LONG ISLAND DUCKS
LIBERTY DIVISION SWEEP
First Half Champion ~ Second Half Champion
First Half Champion ~ Second Half Champion
Blown slightly off course by a three game losing streak, the Flock finally gain their franchise record 83rd victory of the season at Southern Maryland on Wednesday. Their previous single-season record of 82 victories was set twenty years ago during the Ducks inaugural season on Long Island.
Upon Thursday's conclusion of their series with the Blue Crabs, Long Island heads back home to Bethpage Ballpark where they'll host the High Point Rockers in this weekend's final series of the regular season.
Season Finale
HIGH POINT ROCKERS vs. LONG ISLAND DUCKS
FROM
BETHPAGE BALLPARK
The Ducks capture the first half Liberty Division flag with a 43-27 record, one game ahead of the Somerset Patriots. On Wednesday they clinch the second half title with a 40-26 record, and a 6.5 game lead over the second place New Britain Bees. Long Island's sweep of the division standings now necessitates a wild card entrant for rounding out the post-season's final field of four. The High Point Rockers presently lead the wild card race over the Sugar Land Skeeters, followed closely behind by the New Britain Bees. The upcoming playoffs will also mark the first time in the last five seasons Long Island and Somerset will fail to meet in the Liberty Division championship series.
Long Island has appeared in six of the previous eight Atlantic League championship series. After bowing to York in 2011 the Ducks storm back in 2012-2013 to win back to back titles. Then in 2016 they lose the first of three straight championship series against the Skeeters, Revolution, then a second time against the Skeeters.
Speaking of which, Sugar Land Skeeters capture the Freedom Division's first half flag by one game over the York Revolution. But York turns the tables in the second half clinching the title by 4.5 games over Sugar Land. The two will square off in the Freedom Division playoffs due to kick off next Tuesday.
Should the Ducks prevail against their first round opponent, an intriguing rematch against either Freedom Division foe lay ahead.
On Thursday the Ducks salvage a four game split against the Blue Crabs at Southern Maryland. That now gives Long Island 84 victories for the season, and counting. Hector Sanchez plates Long Island's first run in the top of the first, and Deibinson Romero doubles home the Ducks second run of the game in the fourth. Starter Vin Mazzaro and Long Island's bullpen take care of the rest. Mazzaro allows just two hits and three walks with six strikeouts through six scoreless innings for his eleventh victory of the season against only four losses with a 3.61 ERA. Relievers Felix Carvallo, Rob Rogers, and Myles Smith, join in limiting the Blue Crabs to no runs on just two hits and no walks with two strikeouts over the final three innings to complete Long Island's whitewashing of Southern Maryland.
I still find it rather remarkable that Long Island should endure having the contracts of numerous pitchers selected from their roster (Tim Melville; Tim Adleman; Sean Nolin; Jon Niese; George Kontos; Michael Tonkin; to name a few), yet still enter the final series of the regular season second in all the Atlantic League with a 3.79 team ERA. Lest we forget on June 4, Darin Downs has his contract selected by Los Acereros del Norte (Mexico). Thank goodness he resigns with the Ducks ten days later because I'm not sure where they'd be without him. It would behoove the Ducks to proceed with caution as well, as Downs spent time this month on the injured list.
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