L.I. Ducks: Just Another Balk in the Park

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LIBERTY DIVISION

Patriots   25-20

Ducks      24-20

Bees        22-21

Bluefish   15-29

Long Island Ducks: Balked by the Revolution, but no ground lost...

The Ducks lost in York Tuesday night, but so did the Patriots against the Bees in New Britain.

Trailing the Somerset Patriots by a mere half game in the Liberty Division standings, the Flock lost their opening game in York Tuesday evening in distressing fashion.

Starters Darin Downs and York's Tony Pena traded zeroes until the home seventh, when Revs' first baseman Telvin Nash worked out a lead-off walk, and advanced to second when Darin Downs was ponderously called for a balk.  Second baseman Andres Perez then promptly singled to drive in the lone run of the game.

Downs was otherwise dominant.  In 7 innings of work, he allowed the one run on 5 hits, with one walk, and 11 strikeouts.  He faced 26 batters, and threw 98 pitches with 69 (70%) going for strikes.

Unfortunately, all the Ducks could muster against Tony Pena were 3 scattered hits and a walk.  Pena fanned 5 Long Islanders in 8 innings of work.

This was the Ducks 5th straight road loss, and the second time they've been shut out all season.

Somerset lost 5-3 to the Bees, but retain their half game lead over the Ducks.

John Brownell's Waddle is Strong

He's the ace of the Long Island Ducks starting rotation for a reason.  This past Sunday, Brownell tossed a complete game against Sugar Land, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk, with seven strikeouts.  In doing so, he improved his record to 4-1 after seven starts, and lowered his ERA to a 3.25 mark.

John Brownell, 32, also reached a few more Long Island Ducks milestones.  On Sunday, he additionally tied the Flock's franchise record with his 91st start, and his 40th victory.  Brownell is already the Ducks all-time leader in innings pitched and strikeouts, as well as owning the Ducks single season record for strikeouts.

In five seasons with the Ducks, Brownell has compiled a 40-28 record, with a 3.68 ERA.  In 604.2 career innings pitched for Long Island, he so far has fanned 461 for a 6.9 K/9 average.