L.I. DUCKS ~ Getting Their Feathers Ruffled on the Road

Link:  AtlanticLeague.com
ATLANTIC LEAGUE:  Stuff To Know.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS ~ Duck's starting pitcher Lenny DiNardo's contract was sold to the Oakland Athletics.  He reported to Oakland's AAA team.

SOMERSET PATRIOTS ~ Jeff Nettles; son of former Yankees-3B, Graig Nettles, became the Atlantic Leagues All-Time RBI leader Friday night, May 20th.  He broke the record of 529 held by Glenn Murray.  Jeff Nettles, a tremendous crowd favorite, has been with the Somerset Patriots since the 2003 season.

YORK REVOLUTION ~ Big Jason Botts' contract was sold to the New York Mets.  His MLB experience came between 2005 through 2008.  The 1B-DH is 6'5" and 245 pounds!  That's a big boy but he's also no spring chicken.  He is 30 years old.  That makes two players signed by the Mets out of the A.L. this season.  Earlier this season signed pitcher; Brian Sweeney from Somerset.





From the desk of:  WADDLING AROUND BROOKLYN



LINK:  LongIslandDucks.com
L.I. DUCKS:  Trying To Waddle Back Home On Bad Road.
The Ducks will try and avoid getting swept in York Sunday afternoon.  Today's game against the Revolution wraps up a six game road trip filled with pouring rain and many potholes.  They are losers of their last five games and have slipped into second place, one game and a half behind the South Maryland Blue Crabs.

Liberty Division (first Half):
1) - South Maryland....12-7   .632
2) - Long Island...........11-9   .550   1.5 GB
3) - Bridgeport..............8-9
4) - Camden................6-14

Kraig Binick is one of only two A.L. hitters still batting over four-hundred for the season.  His .440 batting average is good for second in the league.  John Rodriguez' 17 RBI rank him 2nd and Matt Padget's 14 RBI rank him 7th in the Atlantic League in that category.

Ray Navarrete has gotten off to a horrible start this season.  The long-time crowd favorite is leading the team in at-bats with 77 in 20 games played, but is struggling along with a .180 batting average.  I don't believe anyone would have anticipated that?  He just recently celebrated his 33rd birthday on May 20th.  So, maybe a little Birthday luck will get things turning around for him and the Ducks.  They can both use some right now.  The Ducks will need to take care of this last game today in York before the hometown Long Island crowd can wish Ray a belated birthday.

Pitching wise, the Ducks have three of the top seven pitchers in strikeouts.  Mike Loree is second in the A.L. with 21; Joselo Diaz and Mike Parisi are tied with 19 each.  Mike Loree is fourth in ERA with a 1.93 mark and Joselo Diaz is sporting a 2.08 ERA ranking him sixth in the League.

TODAY

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

(2nd Place - Liberty Division - 11-9)

VS.

York Revolution

(2nd Place - Freedom Division - 10-6)

From somewhere in Pennsylvania

UPDATE FROM SOMERSET:  FINAL
South Maryland ~ 7
Somerset ~ 5
10 innings

POST-GAME; Sunday, May 22, 2011 @ York Revolution:

FINAL

Long Island ~ 8

York ~ 6

 

 

Ray Navarrete Breaks Out.

Ask, and ye shall receive.

The Ducks have been reeling on the road and Ray Navarrete has been floundering at the plate.  But tonight, Ray and the Ducks came together and put an end to their five game skid and avoided getting swept by the Revolution.  They rescued the last game of what has been a miserable road trip filled with rain, losses, swings, and misses, with a dramatic comeback win in the 9th inning.

Ray Navarrete was celebrating a birthday over the weekend and tonight was the party.  He staked the Ducks to an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the first inning.  Both teams traded leads in a back and forth game.  In the top of the ninth inning with the Ducks down 6-5, Ray broke out his noise-maker again and belted a three-run home run.  His second home run of the game and fourth RBI of the night put Long Island up 8-6.
 

Bubbie Buzachero retired the Revs 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the 9th inning for the Ducks' win.  Buzachero earned the save; Valerio De Los Santos got the win in relief.  Ducks' starting pitcher, Mike Parisi took a no decision after only 4.2 innings worked.

Former MLB'er Lew Ford even chipped in today.  He too, has struggled to start the season.  He was 2 for 4 in today's game with a home run of his own coming in the second inning.

The Ducks get the next two days off.  They start a home stand Wednesday night against the Camden River Sharks.

 

 

First place South Maryland defeated the Somerset Patriots in extra-innings to stay ahead of the Ducks in the Liberty Division by a game and a half.

Mike.BTB