Roller Coaster Ride Continues Cyclones Top Grasshoppers to Advance to South Atlantic League Championship
SAL Brooklyn Cyclones

Roller Coaster Ride Continues Cyclones Top Grasshoppers to Advance to South Atlantic League Championship

Published on September 11, 2025 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Brooklyn Cyclones News Release


BROOKLYN, N.Y. - For the first time since moving to the South Atlantic League, the Cyclones are headed to the SAL Championship Series. Brooklyn topped Greensboro, 4-1, on Thursday night to complete the two-game sweep of the Grasshoppers. It's Brooklyn's first appearance of a championship series of any kind since their New York-Penn League title in 2019.

RHP Joel Diaz was sublime, keeping Greensboro hitters at bay all night long. The 21-year-old chucked 6.2 shutout innings, limiting the 'Hoppers to just two hits. Diaz struck out a pair and walked only two batters.

Diaz was far from the only Brooklyn arm to mow down Greensboro batters on the night. RHP Hoss Brewer and RHP Dakota Hawkins took the baton the rest of the way, combining on 2.1 innings of one-run ball. Brewer logged a hold, while Hawkins recorded the final six outs in the 8th and 9th.

Offensively, both CF Yonatan Henriquez and LF John Bay both logged multi-efforts. Henriquez also collected a pair of RBI. RF Yohairo Cuevas also drove in two of the four Brooklyn runs.

Brooklyn cracked the scoreboard first right from the jump. With the bases loaded and one out, Cuevas collected his first of two RBI on the night when he launched a sac fly to left field.

The 'Clones doubled up their lead in the 3rd. With a runner on 3rd and one out, DH Matt Rudick hit into a fielder's choice, as SS Marco Vargas bolted home from third to beat the throw home.

Greensboro had perhaps its best opportunity in the 7th. After a 2-out single, Gilbert Gomez made a call to the bullpen, bringing on Brewer in relief of Diaz. The righty walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases, before he got LF Ivan Brethowr to strike out looking.

Gilbert Gomez's squad doubled up its lead in the 7th. With a runner on second and one out, Rudick provided Brooklyn with some insurance. The minor-league rehabber singled on a ground ball up the middle to make it a 3-0 ballgame. Rudick took 2nd on the throw home.

He'd advance to 3rd on a Hernandez groundout, before Cuevas whacked a line drive to left, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Hawkins struck out the side in the 8th, and came back out to toss the 9th as well. With a runner on 2nd and two outs, RF Titus Dumitru spoiled the shutout with an RBI double. Greensboro would not threaten any further though, 3B Jesus Castillo struck out to end the ballgame.

Brooklyn welcomes the South Atlantic League South Division Champion - either the Hub City Spartanburgers or the Bowling Green Hot Rods - to Maimonides Park for Game 1 of the SAL Championship Series on Sunday at 2:00. The Cyclones will then hit the road for Game 2 and a potential Game 3 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Check out the Brooklyn Cyclones Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from September 11, 2025


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