Game 16: Ducks at Bluefish

GAME TIME/LOCATION: 1:12 p.m. at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard (Bridgeport, Conn.)

TODAY’S MATCHUP: The Long Island Ducks (9-6) vie for their third straight three-game series sweep and ninth consecutive win when they take on the cross-sound rival Bridgeport Bluefish (5-11) in the finale of a three-game series. It’s also the third game of the 2016 Ferry Cup Series. The Ducks lead the series two games to none.

YESTERDAY’S RESULT: A strong combination of offense and dominant pitching once again helped lead the Flock to victory, this time by a 7-1 margin. Bruce Kern, making his first start of the year, limited to the Bluefish to just one run on three hits and a walk over three innings of work. The only run he allowed came on a RBI single by Luis Hernandez after the third out of the third inning was erased on a balk call against him.

After the run, which had tied the game following a second inning solo home run by Nate Freiman, Long Island’s bullpen came on to silence Bridgeport’s bats the rest of the way. Kevin Baez used seven different relievers to pitch the final six innings: Jarrett Casey, Patrick Crider, Frank DeJiulio Jr. (1-0), Eury De La Rosa, Kevin Vance, Dan Blewett and Nick Struck. The group combined to give up just four hits and three walks while striking out five over six scoreless innings.

Bluefish starter Mike Antonini (1-3) held the Ducks’ offense quiet for the first five innings, but in the sixth, Sean Burroughs put the Ducks in front for good with a RBI single to left-center field. In the eighth, Freiman put the game out of reach with a mammoth three-run blast to left that nearly cleared the netting which blocks Webster Bank Arena. The homer gave the Ducks a 5-1 advantage, and a two-run double to right by Delta Cleary Jr. in the ninth capped the scoring for Long Island.

ON THE MOUND: Darin Downs will toe the rubber for the Ducks in the series finale. The southpaw was splendid his last time out, allowing just one hit and one unearned run over six innings on Tuesday against Lancaster. He did walk four batters but struck out seven, his new season-high, and took a no-decision in Long Island’s 3-2 walk-off win. Downs is now 0-1 with a 3.44 ERA in three starts this year and has struck out 17 but walked 11 over 15 and two-thirds innings. The former big leaguer faced the Bluefish in relief during spring training and gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks over three innings with four strikeouts. In 2015, he posted a 1-1 record with a 3.09 ERA in two starts against the Bluefish.

Bridgeport will send R.J. Hively to the mound to try and avoid a three-game sweep and end a six-game losing skid. The right-hander has struggled out of the gate, compiling an 0-1 record with a 6.60 ERA through three starts. He has allowed five runs in each of his last two outings, including his most recent one on Tuesday at York. Hively struck out 10 over five innings but yielded five runs on nine hits and a walk, taking a no-decision in York’s 6-5 win in 11 innings. Sunday will be his first start at home this year. The 27-year-old gave up one run on one hit and three walks while striking out two over four innings against the Ducks in spring training.

FOLLOW ALONG: Today’s contest will be broadcast on the Ducks’ official YouTube channel. Fans can follow the broadcast with live streaming audio online by CLICKING HERE. In addition to updates in this post, fans can follow a pitch-by-pitch account of today’s game via Pointstreak’s Game Live application by CLICKING HERE.

DUCKS GAME NOTES: For today’s full Ducks game notes, please CLICK HERE.

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STARTING LINEUPS:

Ducks
#22 Fehlandt Lentini – RF
#5   Delta Cleary Jr. – CF
#20 Lew Ford – DH
#25 Sean Burroughs – 1B
#2   Cody Puckett – 2B
#12 Dan Lyons – SS
#27 Anthony Vega – LF
#29 Mike Dowd – C
#17 Matt Wessinger – 3B

#23 Darin Downs – LHP

Bluefish
#4   Ruben Sosa Jr. – CF
#2   Luis Hernandez – SS
#6   Luis Rodriguez – 2B
#13 Jose Cuevas – DH
#22 Wilkin Ramirez – RF
#17 Josh Vitters – 3B
#20 Carlos Sosa – 1B
#23 Luis Nunez – LF
#8   Yefry Castillo – C

#27 R.J. Hively – RHP

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UPDATE (1:25): END 1: Each side gets a hit but nothing further in the opening inning. Scoreless after one.

UPDATE (1:37): TOP 2: Anthony Vega’s second triple of the year drives in Cody Puckett and gives the Ducks a 1-0 lead!

UPDATE (1:55): BOT 3: Dan Lyons with a spectacular diving stop and throw to first to retire Luis Hernandez for the final out of the frame! Plays like that are what won him the Rawlings Gold Glove Defensive Player of the Year award in 2015!

UPDATE (2:29): BOT 4: Bluefish take the lead with a pair of runs on a hit, two walks, a hit batter and a fielder’s choice. Bridgeport on top 2-1.

UPDATE (3:06): TOP 6: Two runs score on a fly ball to right by Mike Dowd that was dropped, and two more score on a two-run single by Fehlandt Lentini! 5-2 Ducks!

UPDATE (3:30): TOP 7: Vega now with two hits, three RBI and has been on base four times today! His two-run single balloons the Ducks’ lead to 7-2!

UPDATE (3:57): TOP 8: Lew Ford with an opposite-field solo homer to right, and Vega with a RBI double to right! 9-2 Ducks lead!

UPDATE (4:15): BOT 8: Bluefish get a pair on a two-run single by Ruben Sosa Jr. Ducks advantage is now 9-4.

UPDATE (4:33): FINAL: James Lomangino works a scoreless ninth! Ducks win it 9-4 to sweep aside the Bluefish and earn their ninth consecutive victory!

Game 18: Ducks vs. Bluefish

The Ferry Cup Series returns to Long Island tonight! This year’s edition of the cross-sound rivalry between the Ducks and Bridgeport Bluefish shifts to Bethpage Ballpark for a three-game series after both teams met for the first time across the Long Island Sound last week. The Ducks will be seeking a bit of revenge, since the Bluefish came away with three wins in three games, including a 14-inning walk-off win to clinch the sweep on Thursday.

Speaking of sweeps, the Ducks had their second chance to earn their first series sweep of 2015 on Sunday against the Barnstormers. Unfortunately, for the second consecutive Sunday, Long Island rallied back but couldn’t get the big hit they needed to put their opponent away. Lancaster jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a pair of homers from Brian Cavazos-Galvez off of Mickey Jannis. The first was a solo blast in the fourth, and the second was a two-run shot in the sixth. In fact, the Barnstormers right fielder clubbed three home runs in the four-game set.

The Ducks again showed their ability to fight back in games, scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth on a double play groundout. However, despite having runners at first and second with two outs on a pair of walks, Jose Morales popped out to center on the first pitch from Scott Gracey to end the threat. Long Island rallied again in the seventh after allowing a run in the top of the frame. Dan Lyons plated a run with a grounder to short, and Prentice Redman delivered a RBI single to left that scored Bryan Sabatella, who tripled with two outs. Unfortunately for the Flock, Cody Puckett grounded into a force out at third with the tying run on second and the go-ahead run at first. Long Island was able to put the leadoff man on base in the eighth (Jon Griffin double) and ninth (Lyons single), but neither runner was able to advance as Lancaster hung on for a 4-3 win to salvage the series finale.

Jannis had mixed results on the mound once again. He surrendered eight hits and four runs (three earned) in six and one-third innings, but he only walked two batters compared to four his last time out. In addition, he kept the score close enough for the Ducks to have a chance to rally. Long Island’s bullpen also deserves credit, as Patrick Crider, Tommy Organ and Amalio Diaz held the ‘Stormers scoreless over the final two and two-thirds innings.

CLICK HERE to listen to highlights from Sunday’s game
CLICK HERE to watch postgame comments from Kevin Baez and Bryan Sabatella
CLICK HERE to view Sunday’s box score

Tuesday’s series opener will feaeries opener will er the final two and z held the ‘ance to rally. Long Island’our runs (three earned) in six and one-third inture a rematch of last Wednesday’s pitching matchup. John Brownell will take the mound for the Ducks, looking to rebound from his first rough start of the season. After he tossed 15 consecutive scoreless innings in his first two starts, the right-hander gave up 10 hits and six runs (five earned) in just five innings of work. Brownell walked two and struck out two, ultimately suffering the loss in Bridgeport’s 9-0 shutout win. Despite the loss, the Ducks veteran still has a career record of 7-3 with a 3.04 ERA and 52 strikeouts to just 18 walks in 77 innings of work.

Opposing Brownell will be Mike Antonini, who earned his only victory of the year when he faced the Ducks. The left-hander was dominant at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard, holding the Flock to just three hits (two singles and a triple) and one walk over seven innings. In addition, he struck out nine batters and threw exactly two-thirds of his 100 pitches for strikes. Overall, Antonini is 1-1 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts this year, giving up four runs on 12 hits and six walks while striking out 17 in 18 and one-third innings of work. He has not allowed a run in his last two starts, a span of 13 and one-third innings. Antonini is a former 18th round draft pick by the Mets in 2007 and reached Triple-A with both the Mets and Dodgers organizations.

Here are tonight’s game notes:

Ducks vs. Bluefish: Tonight marks the 289th all-time meeting between the Ducks and Bluefish, the most for the Ducks against any other Atlantic League opponent. Bridgeport currently leads the series by a slim 146-142 margin, but the Ducks hold a 79-65 advantage at Bethpage Ballpark. Tonight is also the fourth of 27 scheduled games between the two teams in 2015. The Bluefish lead this year’s series 3-0. This season marks the seventh edition of the Ferry Cup Series, with the Ducks winning the Cup in four of the first six years.

Reegie’s Raking: Reegie Corona extended his hitting streak to 10 consecutive games with a double in the seventh inning on Sunday. That’s the longest by a Duck this season. During the streak, he is batting .432 (16-for-37) with three doubles, two triples, three RBI, seven runs and one walk. The former Yankees prospect currently leads the Atlantic League in batting average (.383) and ranks fourth in both on-base percentage (.420) and slugging percentage (.532).

Ford’s Fury: Lew Ford picked up his sixth multi-hit game of 2015 with two hits on Sunday. He’s now tied with Corona for second on the team in multi-hit games, just one behind Cody Puckett. The Ducks’ all-time batting leader has now totaled multiple hits in back-to-back contests and in four of his last 10 games. He has also reached base safely in five straight games and in 10 of his last 11 contests.

Sabatella’s Sizzling: Bryan Sabatella became the first Duck to pick up a pair of three-hit games this season with two singles and a triple on Sunday. He now has a total of five multi-hit contests this year, including four in his last 10 games. The Long Island native also notched his first triple of the year and Long Island’s fourth overall. Sabatella has now compiled 27 triples in his career. In addition, he stole his seventh base of the season and scored his 13th and 14th run. Both totals currently lead the Atlantic League.

Oh, What a Relief They Are: Patrick Crider, Tommy Organ and Amalio Diaz combined to pitch two and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief on Sunday. The trio allowed two hits and one walk while striking out three. In the four-game set against Lancaster, Ducks relievers combined to allow just five runs (four earned) in 15 and two-thirds innings (2.30 ERA). In the four games, the bullpen gave up 13 hits and seven walks while striking out 13 batters.

On the Air: Tonight’s game will be broadcast on the Ducks’ official YouTube channel. Live streaming video and audio will be available by CLICKING HERE. Chris King will call the play-by-play. Fans can also follow a pitch-by-pitch account of the game via Pointstreak’s GameLive application by CLICKING HERE.

Finally, here are tonight’s starting lineups:

Ducks
#44 Bryan Sabatella – RF
#28 Prentice Redman – LF
#20 Lew Ford – CF
#2   Cody Puckett – 3B
#33 Jon Griffin – 1B
#26 Jose Morales – C
#11 Reegie Corona – 2B
#22 Blake Davis – DH
#12 Dan Lyons – SS

#7   John Brownell – RHP

Bluefish
#5   Nick Van Stratten – CF
#22 Sean Burroughs – 3B
#19 Welington Dotel – RF
#32 Andres Rodriguez – 1B
#26 John Alonso – DH
#12 Ryan Babineau – C
#7   James Simmons – LF
#6   Luis Rodriguez – 2B
#2   Ildemaro Vargas – SS

#33 Mike Antonini – LHP

Keep it here throughout the course of the game for updates, as the Ducks look to turn the tables in this year’s Ferry Cup Series. You can also follow the Ducks on Twitter (@LIDucks) for updates all year long!

UPDATE (6:40): We are underway at Bethpage Ballpark, as John Brownell deals to Nick Van Stratten!

UPDATE (7:12): No score after two innings thus far. Lew Ford and Jose Morales have both picked up singles in the early going.

UPDATE (7:13): Also, apologies to anyone trying to follow along on Pointstreak. They are having technical difficulties with their pitch-by-pitch updates.

UPDATE (7:32): TOP 3: Ducks strike first! Ford launches a three-run blast to left after back-to-back walks! Second homer of the year for Lew!

UPDATE (7:42): BOT 3: Morales caps off the inning with a RBI single to left that scores Cody Puckett! 4-0 Ducks after three innings!

UPDATE (8:00): BOT 4: What a night for Ford! He adds a RBI double to left-center to increase the lead to five! He’s a triple shy of the cycle!

UPDATE (8:11): TOP 5: Bridgeport plates their first run of the night on a two-out RBI single to center by Ildemaro Vargas. Ducks lead is now 5-1.

UPDATE (8:17): BOT 5: Reegie Corona hustles out a ground ball to second and beats the throw for an infield single! Hitting streak is now 11 games!

UPDATE (8:27): TOP 6: The Bluefish inch a run closer on a sac fly to center by Andres Rodriguez. However, John Brownell strikes out Ryan Babineau to end the inning.

UPDATE (8:43): BOT 7: Ford singles to center to open up the seventh, becoming the first Duck this season with a four-hit game!

UPDATE (9:01): TOP 8: Amalio Diaz works out of a first-and-second, no-out jam, inducing two flyouts and striking out Babineau! Ducks still lead 5-2!

UPDATE (9:22): FINAL: Ryan Kussmaul works around a pair of two-out hits and gets Sean Burroughs to ground out to short! Ducks win the opener 5-2!

Games 15/16: Ducks vs. Barnstormers

If Thursday’s 14-inning loss in Bridgeport was Long Island’s toughest of the season, Friday’s 11-10 come-from-behind waddle-off win over the Barnstormers had to have been the most gratifying. Amidst a four-game losing skid and in need of turning things around, the Ducks sprung to life when it appeared like the streak would run to five. Now, rather than heading into today’s day/night doubleheader with even more pressure on their shoulders, the Ducks were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief and celebrate on of the greatest comeback wins in franchise history.

Things looked bleak for the Ducks early on Friday. Already faced with a thin bullpen, Long Island fell behind 9-1 by the fourth inning, largely due to a lack of control from starter Eric Niesen. The southpaw struck out five in three innings, but he also surrendered back-to-back walks to lead off the first and third innings (he finished with six walks allowed). Things fell apart for the Ducks veteran in the third, as he walked the bases loaded and then gave up a one-out grand slam to Brian Cavazos-Galvez. Niesen later made an error on a grounder to first with two outs that kept the inning alive, and the Barnstormers followed with back-to-back homers, including a two-run blast by Michael Broad and a solo shot from Yusuke Kajimoto.

Trailing by eight in the fourth, the Ducks began their furious comeback against Barnstormers starter Bryan Evans. Six runs in the fourth inning closed the gap to 9-7, with a RBI triple by Reegie Corona, a RBI double by Erik Komatsu, a RBI single by Dan Lyons, a run-scoring fielder’s choice of the bat of Bryan Sabatella and a two-run single by Cody Puckett, which was popped up and fell into center when Broad lost the baseball, did the damage. Then, after the ‘Stormers got a run in the fifth, Long Island responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to pull even. Komatsu collected his third hit with a RBI single, and Sabatella tied the game with a two-run base hit to center after Pete Andrelczyk replaced Evans. Nine runs in two innings created a brand new ballgame.

From that point on, the Ducks’ bullpen took over and gave the Flock a chance to win. Carmine Giardina, who came in with a runner at third and no outs in the fifth but did not allow a run, stayed in and worked around two walks to pitch a scoreless sixth. Patrick Crider hung up a zero in the seventh, Amalio Diaz worked a 1-2-3 eighth, and Hector Ambriz did the same in the ninth. In fact, Lancaster was held without a hit over the final four inning of the game. That set the stage for the bottom of the ninth, when Puckett led off the inning with an infield single on a slow roller to third. Jon Griffin came up next, and lined a first pitch fastball down the right field line for a game-winning double. Despite trailing by eight, the Ducks never quit and rallied back for an improbable victory.

CLICK HERE to listen to highlights from Friday’s game
CLICK HERE to watch postgame comments from Kevin Baez, Griffin and Komatsu
CLICK HERE to view Friday’s box score

Both teams will turn around quickly and play a day/night doubleheader at the Duck Pond. The Ducks will send right-hander Bruce Kern to the mound in game one, as he makes his first start of the year. He has appeared in six games out of the bullpen and has given up just one run on three hits and a walk while striking out seven in five and one-third innings. He last pitched on Thursday in Bridgeport and threw a 1-2-3 sixth inning. Kern has made four career starts in 137 games, with all of them coming in his rookie season of 2010. Game two will feature right-hander Mark Rogers for the Ducks, as he returns from an Achilles injury that kept him on the inactive list since May 2. The injury cut his last start short, as he lasted just two and two-thirds innings on April 30 at Southern Maryland. His first start came at York, and he suffered the loss, allowing three runs in five innings. The former big leaguer has allowed six hits and four walks in seven and two-thirds innings thus far with five strikeouts. Rogers pitched for the Barnstormers last year and went 5-6 with a 4.17 ERA in 18 starts.

Lancaster will toss a relief pitcher in game one as well, with Bryan Woodall taking the mound. The right-hander has pitched in five games thus far and has surrendered seven runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out seven in in six and two-thirds innings of work. He last pitched on Tuesday and threw three innings, giving up two runs in a 6-1 loss to York. Woodall has started 11 games out of 277 in his career, 10 of which came last year in the Diamondbacks organization. The nightcap will feature the season debut for Marcus Walden, who was just signed by Lancaster this week. The right-hander spent the 2014 season in both the Blue Jays and Athletics organization, reaching Triple-A with both. He combined to post a 3-5 record with a 5.35 ERA in 35 games (11 starts). Walden has a career record of 35-38 with a 3.96 ERA and 378 strikeouts to 214 walks in 147 games (102 starts).

Here are today’s game notes:

Ducks vs. Barnstormers: Today marks the 196th and 197th all-time meeting between the Ducks and Barnstormers. The Ducks lead the series 101-94 and have a 50-45 record at Bethpage Ballpark. Today is also the second and third of 20 scheduled games between the teams in 2015. Long Island leads the series 1-0. Lancaster won the 2014 series 13-7 and won six of 10 games on Long Island.

Cardiac Quacks: Friday was the Ducks’ first walk-off win of the season. In 2014, the Ducks compiled five walk-off victories, with their last coming on September 20 against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The eight-run comeback was Long Island’s second come-from-behind win of 2015 and their largest of the season. The Ducks’ largest comeback win in 2014 was by four runs, which they did twice.

Sabatella’s Streaking: Bryan Sabatella extended his on-base streak to nine consecutive games with two hits on Friday. That’s the longest by a Duck this season. During the streak, he has compiled 13 hits in 39 at-bats (.333 AVG) with four doubles, one homer, eight RBI, eight runs and six walks. Sabatella’s two hits gave him his third two-hit game and fourth multi-hit contest of the year.

Reegie’s Raking: Reegie Corona collected two hits to extend his hitting streak to seven consecutive games. That’s the longest hitting streak by a Duck this season. During the seven games, Corona is batting .444 (12-for-27) with one double, two triples, one RBI, five runs and one walk. His two hits gave him his third consecutive multi-hit game overall and fifth of the season.

Erik Erupts: Erik Komatsu earned his first multi-hit contest of the season with three hits on Friday. He now joins Sabatella, Corona, Lew Ford and Jose Morales as the only Ducks with three-hit games this season. The former big leaguer also picked up his first  multi-RBI game of 2015 by driving in two runs.

Saving the Day: Long Island’s bullpen combined to hold the Barnstormers to just two runs (one earned) over the final six innings of the game. Five different pitchers combined to give up just two hits and four walks while striking out six batters. Lancaster did not collect a hit from the second batter of the fifth inning through the end of the game, a span of 18 batters.

On the Air: Both games of today’s doubleheader can be seen and heard online. Live streaming video and audio will be available online at the Ducks’ official YouTube channel. You can watch game one by CLICKING HERE and game two by CLICKING HERE. The nightcap can also be heard on the Ducks’ flagship radio station, 103.9-FM LI News Radio. Michael Polak will call the play-by-play. Fans can also follow a pitch-by-pitch account of the game via Pointstreak’s GameLive application by CLICKING HERE.

Finally, here are the starting lineups for game one:

Ducks
#44 Bryan Sabatella – RF
#28 Prentice Redman – LF
#20 Lew Ford – CF
#2   Cody Puckett – 3B
#33 Jon Griffin – 1B
#26 Jose Morales – C
#11 Reegie Corona – 2B
#22 Blake Davis – DH
#12 Dan Lyons – SS

#18 Bruce Kern – RHP

Barnstormers
#1   Yusuke Kajimoto – 2B
#3   Tyler Bortnick – 3B
#2   Blake Gailen – LF
#18 David Cooper – 1B
#31 Brian Cavazos-Galvez – RF
#21 Kevin Rivers – DH
#35 Dan Coury – C
#7   Lance Zawadzki – SS
#5   Masato Fukae – CF

#24 Bryan Woodall – RHP

We’ll have updates throughout both games of the doubleheader, so be sure to stay tuned here all day long. You can also follow the Ducks on Twitter (@LIDucks) for updates all year long!

GAME ONE

UPDATE (1:09): TOP 1: Bruce Kern kicks and deals a strike, and the first game of a DH from Bethpage Ballpark is underway!

UPDATE (1:39): BOT 2: A RBI double off the bat of Reegie Corona and it’s 1-0 Ducks!

UPDATE (1:41): BOT 2: Blake Davis with the RBI ground out to second and the Flock lead 2-0!

UPDATE (1:43): BOT 2: The runs keep coming! Dan Lyons makes it 3-0 with a RBI single to left-center! Four hits in the inning!

UPDATE (2:26): MID 5: Nick Struck works out of a jam in his first appearance as a Duck and we still lead 3-0! Lyons, Sabatella, and Redman due up!

UPDATE (2:52): MID 6: Brian Cavazos-Galvez gets Lancaster on the board with a RBI single. Ducks still lead 3-1.

UPDATE (3:03): TOP 7: Ryan Kussmaul comes in to try and close out the seven-inning game one of our Saturday DH!

UPDATE (3:11): FINAL: After a sac fly from Yusuke Kajimoto, Kussmaul rebounds and works out of a jam! Ducks win game one 3-2! Game two at 6:35!!!

 

GAME TWO

UPDATE (6:41): TOP 1: Mark Rogers paints the outside corner and game two is underway from Bethpage Ballpark!

UPDATE (6:57): BOT 1: The Ducks take a quick 2-0 lead on a two-run double from Cody Puckett! Puckett advances to third on the throw.

UPDATE (8:13): BOT 6: Lew Ford pads the Ducks lead over Lancaster and makes it 4-0 with a two-run triple! Pitching change for Lancaster.

UPDATE (8:18): BOT 6: A wild pitch and Lew Ford crosses home! Make it 5-0 Flock!

UPDATE (8:32): TOP 7: Mark Rogers is finished after six innings. He did not allow a hit. First start since his early-season injury. One BB, eight K’s.

UPDATE (9:06): BOT 8: Reegie Corona is RED hot! A RBI single makes it 6-0 Ducks! He now has a nine-game hitting streak!

UPDATE (9:18): FINAL: Lancaster gets a RBI ground out in the ninth, but Matt Soren wraps it up as Long Island wins 6-1! Three straight wins!

 

Game 7: Ducks at Blue Crabs

In baseball, it is very rare to see two games in a season that are almost exactly identical. Every game tends to be different in some way, shape, or form. However, the Ducks and Blue Crabs played two eerily similar games on Tuesday and Wednesday that were mirror images of each other. One day after the Blue Crabs shut out the Ducks by a 3-0 score and allowed just three hits, Long Island responded by blanking Southern Maryland by the same run count and limited the Blue Crabs to three hits as well. Both games took exactly two hours and 28 minutes, and both winning pitching staffs struck out eight batters. The only differences? Southern Maryland had seven hits in their win, while the Ducks had six, and Long Island’s pitching staff did not walk a single batter, while the Blue Crabs walked one.

On Wednesday night, Long Island relied on hits rather than outs to score their three runs. In the second inning against starter Brian Burres, Cody Puckett started the scoring with a tremendous solo home run to left that traveled well over 370 feet. It was his second longball of the season and fourth extra-base hit. Three innings later, Evan Crawford came through with a two-out RBI single up the middle after an error by Daryle Ward kept the inning alive. The Ducks tacked on one final insurance run in the eighth on Mike Blanke’s first hit and first RBI, a clean single through the left side that plated Crawford. Unlike the Blue Crabs’ three sacrifice flies on Tuesday night that accounted for their scoring, the Ducks came up with a few clutch hits to get their lead.

The focus for the Ducks was once again on pitching. Mickey Jannis made his first start with the Flock and showcased a good mix of pitches between a fastball, a curveball and the famous knuckleball. That mix of velocity and location kept hitters off balance, as he yielded just two hits and did not walk a batter. After he threw 72 pitches in five innings, the bullpen came on to slam the door shut on the Blue Crabs. Tommy Organ dominated in a 1-2-3 sixth inning, Amalio Diaz retired the side in order in the seventh, Hector Ambriz allowed just one hit in the eighth, and Ryan Kussmaul struck out two in a perfect ninth to record his fourth save in four chance. All four pitchers were incredibly efficient too, needing just 37 pitches (28 strikes) to get the final 12 outs. Overall, the pitching staff allowed just three hits and four baserunners, and they retired 21 of the final 22 batters.

CLICK HERE to listen to highlights from Wednesday’s victory
CLICK HERE to view Wednesday’s box score

Long Island has now guaranteed themselves a winning road trip to start the season, and a victory on Thursday night would give them back-to-back road series victories to begin the year. Hoping to earn the win for the Ducks is right-hander Mark Rogers, who will make his second start of the trip. He pitched fairly well in his first outing but threw one bad pitch that saddled him with the loss. The first pitch fastball that Brandon Jones hit for a three-run homer off him in the fourth inning on Saturday at York ended up being too much for the Ducks to overcome. The toughest part was that it came after a strikeout of Bryan Pounds, though the Revs third baseman reach first on a wild pitch to keep the inning alive. Last year with the Barnstormers, Rogers made four starts against the Blue Crabs. He posted a 1-0 record with a 4.50 ERA, allowing 17 hits and 14 walks with nine strikeouts in 16 innings. The former big leaguer gave up three earned runs over seven innings in two starts at Regency Furniture Stadium.

Across the diamond will be a familiar face for the Ducks in Shaun Garceau. The right-hander joined the Ducks late in 2013, helped the Flock to their second consecutive championship and then spent the entire 2014 season with Long Island. He combined to post a 15-5 record with a 4.52 ERA in 31 regular season games (30 starts). Garceau’s rights were traded to Southern Maryland in the offseason in exchange for the rights to Ian Marshall and Mickey Jannis. Garceau pitched well in his first start of the season but took a no-decision, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking four in six scoreless innings against the Patriots on Sunday. He’ll be starting on just three days of rest today. As a Duck, Garceau won all three starts he made in Southern Maryland, combining to allow just six runs in 19 innings (2.84 ERA).

Here are tonight’s game notes:

Ducks vs. Blue Crabs: Tonight’s game marks the 141st all-time meeting between the Ducks and Blue Crabs. Southern Maryland currently leads the series 76-64 and has a 38-29 record at Regency Furniture Stadium. Tonight is also the fourth of 20 scheduled games between the two teams in 2015. The Ducks currently lead the series 2-1. Long Island won the 2014 series by a 12-8 margin and went 7-3 at Southern Maryland.

Rotation Domination: Mickey Jannis continued the success of the Ducks’ starting rotation by picking up the win on Wednesday. In six games this season, Ducks starters have allowed just six runs in 32 innings of work, good for a 1.69 ERA. In that span, the starters have given up just 21 hits and six walks while striking out 22 batters. Long Island has allowed three runs or less in all six games and is 4-0 when allowing two runs or less.

Oh, What a Relief They Are: Long Island’s bullpen combined to pitch four scoreless innings of relief on Wednesday, allowing just one hit while striking out five. So far this season, Ducks relievers have surrendered just five runs (four earned) in 20 innings, good for a 1.80 ERA. In addition, they’ve yielded just 13 hits and seven walks while striking out 21.

The Streak Continues: Cody Puckett extended his on-base streak to six consecutive games with a solo homer in the second inning on Wednesday. Dating back to the 2014 season, the infielder has reached base safely in 17 consecutive games. Puckett had the longest on-base streak by a Duck in 2014 at 30 games (5/6 – 6/6). He currently leads the team in batting average (.316), hits (6), runs (6), homers (2), doubles (2) and walks (4).

Oh Mickey, You’re So Fine: Jannis continued his success at Regency Furniture Stadium on Wednesday with five scoreless innings on the mound. In seven career games (six starts) in Southern Maryland, the righty is 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA. He has allowed 11 runs (nine earned) on 29 hits and 13 walks while striking out 17 batters in 34 innings of work. Jannis made one relief appearance with the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2013 and five starts with the Blue Crabs in 2014 in addition to Wednesday’s start.

Three’s Company: The Ducks have won all four of their games this season by three runs. They defeated the York Revolution 5-2 on Friday and Sunday, and then topped Southern Maryland 4-1 on Monday and 3-0 on Wednesday. Long Islands last four games have all been decided by three runs.

On the Air: Tonight’s game will be broadcast with live streaming audio on the Ducks’ official YouTube channel. Fans can follow all the action with live streaming audio online by CLICKING HERE. Michael Polak will call the play-by-play. Fans can also follow a pitch-by-pitch account of the game via Pointstreak’s GameLive application by CLICKING HERE.

Finally, here are tonight’s starting lineups:

Ducks
#44 Bryan Sabatella – RF
#25 Erik Komatsu – CF
#20 Lew Ford – DH
#2   Cody Puckett – 3B
#33 Jon Griffin – 1B
#26 Jose Morales – C
#29 Evan Crawford – DH
#11 Reegie Corona – 2B
#12 Dan Lyons – SS

#37 Mark Rogers – RHP

Blue Crabs
#3   Antone DeJesus – CF
#17 Renny Osuna – 3B
#1   Fred Lewis – DH
#15 Cyle Hankerd – LF
#8   Craig Maddox – 1B
#24 Casey Stevenson – 2B
#6   Jamar Walton – RF
#23 Gustavo Molina – C
#4   Casey Frawley – SS

#10 Shaun Garceau – RHP

Stay tuned for updates all game long as the Ducks try to end the road trip with another victory before returning to Bethpage Ballpark for the 2015 Home Opener. You can also follow the Ducks on Twitter (@LIDucks) for updates all year long!

UPDATE (7:16): TOP 1: The two-out magic strikes again! Jon Griffin goes the opposite way for a two-run single! Ducks score first for the sixth time in seven games!

UPDATE (7:32): TOP 2: ANOTHER two-out hit for the Ducks! Bryan Sabatella plates Dan Lyons with a RBI single to left! 3-0 Flock!

UPDATE (7:45): BOT 2: Southern Maryland gets on the scoreboard, as Jamar Walton lifts a sac fly to center. 3-1 Ducks lead

UPDATE (8:05): BOT 3: Mark Rogers exits the game with an apparent injury after allowing back-to-back two-out walks. Patrick Crider is now in the game.

UPDATE (8:43): END 5: For a second straight outing, Carmine Giardina induces an inning ending double play to get out of a jam! Ducks still lead 3-1!

UPDATE (9:16): BOT 7: Blue Crabs squeak out a run on an infield single to second base by Antone DeJesus. Ducks lead 3-2 as we go to the eighth.

UPDATE (9:42): BOT 8: Blue Crabs pull even on a RBI double to left field by Craig Maddox. All tied at three in the ninth.

UPDATE (9:54): END 9: Frank DeJiulio, Jr. strands the winning run at third, and we’ll play extras in Southern Maryland. First time for the Ducks in 2015.

UPDATE (10:14): FINAL: Looked as though the Ducks had a double play to end the inning, but third base umpire says Corona missed the tag. Blue Crabs win 4-3.

Game 134: Ducks at Revolution

49 and 32. Those are two numbers that have certainly not been kind to the Ducks this season. What do those numbers represent? 49 is the number of one-run games that the Ducks have played this season. Out of 133 games total, that means a total of nearly 37% of Long Island’s games this season have been decided by one run. Comparatively, Southern Maryland ranks second in the league with 43 one-run games. Of those 49, the Ducks have lost 32 of them, meaning they are now 17-32 in one-run contests after their 2-1 defeat in York on Saturday night. Bridgeport is second behind the Ducks with 27 one-run defeats.  It’s a number that, if the Ducks miss the postseason, will haunt them until 2015.

A look at the four teams who are currently in a playoff position shows just how important one-run games are:

Somerset Patriots: 24-15
York Revolution: 23-17
Lancaster Barnstormers: 25-16
Sugar Land Skeeters: 22-10

Saturday’s game was another good pitcher’s duel that turned into a battle of the bullpens. Doug Arguello started for the Ducks, battled out of jams in the first two innings, but ultimately surrendered two runs on three hits and three walks in the third inning to cut his night short. Jorge Martinez made the start for York, and he gave up a run in the third which gave the Ducks the lead. However, he was strong otherwise and finished with five innings of one-run ball. Ultimately, both bullpens did a magnificent job in the game, but the Revs were able to hold the Ducks off the scoreboard and preserve the victory. Here’s a look at how both bullpens did on Saturday night:

Ducks
Bob Zimmermann: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Tommy Organ: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Josh Lansford: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Total: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K

Revolution
Ricardo Gomez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Joe Harris: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Mike DeMark: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Mark Hendrickson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Total: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Long Island had chances to tie the game in the sixth and seventh, getting a runner to third base with two outs in both innings. However, Bill Hall popped out to short to end the sixth, and Jan Vazquez struck out to end the seventh. The Ducks came close to tying the game and forcing extras for a second straight night, but they unfortunately could not tally the equalizer.
CLICK HERE to view the full recap from Saturday’s game, complete with audio highlights. CLICK HERE to check out the updated playoff scenarios for the Ducks following Saturday night’s Atlantic League games.

This afternoon, the Ducks will close out their road schedule for the 2014 regular season with the rubber game of the three-game set in York. On the mound today will be a pair of right-handers who have earned Atlantic League championships over the last four baseball seasons. The Ducks will send out right-hander Bobby Blevins, who won titles with the Ducks in 2012 and 2013. He enters with a 9-4 record and a 2.79 ERA in 25 starts. In his most recent start on Tuesday against the Blue Crabs, he lost for the first time since June 29 and ended a streak of 12 consecutive quality starts. Blevins allowed seven runs (three earned) over five and two-thirds innings in the 10-1 defeat. He’ll try and rebound today against a team he has been successful against this year. In five starts against York in 2014, Blevins is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA and one complete game, with 17 strikeouts in 35 innings of work.

He’ll be opposed by Revolution veteran Corey Thurman, who won titles with York in 2010 and 2011. The right-hander is having a nice bounce back season this year with an 8-6 record and a 3.95 ERA in 23 starts. In his last start on Tuesday, Thurman picked up his first win nearly a month, tossing five innings of one-run ball in a 6-1 victory over the Skeeters in York. He allowed four hits and four walk while striking out four in that start and broke a string of four straight starts in which he allowed at least four runs. Thurman has also been successful against the Flock this year, posting a 2-0 record and a 2.25 ERA in four starts.

Here are today’s game notes:

Ducks vs. Revolution: Today marks the final meeting of the season between the Ducks and Revolution and last of 10 games between them in York. The Revolution currently lead the series 12-7, including a 6-3 advantage in York. Long Island and York have played 154 games against each other all-time. The series is currently tied at 77 while the Revs have a 45-31 advantage at Santander Stadium.

Double the Fun: Fehlandt Lentini picked up his 35th double of the year in the third inning on Saturday night. That moved him into a tie for third place in the Atlantic League in doubles with Corey Smith of Somerset. Lew Ford leads the league with 38 two-baggers during the 2014 season.

Oh, What a Relief He Is: Tommy Organ continued his success out of the bullpen with a scoreless inning on Saturday night. He has now appeared in nine consecutive games without allowing a run. In that span, the southpaw has given up four hits and two walks while striking out seven over eight and two-thirds innings. In addition, Organ has allowed a run in just one of his 17 games thus far with Long Island (3, 8/24 against Somerset).

Multi-Hit Night: Jan Vazquez collected two hits on Saturday night to earn his sixth multi-hit game of the year, all of which have been two-hit contests. Lew Ford leads the Flock with 54 multi-hit games, while Lentini’s 35 two-hit games lead Long Island. Vazquez has now picked up hits in three consecutive games, going 5-for-11 (.455 AVG) in them.

Hot Start: C.J. Retherford collected two hits and a run batted in on Friday night. He has picked up a hit in nine of his 11 games with the Flock since being acquired on September 2. The infielder has 13 hits in his first 41 at-bats (.317 AVG) with six RBI, five runs and five walks. Three of his six RBI have come with two outs in an inning, and he now has four multi-hit games.

On the Air: Today’s ballgame with be broadcast on Long Island’s home for news, traffic and weather 103.9 FM LI News Radio. Fans can also follow all of the action online by CLICKING HERE. Michael Polak will call the play-by-play.

Finally, here are today’s starting lineups.

Ducks
#24 Fehlandt Lentini – CF
#25 Brendan Harris – 3B
#20 Lew Ford – DH
#13 Adam Bailey – LF
#11 C.J. Retherford – 1B
#2   Cody Puckett – 2B
#14 Brandon Bantz – C
#22 Joash Brodin – RF
#12 Dan Lyons – SS

#18 Bobby Blevins – RHP

Revolution
#7   Justin Greene – RF
#12 Sean Smith – CF
#37 Bryant Nelson – 3B
#2   Chad Tracy – DH
#14 Johan Limonta – 1B
#17 Travis Garcia – SS
#38 Omar Luna – 2B
#34 Salvador Paniagua – C
#9   Tim Battle – LF

#35 Corey Thurman – RHP

Keep it here for updates throughout the game at Santander Stadium as the Ducks look to take the series from York in their final road trip of the regular season!

UPDATE (2:21): No score after one inning here in York. Bobby Blevins tosses a 1-2-3 bottom of the first to start things off!

UPDATE (2:32): TOP 2: Ducks plate a pair of runs on a one-out RBI double by Brandon Bantz and a two-out RBI single by Dan Lyons!

UPDATE (3:17): BOT 3: Revolution strike for four runs on four hits and three walks to take a 4-2 lead.

UPDATE (3:37): TOP 5: Lyons brings the Ducks to within a run on a solo homer over the Arch Nemesis in left! Fourth HR of the season for Lyons!

UPDATE (3:54): BOT 5: Revolution add two more runs on a sac fly from Travis Garcia and a RBI single by Omar Luna. York leads it 6-3.

UPDATE (4:47): END 8: Brett Lorin works around two errors and a walk to toss a scoreless inning! Ducks bullpen with 3.2 scoreless innings today.

UPDATE (5:18): FINAL: Ducks drop road trip finale 6-4 to the Revolution after Joash Brodin’s RBI single in the ninth. Homestand begins Tuesday at 6:35 p.m.