At 27-30, this Brooklyn Cyclone team is in danger of becoming the first one with an under .500 record in their 15 year history.
Fortunately, there are still 19 games to go.
And it’s also fortunate that they are only two games out of first place, even though they sit in last in the McNamara Division.
So, there’s some work to do for the Cyclones to save their season.
“In spite of our record, we are in every game because of our pitching,” said manager Tom Gamboa. “We just can’t score.”
That’s the problem. They have no sticks. The Cyclones have a NY-Penn league worst average of .216 with a league leading 509 strikeouts.
“We had nine strikeouts tonight and that was an improvement for us,” Gamboa said.
The Cyclones are playing short staffed. Injuries and promotions left the team with only 13 position players and with both Kingsport and Savannah both looking at the playoffs, it’s tough to take from them to improve Brooklyn.
“I’ve been in the minor league so longs as a development guy, so I have to concentrate on what I have. I have too much respect from my peers to ask for their players. It’s not my call,” Gamboa said “I’m just one of the Indians here.”
In the past, the Cyclones were the jewel of the Mets organization, where they tended to load up the team with players who probably should have been promoted, so Brooklyn can have a winning record.
That doesn’t seem like the case this season. In last night’s 4-3 extra inning win over Lowell, the Cyclones put out a lineup with four players hitting under .200 and only one over .280.
You can’t win if you can’t score.
Brooklyn, though, has pitching. With a team ERA of an even 3.00, the Cyclones can keep the runs off the board. However, it may not be enough over the final three weeks.
But Gamboa knows the Cyclones control their own destiny. With six games against Aberdeen, three each against Hudson Valley and Staten Island, all the team has to do is win for them to get back in this race.
And maybe, just maybe, the Cyclones will start hitting a little.
They haven’t yet, but you never know.
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