L.I. Ducks: The Flock Strike Back

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LIBERTY DIVISION FINALS

Patriots lead series 2-1

I - SOM 3; LID 2*

II- SOM 10; LID 0

III - LID 7; SOM 1

IV- @ Long Island

GAME FOUR

Somerset Patriots

vs.

Long Island Ducks

FROM

BETHPAGE BALLPARK

Central Islip, L.I.

Long Island Ducks: Pond Sweet Pond; Flock Stave Off Elimination with 7-1 Victory in Game Three.

With pitcher Nick Struck providing the Ducks a much needed proverbial shot in the arm, Long Island was able to stave off elimination, and force Saturday evening's Game Four at Bethpage Ballpark.

They say necessity is the mother of all invention...

Long Island's starting rotation suffered a series of major blows back in July when the contracts of Mark Blackmar, Jack Snodgrass, Darin Downs, and Jim Kern were all purchased away.  Nick Struck, therefore, was transitioned out of the bullpen and into the starting rotation by Aug. 9, when he pitched five innings in a winning effort against Somerset.  In nine regular season starts, Struck went 4-3 with 2.50 ERA, allowing 15 runs, 48 hits, and 19 walks, with 43 strikeouts over 54 innings pitched.

Friday evening in Game Three, Struck limited the Patriots to one run on just four hits and two walks, while fanning three batters for the must-have victory.  In facing 25 batters, he threw 95 pitches with 63 going for strikes.

Reliever Amalio Diaz struck out the side in the eighth inning, and Todd Coffey closed out Long Island's first victory of the series with a scoreless ninth.

Playing without top slugger David Vidal, Somerset's lone run of the game came in the seventh inning on a lead-off home run by Bryan LaHair.  Nick Struck then retired the next three batters to complete his final inning of work.

Ducks batters, however, struck for seven runs on 12 hits off Somerset starter Alexis Candelario and reliever Randy Boone.  Both Lew Ford and Tyler Colvin went yard.  Fehlandt Lentini went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI, while Long Island's four, five and six hitters combined on 6 for 12, with three runs scored and three RBI.

Starter Jarret Leverett will tow the rubber for Long Island at Bethpage Ballpark in Game Four, and will be opposed by the familiar Shaun Garceau for Somerset.

• Southpaw Jarret Leverett was acquired from the New Britain Bees, and finally shipped over on Aug. 28 to complete an earlier trade.  He squeezed in four regular season starts for the Ducks, going 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA, allowing 11 runs on 23 hits, with 18 strikeouts over 22 innings pitched.  In 28 appearances and ten starts for the Bees, Jarret compiled a 4-7 record and 3.55 ERA, with 68 strikeouts over 93.2 innings pitched.  

• The Patriots acquired Shaun Garceau from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs early in the season.  He made 25 combined appearances and 24 starts this season, including 19 for Somerset.  Shaun went 4-6 in the regular season with a 4.97 ERA.  He allowed 128 hits and fanned 74 batters over 132.2 innings pitched.

FREEDOM DIVISION FINAL

After winning the first two games of the Freedom Division finals in Sugar Land, the Skeeters completed their three game sweep of the Revolution on Friday with an 8-6 victory in York.  Sugar Land returns to the Atlantic League finals for a second time.  They were swept by the Lancaster Barnstormers in the 2014 finals.

L.I. Ducks: Oh No You Don't, Not in this Pond

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Raging Ducks

Ducks win series over Bluefish 2-1

I - LID 5; BPT 1

II - BPT 3; LID 2

III - LID 8; BPT 4

LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Emotions Run High During Grand Series Finale Against Bridgeport Bluefish.

Thursday night's rubber game at Bethpage Ballpark started out business as usual.  Making his 15th start of the season, John Brownell climbed the hill against the Bridgeport Bluefish, and opened the game by retiring the side in order.

Long Island fared no better in their first turn at bat.

The heart of Bridgeport's line-up saw things differently, though, connecting on two solo home runs in the top of the second.

The Ducks were quick to match them in the bottom of the frame.  Tyler Colvin's one out double put two runners in scoring position.  After Ruben Gotay fanned, Mike Blanke's base hit scored both runners.

A run in the third, and Mark Minicozzi's RBI single in the fifth gave John Brownell and the Ducks a 4-2 lead.

John Brownell continued pitching into the eighth, but allowed the Fish to close to within a run after allowing a lead-off double, and an RBI single to left fielder Adron Chambers.  With one out, Brownell was relieved by Eury De La Rosa, who fanned a pair of batters to escape the inning, but not before Bridgeport took exception to some perceived extracurricular celebration on the part of Long Island's reliever.  The benches and bullpens each emptied twice during the frame without incident.

Todd Coffey then pitched himself into a pickle in the top of the ninth, allowing a lead-off single, and double.  Naturally, Bridgeport wound up tying the game on a passed ball.

Leading off the bottom of the ninth, Anthony Vega negated a lead-off base hit by getting thrown out at second.  His team mates picked him up.  With two outs, and Lentini, Delta Cleary Jr., and Mark Minicozzi occupying the bases, you guessed it.......

DH Tyler Colvin connected on a game winning grand slam home run!

With an 8-4 victory over the Bridgeport Bluefish, the Long Island Ducks (9-3) concluded their first home stand after the all-star break with a nifty 5-1 record.  They now lead the Liberty Division by two full games over Bridgeport.

L.I. Ducks: Flock Waddles Over Somerset Patriots in Series Opener

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Flock at the Gates!

Ducks lead Patriots 1-0

I - LID 9; SOM 3

II - Saturday @SOM

III - Sunday  @SOM

Long Island Ducks: Extra! News from the front ... Flock overwhelm first place Patriots in Friday night's series opener at Somerset.

On this night, Long Island's six-run third inning outburst and a dominant starting performance on the mound proved too much for the Liberty Division leaders.

This was only the Ducks second victory (2-6) over the Patriots this season, and their first at Somerset. I guess timing is indeed everything then, as Long Island's 9-3 win brings them to within 1 1/2 games of first place entering Saturday's action.

Starter Darin Downs climbed the hill against Somerset's Mickey Storey.  While the usually reliable Mickey Storey continues struggling for the Patriots this season, Downs is officially on a roll.  Darin improved his record to 3-1, and lowered his ERA from 3.25 down to a 3.02 mark.  He faced 30 batters, allowed a pair of earned runs on five hits and no walks, and fanned 11 batters.  It was his third straight winning decision, and comes on the heels of a seven inning, eight strikeout performance on May 14 against Southern Maryland.

• Ducks pitchers have faced the second least batters this season, but lead the Atlantic League in strikeouts.  Ducks pitching also leads with a league low .231 average against.

Offensively, Cody Puckett and Matt Blanke combined to go 6 for 10 at the plate, and registered eight RBI, with four each.  Five Ducks batters posted multiple hit games.  Lew Ford accounted for the ninth Ducks run with a 2 for 5 effort and RBI.

• The Ducks have now scored nine runs in each of their last two games.  Somerset first, followed by Long Island, are the top two scoring teams in the league.  They both have hit 17 team home runs.  Somerset's .748 team OPS leads the circuit, however, while the Ducks .723 mark ranks fifth.

After starting the season 13-0, the Patriots have gone 6-10 since, and are 4-6 over their last ten games.  After starting the season 1-6, the Ducks have gone 16-5 since.

Obviously, the trick for Long Island would be to strike while Somerset is down by winning this weekend series, or even sweeping it, because they will not face them again over the remainder of the first half of the season.

That will leave the Ducks and Patriots scrambling to outpace each other against the remaining competition.


Michael Pfaff's latest acquisitions forcing Coach Baez into reshuffling infield deck.

Recently signed, and former Met, Ruben Gotay went 0 for 5 Friday, with two strikeouts.  This, however, was the first time he failed to hit safely as a member of the Ducks.  He went 7 for 15 during Long Island's four game split against the Sugar Land Skeeters previous to Friday, and is now batting an even .300 since arriving.

Gotay was apparently brought in to solidify second base along with Matt Wessinger.  But, wasn't that accomplished by signing Tyler Colvin, which allowed Sean Burroughs to shift over to third, and thereby allow Cody Puckett to play second?

Well ... Colvin started Friday's game in left field, Burroughs was back at first, Puckett played third, while Lew Ford DH'd.  That came after Cody Puckett DH's twice against Sugar Land.  Coach Baez is clearly spelling positional players with turns at DH, but Colvin playing outfield is not something I'd   entertain too often.  Then again, Anthony Vega's play of late seems to support Coach Baez's decision to pencil in Colvin for occasional spot starts in the outfield.  In fact, I'd be willing to bet Michael Pfaff is searching for Vega's replacement at this very moment.

In the meantime, the GM has afforded Baez a few options.  We'll see how Coach continues utilizing them.

L.I. Ducks: Monday Swim; Gut Check Time

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

"When you see a fork in the road ... take it!"

Yogi Berra's words never rang more true. 

Long Island Ducks: Path to Success or Road to Ruin? Upcoming seven game trip will test Flock's mettle.

As if you need reminding, the Patriots swept four games from the Ducks during the season's opening series at TD Bank Ballpark, then very recently took two of three games from the Ducks at the Pond.

So if there's a crucial road trip the Ducks need to make good on, this would be the one.  After a four game series in Sugar Land, Texas, Long Island will attempt another invasion of Somerset.

After starting the season 13-0, the Somerset Patriots have cooled considerably, going just 4-7 since, for an overall 17-7 first-half record.  The Skeeters are partly responsible for Somerset's recent downturn after sweeping a three game set last week at Sugar Land.

The Long Island Ducks, on the other hand, have turned themselves around.  After stumbling out of the block with a 1-6 record, they have gone 13-3 since, for an overall 14-9 first-half mark.  They'll enter Tuesday's opener against the Skeeters trailing the Patriots by just 2.5 games in the Liberty Division race.

The Patriots are fresh off losing two of three against the Barnstormers, and now draw the Bridgeport Bluefish prior to Long Island's Friday arrival.

It's up to the Ducks, then, to strike while the iron is hot.

They'll have to face Somerset's kryptonite first.  The Ducks and Skeeters will play four games in three days in their first meeting of the season.  Sugar Land is 13-11 so far, and battling the York Revolution for first place in the Freedom Division.

The Ducks will then descend upon Somerset for what will be the team's final encounter of the first half.  Long Island can make up for their poor 1-6 record against the Patriots to date, with a strong showing.

NOTES:

• Nate Freiman's initial acquisition allowed the Ducks to untangle their infield positioning situation, but did not last long.  His contract was purchased by the Boston Red Sox.

• The Ducks then promptly signed OF/1B Tyler Colvin, 30 years old, who brings over 400 games of MLB experience with him.  He should add an appreciable measure of slugging to the line-up.  He hit 20 home runs and drove in 56 runs in 2010 for the Cubs, then another 18 home runs and a career high 72 RBI in 2012 for the Rockies.