L.I. Ducks: With Liberty and Playoffs For All

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LIBERTY DIVISION

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Somerset Patriots

vs

Long Island Ducks

Here we go again.

As if there were any doubt ...

For a fourth consecutive post-season, the Long Island Ducks and Somerset Patriots will battle for the Liberty Division championship.  It's been this way pretty much ever since the league realigned and placed Somerset alongside the Ducks.

The Flock cut it close this season, narrowly capturing the second-half division flag over rival Somerset, and thereby averting a Wild Card scenario.  After a troublesome first-half, in which they finish five games back of the first place Patriots, Long Island finishes strong with a 39-24 mark, two games better than the Patriots, and a 69-57 record overall.  Somerset secures their post-season berth with a 35-28 first-half record and finish the regular season with a 72-54 record overall, three games better than the Ducks. 

Not coincidentally, the Patriots take the first-half head-to-head series six games to three.  The Ducks turn the tables in the second-half head-to-head series, likewise winning six and losing three.  Said another way, these rivals split their regular season series down the middle, posting nine victories apiece.

It goes to show how through the seasons little has changed with regard to this recurring match-up.  The Liberty Division championship series once again features an age old dynamic in which one of the league's strongest offensive teams opposes one of the league's top pitching teams.

Of the two clubs, Long Island is the offensive juggernaut.  The Ducks rank first in home runs and total bases, second in slugging, and third in runs scored and OPS.  Somerset ranks last in home runs, seventh in both total bases and slugging, and fifth in both runs and OPS.  However, the Patriots are second in walks and stolen bases, third in OBP, and fourth in team average.  Whereas the Ducks are fifth in both walks and stolen bases, and sixth in both OBP and team average.

Infielder Justin Trapp leads Somerset with eight home runs, while the Ducks feature three players in double-digits.  David Washington leads Long Island with 24 round-trippers (second in the league), and Taylor Ard is second with sixteen.  The ageless one, Lew Ford leads the team with 73 RBI.  Washington and Travis Snider are tied with 71 RBI.  Second baseman Jordany Valdespin spearheads the offense with a team leading .338/.400/.487 triple slash.  He wins the league batting title by fractions over Somerset's Craig Massey, whom also finishes with a .338 mark.  In addition to leading the Patriots in batting, Massey also leads Somerset with a .418 OBP.  Alfredo Rodriguez leads with 55 RBI, while Jayce Boyd tops the club with a .481 slugging average.

Unfortunately, the Ducks lost the services of Emilio Bonifacio.  At the time his contract is purchased by the Milwaukee Brewers, he was leading the Atlantic League with a .348 average through 70 games.

On the mound, Somerset features one of the top two pitching staffs in the league.  They're first in strikeouts, H/9, K/W, own the league's second best ERA and WHiP, and have issued the second least walks.  Meanwhile, the Ducks rank fifth or sixth in most pitching categories.

This is precisely why Long Island's best hopes for advancing into the Atlantic League championship series rests on the arms and shoulders of their starting rotation.  As John Brownell, Matt Larkins, and Jake Fisher go, so will go the Ducks.  They'll also need effective contributions from Hector Silvestre, Dennis O'Grady, and recently acquired Brett Marshall.

And should the Ducks take a lead late into the game, the old pro Francisco Rodriguez must slam the door closed.  He posts 27 regular season saves and 2.76 ERA, with 42 strikeouts through 42.1 innings pitched.

THE RIVALRY: DUCKS vs. PATRIOTS

Prior to league realignment, the Ducks and Patriots face off in the 2013 league championship series, with Long Island emerging victoriously, three games against two.  The following season, Somerset gets shifted out of the Freedom Division and proceed to win their first Liberty Division title.  In 2015, Long Island flips the script in defeating Somerset two games against one.  If you're a Ducks fan the 2016 series proves epic; for Patriots fans not so much.  Somerset jumps out to a 2-0 series lead, but Long Island storms back winning three straight to capture the Liberty Division flag.  Last season, the Ducks again sweep Somerset, but for a second straight season fall short in the Atlantic League championship series.

L.I. Ducks: John Brownell Sets Atlantic League All-Time Strikeout Record

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

John Brownell Sets Atlantic League 

All-Time Strikeout Record

Long Island Ducks: Flock Keep Pressure On Somerset With 10-0 Whitewashing of Road Warriors; Remain Two Games Back.

Three Long Island pitchers join forces in Saturday's 10-0 whitewashing of the Road Warriors at Bethpage Park.  Starter John Brownell takes charge of the first seven innings, allowing just three hits and three walks, and striking out four en route to his eighth victory of the season.  He faces 29 batters while throwing 114 pitches with 65 going for strikes.  Relievers Fernando Abad and Chris Pike close out the eighth and ninth respectively, allowing a combined two hits, a walk, and striking out three.

At the plate, the Ducks are powered by home runs from Jordany Valdespin, and Travis Snider (whose 66 RBI are second in the league), and four other extra base hits off the bats of Daniel Fields, Anthony Vega, Ramon Cabrera whom goes 3 for 5 with three RBI, and Lew Ford whom was recently recognized as the Atlantic League Player of the Month for July.

In the top of the third, John Brownell notches his first strikeout of the game against Road Warrior lead-off batter Daniel Aldrich.  More significantly, it marks the 738th strikeout of his Atlantic League career, thus setting the league's all-time record.  He adds three more before his night is through.

Long Island all of a sudden is the hottest team in the league, winning eight of their last ten, and nine of their last twelve.  They also remain within striking distance of the Patriots, just two games behind first place.

L.I. Ducks: Second Half Pennant or Bust

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Somerset leads series 2-0

I - SOM 8; LID 3

II - SOM 6; LID 4

SUNDAY

Somerset Patriots

vs.

Long Island Ducks

FROM

Bethpage Ballbark

Long Island Ducks: Somerset Pitching Winning Out Over Flock Hitting.

Now 35-years young, starter John Brownell continues to struggle in this, his seventh season with the Long Island Ducks.

The Flock's all-time starting pitcher has never finished a full Ducks season with an ERA above four (in 2012, his first season with the Ducks, he posted a 6.61 ERA in only four appearances).  Although his rate of strikeouts is up, he presently owns a 4.25 ERA and a 1.382 WHiP, both well above his Duck career averages to date.

Coming off consecutive wins over Sugar Land and York, Brownell faced the rival Somerset Patriots on Friday at Bethpage Ballpark, allowing four earned runs on eleven hits, no walks, and striking out six through six innings pitched.  Trailing by three, the Ducks closed to within 4-3 of the Patriots in the bottom of the sixth on a pair of Jordany Valdespin RBI.  However, the bullpen would not hold.  Somerset scored twice in the seventh and posted another pair in the ninth en route to an 8-3 series opening victory.

Now trailing the Somerset Patriots by two games in the Liberty Division standings, Tyler Badamo climbs the bump at Bethpage Park for game two against Somerset's Cory Riordan.  Badamo enters Saturday's game with a 2.41 ERA in 18.2 innings over three previous starts since coming over to the Ducks from the New Britain Bees in June.

After trading runs in the first, Long Island takes a 3-1 lead on RBI hits by Taylor Ard and Ramon Cabrera.  The Patriots claw back with three hits and a run in the top of the fifth.  However, Travis Snider answers right back in the bottom of the frame with his team leading eleventh home run of the season.

With one out and runners on first and second in the top of the sixth, Coach Baez pulls Tyler Badamo in favor of reliever Ashur Tolliver.  With two out and the bases loaded, an E-6 allows two base runners home.  All runs are charged to Badamo, who surrenders ten hits but just two earned runs in 5.1 innings of work, walks one and strikes out four.

Coach Baez brings in Carlos Pimentel to pitch the seventh, who promptly surrenders a lead-off home run to Patriots shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez.  Three hits and a fielder's choice later Somerset leads by two.

Long Island fails to score in the their final two at-bats, and drop their second straight to the Patriots, this time by a 6-4 final.

If the Ducks are to meet the Somerset Patriots in the Liberty Division finals for a fourth consecutive season, they must first win the second half title.  Somerset already did their part by winning the first half title, five games ahead of the Ducks whom finished below par with a 30-33 record.  With regards to the season as a whole, Long Island owns a clear offensive edge over the the Patriots.  However, Somerset owns a distinct pitching advantage over the Ducks.  So far, the results speak for themselves.  Entering Sunday's series finale, the Ducks are just 3-8 this season against the Patriots.

L.I. Ducks: Flock Suffering Through Major Limp in Their Waddle

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Swept by the Road Warriors?

Really?

Long Island Ducks: All is Not as Golden on Bethpage Pond as it Seems.

Sure, the Long Island Ducks are sending seven well deserving representatives to this season's Atlantic League All-Star Game, to be played on July 11, right here at Bethpage Park.  Such stellar individual play, however, is not necessarily helping Long Island much in the standings.

The Somerset Patriots are sending five players.  Yet, the first place Somerset Patriots lead the Liberty Division by two games over the New Britain Bees and four games over the Long Island Ducks.  But with just ten games remaining in the season's first half, the Ducks are faced with somehow overcoming the aforementioned four game deficit if they are to capture an unlikely first-half title.

They can certainly start Tuesday night by taking the first of three straight from the Bees at New Britain, then return to the Pond where they can hope to swat the Freedom Division leading Sugar Land Skeeters for three straight.  That's a tall order, but the Ducks have surprised before.  Unfortunately, the schedule makers seemed to have conspired against them.  The Somerset Patriots start a series against last place (Freedom) Southern Maryland, them take on the perpetual Road Warriors.

I suspect this is not where the Long Island Ducks expected to be - not with the number of major league experienced players on the roster; no slight intended towards Travis Snider whom is posting solid numbers ... just not necessary numbers.  Nevertheless, the offensive mediocrity, to date, speaks for itself:


ATLANTIC LEAGUE: Ducks Offense
Team Avg. - #7
Home Runs - #6
OPS - #5
Runs Scored - #3
Total Bases - #2

ATLANTIC LEAGUE: Ducks Pitching
ERA - #5
WHiP - #5
Earned Runs - #5
Avg. Against - #4
Base on Balls - 4th most
Strikeouts: #1


The Ducks were most recently and ponderously swept by the Road Warriors.  They actually started the month of June strongly.  Several times throughout the first half they won at least three straight games, and posted five straight wins in June.  But by the time the summer heat set in, they found themselves one game under .500 with a 14-15 record for the month.

Long Island opens Tuesday's action with a 29-31 record, with much to accomplish in a short time to get it done.


EXTRA INNINGS:

• The Sugar Land Skeeters have already clinched the Freedom Division first half title.
• Former Mets catcher Josh Thole signed with the New Britain Bees, managed by former Met Wally Backman.

L.I. Ducks: Flock Yet to Spread Their Wings

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Long Island Ducks: Bees Sting Flock in Series Opener.

Liberty Division competitors took the field Tuesday evening at New Britain Stadium in Connecticut where the Bees hosted the Long Island Ducks.

Despite Long Island opening the scoring with an early run in the second, Bees left fielder Conor Bierfeldt connected on a two-run home run in the bottom of the frame off Ducks reliever Jake Dunning.  Bierfeldt was summoned because starter Andrew Barbosa left the game with an injury after just four batters faced.

Right fielder Travis Snider doubled to drive in a run in the top of the eighth, but with a pair of runs in the fifth and an insurance run in the bottom half of the eighth the New Britain Bees cruised to a 5-2 series opening victory over the Ducks whom actually doubled up on the Bees twelve hits to six.

Freshly signed Emilio Bonifacio, an eleven year major league veteran, on Tuesday debuted for the Ducks in center field.  He went 4 for 5 against the Bees with a pair of doubles and a run scored.

Now with an 8-8 record the Flock well stocked with former major leaguers  presently sit at par, and are two games behind the division leading Somerset Patriots.

The Ducks will attempt to get back above .500 in game two against the New Britain Bees.