Swindell Shines Once Again

BROOKLYN- Mike Swindell entered the game with a 1-0 record and a 0.84 ERA against the Staten Island Yankees in two starts this season. TJ Beam entered the game with a 1-0 record in two starts against the Brooklyn Cyclones with a 0.90 ERA. If you were expecting a pitchers duel at KeySpan Park Friday night you got just that.

Fifty-seven batters came to the plate in the game and only one of them came through with an RBI, and that was Brooklyn Cyclones left fielder Caleb Stewart. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh Tyler Davidson got a single which did not seem to matter at the time, however, one swing from Caleb Stewart changed the ballgame. Stewart got a hold of a hanging slider and nearly missed a home run hitting the second tier of advertising billboard in left centerfield to score Davidson, for the only run of the game.

“It is a good feeling” said Stewart. “I was pretty frustrated at myself for taking some good pitches and swinging at bat pitches but he left a slider up and I just made contact. It wasn’t the greatest swing but I just put the barrel of the bat on it and it worked.”

“He was mad at himself because he took that first pitch for a fastball, but then he was thrown a slider and he made contact” said Stewart’s manager Tony Tijerina. “He was caught off balance a little but got the bat head out and he hit it in the right spot to score the winning run.”

Mike Swindell was spectacular once again. In his previous start Swindell allowed just one hit in eight innings and tonight he allowed just three hits in seven scoreless innings. Swindell has also owned this Staten Island team, allowing just one run in 17.2 innings of work, while striking out 17 Yankees batters.

“I have been working real hard on my mechanics trying to be in command and throw strikes, and that is really working for me right now,” said a soft spoken but blissful Swindell following his performance.

“I have a job to do and I have to pitch no matter what the situation is” Swindell said when asked how it is to pitch in that type of game. “In a way being such a close game it tends to keep you more focused, so it is good.”

Swindell’s performance comes after a string of outstanding home starts by Michael Devaney and Evan MacLane.

“These guys are really impressing me at this point in the season” said Tijerina. “It is like one guy wants to out do the other and they are feeding off each others energy and confidence.

“I was extremely pleased we got that one run in the seventh for him. I told the guys in the dugout, that this guy is pitching a shutout and to find a way to score a run for him, and they answered to that call.”

Perhaps the strongest compliment came from Yankees manager and famous major league pitcher Tommy John said Tijerina. “He said that Swindell really knows how to pitch because of the way he can throw his breaking ball for a strike at any count. That really makes the hitter very uncomfortable.”

Eddy Camacho pitched a scoreless eight and Celso Rondon pitched the ninth for his 12th save of the season.

Hudson Valley defeated New Jersey 5-4 Friday night. Hudson Valley (35-29) remains 1.5 games behind the Cyclones (37-28) for the division lead in the McNamara Division, while New Jersey (35-32) drops to 3 games back. Tri-City (43-23), who will be the opponent for the Cyclones, if they win their division, swept a doubleheader from Vermont and is the hottest team in the league right now with a 10 game winning streak, just three games behind Auburn (46-19) for the best record in the NY-Penn League.

The Cyclones head to Staten Island for a doubleheader on Saturday. Joe Williams (5-4 2.32) will start Game 1 of the doubleheader for the Cyclones, which is a 1:00pm start. In three starts this year against the Yankees, Williams is 2-1 with a 1.02 ERA. Drew Edwards (1-4 5.27) will start for the Yankees. Edgar Alfonzo, will be making his first start of the season in the night cap of the doubleheader, a 7:00pm start. Alfonzo, who has a 3-1 record with a 3.41 ERA in 18 games, will be on a pitch count between 45 and 60. Sean Kramer (0-2 3.45) will start the nightcap for the Yankees.