Long Balls from McKenna, Encarnacion Power 'Cats Win
July 31, 2018 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
BROOKLYN, NY - The Tri-City ValleyCats used home runs from Luis Encarnacion and Alex McKenna to take down the Brooklyn Cyclones 4-3 at MCU Park in Brooklyn.
The tight win was Tri-City's eighth straight game decided by two runs or less, vaulting them a season-best seven games above .500.
After Encarnacion's team-leading fifth home run of the year got the scoring started for Tri-City in the second inning, the Cyclones then tied the game in the bottom of the second, when Brian Sharp scored on a sacrifice fly that made the score 1-1.
Alex McKenna then smacked his fourth home run of the year over the left field wall to give Tri-City a 3-1 lead in the third inning.
It was McKenna's second straight game with a home run, as all four of his long balls this year have come against the Cyclones.
After the Cyclones got a run back in the third inning on Carlos Cortes' RBI-single, the game went stagnant until the seventh inning.
The ValleyCats scored what ended up being the game's decisive run on back-to-back doubles from Cesar Salazar and Austin Dennis. Dennis brought Salazar home to make the score 4-2 Tri-City.
The Brooklyn Cyclones scored the games final run on a lead-off home run in the eighth inning by Todd Frazier. Frazier, who played in the game as part of his rehab assignment for the New York Mets, ended up going 1-for-4, with the home run being his only hit.
Felipe Tejada earned the win for Tri-City, hurling three and a third innings, while Juan Pablo Lopez earned the save, giving up just the home run to Frazier.
Now with a record of 25-18, the ValleyCats sit three games over the Connecticut Tigers for first place in the Stedler division.
They will return to MCU Park in Brooklyn on Wednesday night, as they attempt to sweep the Brooklyn Cyclones, first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.
New York-Penn League Stories from July 31, 2018
- Dunn Collects Three Hits, Spikes' Win Streak Ends with 4-1 Loss to Muckdogs - State College Spikes
- CT Tigers Lose to Division-Rival Vermont, 6-4 - Norwich Sea Unicorns
- Errors Lead To Loss - Williamsport Crosscutters
- Top Of Order Leads Vermont To 6-4 Win At Connecticut - Vermont Lake Monsters
- Four-Run Eighth Powers Scrappers Past Crosscutters - Mahoning Valley Scrappers
- Brooklyn Falls Victim to Rally 'Cats 6-4 - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Yankees Fall to IronBirds 3-0 to Open Homestand - Staten Island Yankees
- 'Gades Caught Daydreaming - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Long Balls from McKenna, Encarnacion Power 'Cats Win - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Muckdogs Shutout for the Second Time this Season, Drop Eighth in the Last Ten - Batavia Muckdogs
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