L.I. Ducks ~ Hook Bluefish With First Place on the Line

From the desk of:  WADDLING AROUND BROOKLYN




LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  Taking on the Surging Bridgeport Bluefish After Dropping Two of Three to Lancaster.  Heading Into Tonight, Ducks Led Bluefish By Mere Half-Game in Second-Half Standings.


Tuesday Night Final:
Ducks.......7
Bluefish....5

Second Half - Liberty Division

Long Island Ducks     18-6      *

Bridgeport Bluefish    17-8    1.5  GB

Delayed; but in one of the few games that wasn't rained-out in the local area, the Long Island Ducks hosted the Bridgeport Bluefish in a second-half battle for first place of the Liberty Division.  Both teams were 8-2 over their last ten games entering tonight.  The Bluefish were only a half game behind Long Island with a 16-7 record.  Last year's A.L. Champion is mounting a second-half surge I thought they were capable of back in June; but it was a surge which never materialized for them before the first half ended.  Before tonight's final, the 17-7 Ducks were coming off a series in which they dropped two games out of three to the Lancaster Barnstormers.


Long Island's Ruddy Lugo started in search of his fifth win of the season.  After six innings pitched, he left the game with the Ducks staked to a 7-3 lead.  He allowed the Bluefish seven hits and surrendered four earned runs.  He walked four batters and struck out four before giving way to Jeremy Hill for the seventh inning.


Bridgeport jumped on Ruddy Lugo right away.  A walk; double; and two singles plated three first inning runs on three hits for the Bluefish.


Long Island got them all back plus one in the second inning.  John Rodriguez reclaimed the League lead in RBI by leading-off the inning with his 15th home run of the season and accumulating his 69th RBI of the season.  John Rodriguez led the League earlier in the season before being sidelined by a few injuries.  He's found his way back to the top, ahead of team mate, J,R. House.  Bridgeport's Wes Bankston is third in the League.  Kraig Binick then tripled home J.R. House and Matt Esquivel who reached base on consecutive singles.  Kinnard Jones got Binick home with a sac-fly for a 4-3 Ducks lead.


Bridgeport tied the game at four apiece with a run off Ruddy Lugo in the fifth inning.  But the Ducks picked up three runs in their sixth inning allowing Ruddy Lugo to leave on the winning side of this game.  J.R. House led-off with his 17th home run of the year.  Kraig Binick reached first on an E3 to load the bases after Matt Esquivel and Matt Padgett both singled.  Esquivel scored when Dan Lyons grounded into a double-play.  And Kinnard Jones singled home Matt Padgett to make the game 7-4 Ducks.


Jeremy Hill allowed the Bluefish a run in the seventh inning to make it a 7-5 game.  In all he pitched two innings allowing only the one run.  He gave up one hit and a walk.  Three strikeouts highlighted his night.


Bubbie Buzachero pitched the ninth inning and set down all three batters he faced with strikeout to end the game.  It was his 14th save of the season.  And for Ruddy Logo, he earned his fifth win of the year against two losses.


Tuesday night's win ups the Ducks record to 58-30 over-all on the season; the League's best.




Mike.BTB

L.I. DUCKS ~ Reaffirming First Place

From the desk of:  WEBBED SPIKES



LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  Veni; Vidi ; Quack!

Long Island Takes First Game In Series Between Liberty Division's Top Two Teams.


They came; The saw; And they Quacked Mightily.  Game one between the first place Ducks and second place Blue Crabs goes to the team invading South Maryland from Long Island.


The Ducks used the long ball; Mike Loree; and a strong effort by the bullpen to trap them some Maryland Blue Crabs Friday evening.  But they needed a mid-game comeback to do it. 


The Ducks and Mike Loree were trailing 2-0 after three innings.  Then in the fourth inning, Matt Esquivel doubled with one out.  Matt Padgett singled advancing Esquivel to third.  J.R. House grounded into a double play but Esquivel scored on the play.


The Ducks blew the game open in the fifth inning.  Javier Colina hit a two run home run scoring himself and Ray Navarrete who doubled.  John Rodriguez singled and scored on Long Island's second home run of the inning when Matt Esquivel pounded a Brian Slocum pitch over the wall for a 5-2 Ducks' lead.


South Maryland came back with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Ducks took it back in the sixth.  Leading off, J.R. House greeted new Blue Crabs pitcher; Jason Waddell; by crunching his 3-1 pitch for a solo home run and a 6-3 lead.


Another tack-on run in the ninth and South Maryland was officially 5 games back of Long Island in the first half standings.


The bullpen was dynamite in relief of Mike Loree.  Bob Zimmermann was first out of the pen and pitched two innings of no-hit ball and struck out two.  Ehren Wasserman closed out the game for the Ducks with two innings of one-hit ball.  He struck out one and earned his third save this season.


Ehren Wassermann continues to pitch with authority out of the bullpen.  In 30 innings pitched all in relief this season, he has 31 strikeouts while allowing just 24 hits and only two walks!  He's 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA.


Mike Loree won his League leading eighth game versus just one loss.  But he wasn't as sharp as he's been and got smacked around somewhat.  He surrendered eleven hits to the Blue Crabs and allowed them to get out to a 2-0 early lead.  He lasted only five innings Friday evening.  South Maryland scored three times against him but only two runs were earned.  While he was more hittable in this start, Mike Loree was still just as dominant all the same.  He limited himself to one walk allowed and struck out seven Blue Crabs.  His League leading ERA now stands at 1.99 and his League leading strikeout total now stands at sixty-four.



EXTRA INNING:
Kennard Jones went 0 for 5 which just might precipitate a switching of Kraig Binick from the nine-spot in the line-up, back to the lead-off spot; which is where he batted before suffering a facial injury.



LIBERTY DIVISION STANDINGS:
1st - Long Island Ducks................32-17    .653
2nd - S. Maryland Blue Crabs.....27-22    .551    5 Games Back

TODAY

GAME TWO

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

vs.

South Maryland Blue Crabs

From parts south of New York

Mike.BTB

L.I. DUCKS ~ Waddle Back Into A Tie For First Place

From the desk of:  A BROOKLYN QUACK  (Waddling Through Brooklyn)


LONG ISLAND DUCKS:

FINAL:
Somerset Patriots......2
Long Island Ducks....5


Since getting back from a near disastrous road trip, the Ducks have been fattening up at home.  After defeating the Somerset Patriots tonight in the opening game of their series and winning their third in a row, they finally regained a tie atop the Liberty Division standings as the South Maryland Blue Crabs  lost Friday night to the Lancaster Barnstormers.


Mike Parisi made the start for Long Island tonight and kept the Patriots under wraps all night.  Outside of Somerset's Wayde Lydon, who went 3 for 3 Friday, no Patriot had an answer for Parisi.  It was a highly economic game for the Duck's pitcher.  In 7.1 innings he only threw 87 pitches and 59 of them went for strikes.  He improved his record to 3-1.


Mike Parisi's Line:
7.1 ~ innings pitched.
87 Pitches ~ 59 strikes.
6 ~ hits.
2 ~ runs/earned
2 ~ walks.
3 ~ strikeouts.
1 ~ home run allowed


The Duck's bullpen shut down the Patriots over the final 1.2 innings.  Eric Wasserman got two outs; one a strikeout, while Bubbie Buzachero pitched the ninth to earn his 6th save of the season.


Long Island started the scoring in the home second inning.  Matt Padget walked with one out.  With two outs, Freddie Thon singled and Padget stood at second.  Then one of the hottest hitters in the League this season, Kraig Binick, singled, scoring Padget and sending Thon to second base.  Kennard Jones drew a walk to load the bases.  Ray Navarrete then stepped to the plate who yesterday sat out his first game off this season, and who incidentally is still struggling at the plate, and hit the second pitch he saw up the middle scoring Thon from third and Binick from second.  Kennard Jones was caught trying to steal third base and killed Long Island's two out rally cold.


Hasn't anyone ever taught him you don't make the first or third out at third base?


Moving on.


In the third inning the Ducks added more.  John Rodriguez doubled with one out.   The next batter, Lew Ford, double him home.   Then Matt Padget singled for the Duck's third consecutive hit.   Ford scored on the play giving Long Island a 5-1 lead.


The New York Federals scored one run in the third and one run in the sixth inning; but nothing else. Long Island pitching held them to six total hits Friday night.


Kraig Binick got his batting average back to .400 on the nose again after going 1 for 2 Friday night.


In Lancaster, starting in the first inning, the Barnstormers just kept tacking on runs against the Blue Crabs.  The Barnstormers scored three runs in the first; one in the second; four in the fourth; and another two in the seventh inning as they romped over South Maryland by a score of 10-4.


The Ducks win, coupled with the Crabs loss, means both teams get to share first place together for at least a day until games resume again Saturday.


a/o 6-4-2011

LIBERTY DIVISION ~ First Half Standings:
1) - Long Island Ducks.......................18-12   .600   --
2) - South Maryland Blue Crabs.......18-12   .600   --








Mike.BTB

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

L.I. DUCKS ~ 12th Opening Day For Ducks

From the desk of:  A Brooklyn Quack

LONG ISLAND DUCKS BASEBALL CLUB

est. 2000

OPENING DAY

12th at Bethpage Park

TONIGHT

Bridgeport Bluefish (1-3)

vs.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS (4-2)

First Place; Liberty Division

After starting the season on the road in Bridgeport and Camden, the Ducks open up their 12th season at renamed Bethpage Park.  The Ducks have taken their first two series two games to one and have won two in a row.  They'll go for three tonight in front of their own fans for the first time this season, and as usual a full house of 6,000+ is expected to welcome back the Ducks.

Atlantic League

Long Island Ducks

Bridgeport Bluefish

As Of  ~ Thursday, May 5, 2011
LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  Defeat Camden In Series Final.  Head Home For Opening Day.

The Ducks took the rubber game of their series against the Camden River Sharks before heading back to Long Island for their Home Opener against Bridgeport.  They have now won their first two series of the season.

Winning pitcher for the Ducks, Joselo Diaz, pitched a superb game until he unravelled a bit in the 9th inning in an attempt to secure a shutout.
8.1 ~ innings pitched
7 ~ hits; all singles
1 ~ runs/earned
1 ~ walks
4 ~ strikeouts
**Perfect game broken up in the 6th inning.  Raul Pedron of Camden broke up the bid at perfection.
Bubbie Buzachero relieved Diaz to finish out Camden.

For The Ducks:
2nd Inning ~ Matt Padget started off the scoring for Long Island with a home run.  1-0; Ducks
4th Inning ~ Freddie Thon hit a solo home run.  2-0; Ducks
5th Inning ~ Kraig Binick scored on a wild pitch; Matt Padget scored on a Freddie Thon single.
4-0 Ducks.
7th Inning ~ JR House scored on a Jon Kourie double.  5-0; Ducks

FINAL
DUCKS  5
River Sharks  1



Mike.BTB

L.I. DUCKS ~ Stop Two Game Skid In Camden

From the desk of:  The Brooklyn Quacker

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  The Quack Attack Erupted For Five Runs In First.  Even Series Against River Sharks.


The Ducks jumped out to a five run lead in the first inning by sending ten men to the plate and the pitching made it hold up.  Tonight's final score in Camden N.J. was Ducks 5; - River Sharks 2.


Mike Parisi picked up the win in his Ducks' debut; pitching six innings while giving up six hits; allowing one run; three walks and striking out three.  Ehren Wasserman came on to pitch in the seventh inning.  He promptly pitched himself into a second and third base situation but escaped with only one run scored.  Valerio De Los Santos and Bubbie Buzachero finished things out for Long Island.  For Buzachero, it was his first save in three appearances this season.

1B-Freddie Thon drove in two runs for Long Island tonight and was 2 for 4 in the game.  LF-Kraig Binick was 3 for 5 (three singles) on the night.  Ray Naverret had his second consecutive three-hit night (3 for 5) with a run scored.  John Rodriguez, Matt Padget, and Dan Lyons had an RBI each for Long Island.

The Ducks avoided losing their third game in a row while gaining their third victory of the season.  They are now 3-2 for the season.  Tomorrow they'll play the rubber game of the series against the Camden River Sharks before going home for the first time this season and having their Season Opener on Friday against Bridgeport.

The Von Hayse managed Camden River Sharks are now 1-4 to start the season.




Mike.BTB