Brooklyn scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday and reliever Jimmy Johnson pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the New York-Penn League season as the Cyclones downed the visiting Oneonta Tigers, 3-1.
Center fielder Ben Guez finished 2-for-3 with a run for the Tigers (28-35), who lost for the first time in four games. With 11 games left, Oneonta has little chance to reach the postseason as it fell 8 1/2 games behind Stedler Division leader Lowell (37-27).
The Spinners won, 5-3, at Hudson Valley on Wednesday. Lowell has 10 games remaining, including four against the Tigers.
Oneonta continues its three-game series at Brooklyn tonight and Friday before visiting Lowell on Saturday and Sunday. The Tigers then return to Damaschke Field for their final homestand of the 2008 season, a four-game finale that starts with two against Vermont and ends with two against Lowell.
Oneonta closes the season Sept. 5-6 at Vermont, which lost Wednesday and is third in the Stedler at 27-37. Last-place Tri-City (25-38) also lost Wednesday.
The Tigers have virtually no shot at earning the wild-card playoff spot as nine NY-Penn teams have better records than them.
On Wednesday, Oneonta opened the scoring in the fifth.
Guez sparked the rally with a one-out single to left field and moved to second when Brent Wyatt walked. Brandon Douglas then lined a single to right field to load the bases.
Guez scored for a 1-0 lead when Brooklyn starter Bradley Holt threw a wild pitch to NY-Penn All-Star Mike Gosse. All three runners advanced a base on the miscue, but the Tigers stranded Wyatt at third and Douglas at second as Gosse and Billy Nowlin each grounded out to shortstop Juan Lagares to end the inning.
Sean Ratliff led off the last of the fifth with a home run to center field off Oneonta starter Trevor Feeney, who scattered six hits, struck out six and walked none in six innings. Ratliff's shot marked his seventh homer of the season.
Brooklyn (38-28) snapped the tie in the eighth, when Ratliff drove in two runs on a bases-loaded single to center with two out. Anthony Shawler took the pitching loss after allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in two innings of relief. Shawler, who struck out none, fell to 2-3 with a 2.05 ERA on the season.
Roy Merritt improved to 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA after earning the pitching victory in relief. He struck out two and allowed one hit in three innings, setting up Johnson for the save.
Wyatt had the only Oneonta hit during the last four innings, a two-out, infield single against Merritt in the seventh.
The Tigers, who went down in order in the eighth and ninth, were outhit, 9-5. Shawler, second baseman Gosse and center fielder Guez committed throwing errors in the loss.
Center fielder Ratliff, third baseman Eric Campbell and catcher Jordan Abruzzo each finished 2-for-4 to pace Brooklyn, which trails McNamara Division leader Staten Island (41-24) by 3 1/2 games.
___
Cyclones 3, O-Tigers 1
{"Sports agate MLB teams"/}OneontaBrooklyn
{"Sports agate MLB batting"/}abrhbiabrhbi
{"Sports agate body text"/}Wyatt lf3010Nwenhuis rf4000
Douglas ss3010Williams lf4010
Gosse 2b3000Campbell 3b4020
Nowlin dh4000Abruzzo c4120
Pounds 3b4010Lagares ss3010
Lamont 1b4000Davis 1b3110
Parrott rf4000Jimenez dh3000
Bowen c4000Doyle ph-dh1000
Guez cf3120Ratliff cf4123
Satin 2b2000
Suire pr-2b1000
Totals32150Totals33393
{"Sports agate MLB 9inning"/}Oneonta000010000""1
Brooklyn00001002x""3
{"Sports agate bat stax"/}E""Gosse (10), Shawler (2), Guez (4). LOB""Oneonta 7, Brooklyn 9. HR""Ratliff (7). S""Lagares.
{"Sports agate MLB pitching"/}OneontaIPHRERBBSO
{"Sports agate body text"/}Feeney661106
Shawler L,2-3232220
{"Sports agate MLB pitching"/}Brooklyn
{"Sports agate body text"/}Holt541135
Merritt W,3-0310002
Johnson S,1100002
WP""Holt 2. IBB""Davis (by Shawler). Umpires""Home, John Collins. Field, Shaylor Smith. T""2:34. A""6,455.
___
New York-Penn League STANDINGS
{"Sports agate body centered"/}McNamara Division
{"Sports agate International League"/}WLPct.GB
Staten Island (Yanks)4224.636""
Brooklyn (Mets)3828.5764
Hudson Valley (Rays)3729.5615
Aberdeen (Orioles)3234.48510
{"Sports agate body centered"/}Pinckney Division
{"Sports agate International League"/}WLPct.GB
Jamestown (Marlins)4124.631""
Batavia (Cards)3925.60911/2
Williamsport (Phillies)3331.51671/2
Auburn (Jays)3233.4929
Mahoning Valley (Inds)2837.43113
State College (Pirates)1450.219261/2
{"Sports agate body centered"/}Stedler Division
{"Sports agate International League"/}WLPct.GB
Lowell (Red Sox)3727.578""
Oneonta (Tigers)2835.44481/2
Vermont (Nationals)2737.42210
Tri-City (Astros)2539.39112
{"Sports agate body centered"/}Wednesday's Games
{"Sports agate body text"/}Williamsport 8, Auburn 2
Batavia at Mahoning Valley, ppd, rain
Lowell 5, Hudson Valley 3
Brooklyn 3, Oneonta 1
Jamestown 6, State College 3
Staten Island 6, Tri-City 3
Aberdeen 5, Vermont 1
{"Sports agate body centered"/}Thursday's Games
{"Sports agate body text"/}Auburn at Jamestown
Batavia at Williamsport
Lowell at Hudson Valley
Mahoning Valley at State College
Oneonta at Brooklyn
Tri-City at Staten Island
Vermont at Aberdeen
{"Sports agate body centered"/}Friday's Games
{"Sports agate body text"/}Auburn at Jamestown
Batavia at Williamsport
Lowell at Hudson Valley
Mahoning Valley at State College
Oneonta at Brooklyn
Tri-City at Staten Island
Vermont at Aberdeen
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