The Long Island Ducks experienced a bout of homesickness…or should I say, “pond” sickness. After taking 2 out of 3 from the Sugar Land Skeeters last weekend, the Quack Pack flocked to a pond in Bridgeport, Connecticut, hoping to feast on some Bluefish in a three-game series. Little did they know that these Bluefish were hungry themselves and plucked their cross-Sound rivals and swept their feathers. The Bluefish-turned piranhas devoured and roasted our beloved Ducks in the first two games 10-2 and 9-1 on Monday and Tuesday night at Harbor Yard, respectively.
One of the newest members of the Quack Pack certainly had something to prove. Prentice Redman told LIB that he was “blindsided” when he got the news that the Bluefish were trading him to the Ducks. He never saw it coming. The former New York Met wanted “to get them back.” “You can look at the box score and see that they were out to swing the bats,” said Ducks manager Kevin Baez. “I was too anxious,” said Redman The Bluefish feature a team that includes 7 year MLB veteran Sean Burroughs. Burroughs also might best be remembered from his days as a pudgy faced Little Leaguer when his team from Long Beach, California won back to back World Series. Burroughs himself pitched back to back no-hitters and was the best hitter at the time. He was also part of the gold-winning Team USA in 1998. Burroughs is among the top 10 hitters in the Atlantic League in Batting Average.
Tuesday, May 5 2015
A Fowl 7th Inning Stench: The Duckpen lets Flock Down Catcher Blanke signed by Red Sox
Before the game, the Quack Pack lost one of their backup catchers, 26-year old Mike Blanke, to the Boston Red Sox. Blanke was just signed by the Ducks on April 9th. He started four games for them, two RBIs, two runs, and one double. Judging by the loss of Red Sox starting catcher Christian Vasquez and backup Ryan Hanigan for the entire season, and the rushed call up of uber-prospect Blake Swihart, perhaps gave Mr. Blanke a golden opportunity. Blanke spend five years in the Chicago White Sox organization previously, reaching as high as AA Birmingham in 2013 where he earned an All-Star nod for the Barons. While the signing was in the series opener, the game was close for 6 innings. Hurler Mickey Jannis threw 5 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned), on 4 hits, 4 walks, and striking out 4. The Bluefish struck first in the bottom of the first due a passed ball by catcher Jose Morales and a wild pitch by Jannis, giving the ‘fish a 2-0 lead. Jon Griffin then jacked a solo bomb in the 2nd inning off of Bluefish hurler and former New York Yankee pitcher D. J. Mitchell to put the Quack Pack within a run. The ‘fish struck back in the bottom of the 5th with Nick Van Stratten’s RBI single. The Quack Pack’s left fielder, Erik Komatsu put the Ducks back within a run with an RBI single in the top of the 7th. The turning point of the game occurred when the “Little League Babe Ruth,” Sean Burroughs knocked in three runs with a double off of Ducks’ southpaw reliever Tommy Organ. Manhasset’s Carmine Giardina took the ball from Organ in the 7th but allowed 4 runs to make the deficit 10-2 and it would stay that way through 9. Bluefish take the opener….
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Ducks Schooled by ‘Fish in Second Game of Ferry Series-John Brownell Shelled in His First Loss
On Tuesday night, John Brownell (2-1) showed a different side from the ace who threw 16 scoreless innings in his previous 2 starts when he was tagged for 6 runs, 5 earned, 10 hits in a Bridgeport offensive attack. He also allowed 2 walks and struck out 2 through 5 labored innings. Manager Kevin Baez expressed no concerns moving forward with his ace. “He had [two]outstanding starts for us….he didn’t have his good stuff today,” said Baez after the game. “We haven’t been hitting and pitching so that’s not a good combination right now”
We have a rivalry right here in our backyard. If you can’t afford the exorbitant cost of a Yankee/Red Sox or a Yankee/Mets subway series, you can best check out a…Ferry Series! For those not too quick on the uptake, the Bridgeport Bluefish and Long Island Ducks are separated geographically by the Long Island Sound. You can rendezvous from Bridgeport, CT (Home of the Bluefish) to Central Islip (Home of the Ducks) in about an hour. The two teams are set to meet this week for a three-game series at Bethpage Ballpark
Lancaster Barnstormers
Friday night our Ducks walked off against Lancaster for a dramatic 11-10 victory. The game opened 8-1 Lancaster; 9-1 after a passed ball in the 4th. Terrific bullpen work and a just chip away attitude at the plate, was capped off by Jon Griffin RBI Double in the bottom of the 9th.which won the game for the Quack Pack. A game like that can spring a team forward. “It’s nice when everybody is behind [each other]in those [games],” said Bryan Sabatella, who knocked in 3 runs that game and was instrumental in the comeback effort. “When [the pitching or hitting]is not doing so well, then the other side picks you up. That’s what makes a championship ballclub.”
Saturday
The Ducks took a twin bill from the Barnstormers. The opening game was a 3-2 win and the night cap was a solid 6-1 win by the Ducks. Stars of the first game were Jon Griffin, Reegie Corona and Dan Lyons.
In the night cap, Mark Rogers was dominant. He no hit the Barnstormers for six innings while allowing just one walk and struck out eight. Offensively, Cody Puckett had 3 hits and 2 RBIs. While Centerfielder/ Hitting coach Lew Ford had two hits, two RBIs and scored three runs.
Sunday, May 9, 2015
Ducks Put on Show for Moms but Unable to Finish their Own Sweeping of ‘Barn Chore
It was Family Fun Day at Bethpage Ballpark. It was also Mother’s Day! 6th Grade teacher extraordinaire Joe Melillo threw out the first pitch after winning a contest held by 98.3 KJOY contest as he was voted “Educator of the Month.” He, as well as some of his students from the John Street School in Franklin Square, NY (one of the students was, coincidentally, my own 12-year old son, Maxwell Kalba!). He joined the ranks of every U.S. President, entertainers like Calvin “50 Cent” Jackson (who showcased his amazing cutter which broke off toward the first base line!) by throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game.
The game remained scoreless for 3 innings until Lancaster struck first in the top of the 4th with a solo shot by Brian Cavazos-Galvez, off of Ducks starter Mickey Jannis (1-2). Cavazos-Galvez (hereinafter referred to as “Mr. Hyphen”), who had hit a grand slam for Lancaster on Friday’s game, struck again with a two-run shot in the sixth. The Quack-Pack put one on the board in the bottom of the 6th Bryan Sabatella scored on Lew Ford’s double play ball. Sabatella, who had 3 hits, picked up another stolen base to add to his Atlantic League-leading total of 7and also became the only member of the Quack Pack with multiple 3-hit games. The Barnstormers answered back in the top of the 7th when second baseman Yusuke Kajimoto had an RBI single. Former Yankees prospect and 8-year Yankee farmhand Reegie Corona extended his hitting streak to 10 games by hitting a double in the seventh inning. Corona was also leading the Atlantic League in Batting Average coming into this contest. The Ducks trailed by only one run after a run after shortstop Dan Lyons grounded out to short to score a run and after Prentic Redman’s RBI double, but could score no more after 7.
Former Major League pitchers Zach Jackson and Cody Eppley closed out the game for Lancaster in the eighth and ninth innings, respectfully, each struck out 2 batters a piece Eppley was part of the New York Yankees’ bullpen in 2012-13, shut the door in the ninth after Lyons singled to start the inning, but was left stranded. “Any time you win a series you’re happy,” said Manager Kevin Baez “but a little disappointed we let this one slip away.” He felt that this was a game they should have won but is to have a game that we felt like we should have won and not win.. a little disappointed.”
Also of note, Ducks reliever Hector Ambriz became the latest Duck to leave the pond for a big league organization and the 75th player all time when he was signed by the Washington Nationals organization on May 10th. This season, Ambriz had completed an impressive 7 innings of work by allowing only 2 earned runs for a 1,28 ERA, 1 walk, while striking out 9 batters. When asked about losing Ambriz, Baez said “ It hurts your team obviously especially [when he’s a]big part of it but it shows the [other]guys [that when]you do your job, you get picked up. It’s good for the league [and]good for the players to see it too.” When talking about the state of the bullpen, Baez said “Our bullpen was a big concern [since]we taxed it from [Saturday’s] doubleheader.” However, on Sunday, Baez “was particularly pleased with the results of lefties [Patrick] Crider and [Tommy] Organ who did a great job in this game. Nice to see our bullpen hold it up.” Crider and Organ both did not allow a run. This was a good sign as the bullpen fell apart in last week’s series in Bridgeport.
We spoke with Ducks General Manager Michael Pfaff and you can watch the interview exclusively here.
