont, the main reason why his ERA is an unusually high 8.59. However, in his six other appearances this season, he hasn’t given up a run and has shown the confidence and unbridled determination a good closer needs in order to be successful.

“I knew I had some good stuff, but I didn’t know how good I was until I faced a couple of batters,” said Kunz, who has six strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work this season. “Now that I’ve done that and I see how much success I’ve been having, I’ve been trying to build on that success every time I go out there. By doing that, I think I’ve proven to myself and the organization that I do more than hold my own at this level and that I’ll be ready for hitters at higher levels when they decide to move me up.”

With all of the competition in the ‘Clones pen this season, Kunz was originally expected to share closing duties with Brant Rustich, Dan McDonald and Stephen Clyne, but after dominant performances against Mahoning Valley and Auburn, Kunz looks to have taken sole position of Brooklyn closers gig for the time being. Nevertheless, Kunz believes that while he would prefer to stay as the team’s main closer, he’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win.

“I was a little scared at first,” said Kunz. “There are four of us in the pen that can come out and close at any time. I’m just really happy that I’ve gotten a chance to show my ability and prove that I can hold down the closer role if they need me to. In all honesty, I don’t feel that any of us are any better than another, it just depends on what the coaches want to see.”

Feeling that the coaching staff in the end will play the biggest part in his success, Kunz, who compares himself to Eric Gagne, is grateful for getting so much playing time after taking six weeks to iron out his contract and get his professional career started.

“I’ve been pitching really well lately because the coaching staff has been giving me an opportunity to throw and I’ve been making the most of it,” said Kunz. “I’ve been handling the closing duties really well and all of my pitches are really working. I’m hitting my spots really well with my fastball, changeup and slider right now, but I’m just really happy to be here and making the most out of the opportunity the organization has given me.”

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.