Pitching keeps Cyclones in the mix for division lead

As the season progresses, the Cyclones (19-15) have mirrored their parent New York Mets team as a strong pitching staff carries an inconsistent offense in the fight with the Staten Island Yankees (19-15) for the McNamara Division lead.

Coming off a three-game losing sweep in Morgantown, West Virginia and a subsequent loss in Niles, Ohio, the pitching staff came through to break the Cyclones’ recent four-game losing streak. It would be Gaby Almonte’s fourth win in a six-inning performance to give the Cyclones a slim 2-1 win, combined with a save by Alex Palsha, to give Brooklyn a fresh start on the road.

Currently Almonte is tied for second place for the most wins in the New York Penn League with a record of 4-2. Noting his improvement thus far this season, Cyclone Manager Tom Gamboa stated, “He really pounds the strike zone and I’ve gained a lot a respect for him.”

Besides Almonte, other pitchers are making their mark. Palsha is first in the league with a record of seven saves, Tyler Badamo is third in the league with a 0.98 WHIP and Matt Blackham is leading the league with 42 strikeouts.

Commenting on Blackham’s recent success, Gamboa stated, “It’s a credit to our pitching coach Dave La Roche how he’s helped Matt progress since he was wild in the strike zone. Now, he’s throwing the ball on a downward plane from the thighs to the knees. Just like bat speed, he has a lot of arm speed.”

Referring to Blackham’s second win of the season over Williamsport at MCU Park, where he threw just 86 pitches for nine strikeouts in seven innings, Gamboa proclaimed, “He just pitched a masterpiece, a big improvement since extended spring training.”

Summing up the Cyclones’ pitching staff performance so far this season, Gamboa stated, “I’ve been with 11 organizations and I have never been with one that has the depth of pitching from the big league down to extended spring. It’s a credit to the scouting staff. The pitching is just phenomenal here.”