Ducks Open Season By Catching Crabs

By Atlantic League Independent Wire Services on April 24, 2009

Waldorf, MD - In front of a Regency Furniture Stadium record crowd of 7,241, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs dropped an opening day decision to the Long Island Ducks on Thursday night.  After the Ducks leapt out to a 3-0 lead after 2 ½ innings, the Blue Crabs clawed back to make it 3-2 on three consecutive hits with two outs in the home half of the third.  However, a four-run Long Island fifth was too much for the Crabs to overcome in a 7-4 defeat.

Reigning Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Joe Gannon got the start for the Blue Crabs, but Long Island was able to figure out his knuckleball early and often.  Ron Davenport (double) and Johnny Hernandez (single) each stroked RBI hits in the first inning for the visitors.  The Ducks jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a home run that just cleared the left field wall by Major League veteran Preston Wilson in the third inning.

The Blue Crabs would respond nicely in the fourth, as Jeremy Owens doubled with two out, and came home to score a batter later on a James Shanks double.  Travis Garcia then singled home Shanks to pull the Blue Crabs within a run at 3-2.

Gannon’s undoing would come in the fifth, as he allowed four consecutive base hits and a walk, and was chased from the game after 4 1/3 innings.  Lew Ford (double), Ray Navarrete, Wilson and Davenport all registered hits, with Wilson and Davenport picking up their second RBIs of the night.  After Gannon walked Raul Gonzalez, he was replaced by fire-balling right-hander Edward Rodriguez of the Crabs, who surrendered an RBI sacrifice fly to Hernandez, (run credited to Gannon) but escaped the rest of the inning unscathed.

The 7-2 deficit would be more than enough for Long Island to hang on to the victory, as Southern Maryland tallied just two more runs; a two-out RBI single by Garcia in the fifth, and a two-out solo home run by Pat Osborn in the eighth.  Osborn’s homer came off 14-year MLB veteran reliever Dan Miceli, and was to one of the deepest parts of the ballpark, the left-centerfield power alley.  All four of the Blue Crabs runs were scored with two men out, and on each occasion there were no men on base when the Crabs put runners in position to score.

Other Blue Crabs bright spots included an errorless ballgame defensively, and sparkling relief pitching.  After Gannon was tagged for seven earned runs, the combination of Rodriguez (1 2/3 innings), lefty Jason Navarro (1 inning), Jimmy Serrano (1.2 innings), and lefty Matt Schweitzer (1/3 innings), did not allow a single Long Island run after the Hernandez sac-fly off Rodriguez in the fifth, the run that was charged to Gannon on the inherited runner.

The Osborn home run off Miceli was the only run scored off the Long Island bullpen, which featured one inning each from Bubbie Buzachero, Joe Valentine, Miceli and Bill Simas.  The Osborn homer in the eighth turned the game into a save situation for Simas as the Ducks were up by three runs, and he retired the Blue Crabs in order in the ninth to nail down the save.

Left-hander and former New York Yankee, Arizona Diamondback and Oakland Athletic Brad Halsey pitched five solid innings for Long Island to get the win in his first start since 2007 when he played with Oakland’s Triple-A farm club, the Sacramento River Cats of the Pacific Coast League.  All three runs were earned off Halsey, as he gave up six hits, struck out four and walked two.  Gannon surrendered eight hits, striking out six and walking three.

The Blue Crabs will be in action next tomorrow night at home at Regency Furniture Stadium.  First pitch is at 7:05, and the stadium gates open at 6 p.m.  Scheduled starters are RHP Ken Ray for Long Island, and RHP Ryan Bicandoa for Southern Maryland.

Long Island Ducks at Blue Crabs

Apr 23, 2009 at Waldorf, MD (Regency Furn Stadium)

Long Island Ducks 7 (1-0)            Blue Crabs 4 (0-1)

AB  R  H RBI                         AB  R  H RBI

Ford,L cf          5  1  2  0        Owens,J cf         3  2  1  0

Navarrete,R 3b     5  1  1  0        Shanks,J dh        3  1  1  1

Wilson,P dh        4  3  3  2        Garcia,T ss        4  0  3  2

Davenport,R 1b     5  2  2  2        Osborn,P 3b        4  1  2  1

Gonzalez,R rf      2  0  1  0        Crozier,E 1b       4  0  0  0

Hernandez,J lf     3  0  2  2        Doetsch,S rf       4  0  0  0

Prieto,A ss        4  0  0  1        Jeroloman,C 2b     4  0  0  0

Pachot,J c         4  0  0  0        Burkhart,L c       4  0  0  0

Francia,J 2b       4  0  0  0        Giannotti,R lf     4  0  1  0

Halsey,B p         0  0  0  0        Gannon,J p         0  0  0  0

Buzachero,E p      0  0  0  0        Rodriguez,E p      0  0  0  0

Valentine,J p      0  0  0  0        Navarro,J p        0  0  0  0

Miceli,D p         0  0  0  0        Serrano,J p        0  0  0  0

Simas,B p          0  0  0  0        Schweitzer,M p     0  0  0  0

Totals……      36  7 11  7        Totals……      34  4  8  4

Score by innings:                      R  H  E

———————————————-

Long Island Ducks     201 040 000   -  7 11  1

Blue Crabs            002 010 010   -  4  8  0

———————————————-

E – Davenport,R. DP – Blue Crabs 1. LOB – Ducks 6; Blue Crabs 5. 2B -

Ford,L; Davenport,R; Gonzalez,R; Owens,J. HR – Wilson,P(1); Osborn,P(1). SF

- Hernandez,J. SB – Garcia,T; Crozier,E. CS – Ford,L; Giannotti,R.

IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF Fly Gnd

Halsey,B W 1-0        5.0  6  3  3  2  4   0  0  0  0   20 22   6  4

Buzachero,E           1.0  0  0  0  0  1   0  0  0  0    3  3   2  0

Valentine,J           1.0  1  0  0  0  1   0  0  0  0    3  3   1  0

Miceli,D              1.0  1  1  1  0  2   0  0  0  0    5  5   0  1

Simas,B S,1           1.0  0  0  0  0  2   0  0  0  0    3  3   0  1

Gannon,J L 0-1        4.1  8  7  7  3  6   1  0  0  0   20 24   3  4

Rodriguez,E           1.2  0  0  0  0  0   1  0  0  0    5  5   2  3

Navarro,J             1.0  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0    4  4   2  1

Serrano,J             1.2  2  0  0  0  1   0  0  0  0    6  6   3  0

Schweitzer,M          0.1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0    1  1   1  0

WP – Gannon,J; Rodriguez,E.

Strikeouts – Ford,L; Navarrete,R; Davenport,R; Pachot,J 2; Francia,J 2;

Owens,J; Shanks,J; Osborn,P; Doetsch,S 2; Jeroloman,C 3; Burkhart,L 2.

Walks – Wilson,P; Gonzalez,R 2; Owens,J; Shanks,J.

Umpires – Home:Dan Wilson  1st:Dave Perry  3rd:Mayhue Edwards

Start: 7:05 PM   Time: 2:48   Attendance: 7241

Game Notes:

Friday’s Probables:

LI:   RHP Ken Ray (0-0)

SMD:  RHP Ryan Bicondoa (0-0)

Official Scorer:  Gary Swenson

The Automated ScoreBook

Long Island Ducks at Blue Crabs

Apr 23, 2009 at Waldorf, MD (Regency Furn Stadium)

Score by innings:                      R  H  E

———————————————-

Long Island Ducks     201 040 000   -  7 11  1

Blue Crabs            002 010 010   -  4  8  0

———————————————-

Long Island Ducks inning 1

Ford,L struck out swinging.  Navarrete,R struck out swinging.  Wilson,P

walked.  Davenport,R doubled to left center, RBI; Wilson,P scored.

Gonzalez,R walked.  Hernandez,J singled to center field, RBI; Gonzalez,R

advanced to second; Davenport,R scored.  Prieto,A reached on a fielder’s

choice; Hernandez,J out at second 3b to 2b.  2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2

LOB.

Blue Crabs inning 1

Owens,J flied out to cf.  Shanks,J grounded out to 3b.  Garcia,T singled to

left center, out at second lf to 2b.  0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Long Island Ducks inning 2

Pachot,J struck out looking.  Francia,J struck out looking.  Ford,L flied

out to cf.  0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Blue Crabs inning 2

Osborn,P singled down the rf line.  Crozier,E grounded out to p; Osborn,P

advanced to second.  Doetsch,S struck out swinging.  Jeroloman,C struck out

swinging.  0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Long Island Ducks inning 3

Navarrete,R grounded out to 3b.  Wilson,P homered to left field, RBI.

Davenport,R struck out swinging, reached first on a wild pitch.  Gonzalez,R

grounded into double play 3b to 2b to 1b; Davenport,R out on the play.  1

run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Blue Crabs inning 3

Burkhart,L fouled out to 1b.  Giannotti,R grounded out to ss.  Owens,J

doubled to left field.  Shanks,J singled, advanced to second on the throw,

RBI; Owens,J scored.  Garcia,T singled to right field, RBI; Shanks,J scored.

Garcia,T stole second.  Osborn,P grounded out to 1b unassisted.  2 runs, 3

hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Long Island Ducks inning 4

Hernandez,J singled to right field.  Prieto,A reached on a fielder’s choice;

Hernandez,J out at second 1b to ss.  Pachot,J struck out swinging.

Francia,J flied out to lf.  0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Blue Crabs inning 4

Crozier,E flied out to rf.  Doetsch,S popped up to 3b.  Jeroloman,C fouled

out to c.  0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Long Island Ducks inning 5

Ford,L doubled down the lf line.  Navarrete,R singled to right field; Ford,L

advanced to third.  Wilson,P singled to left field, RBI; Navarrete,R

advanced to second; Ford,L scored.  Davenport,R singled down the rf line,

RBI; Wilson,P advanced to third; Navarrete,R scored.  Gonzalez,R walked;

Davenport,R advanced to second.  Hernandez,J flied out to lf, SF, RBI;

Davenport,R advanced to third; Wilson,P scored.  Rodriguez,E to p for

Gannon,J.  Gonzalez,R advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Prieto,A grounded

out to ss, RBI; Davenport,R scored.  Pachot,J grounded out to p.  4 runs, 4

hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Blue Crabs inning 5

Burkhart,L struck out swinging.  Giannotti,R flied out to lf.  Owens,J

walked.  Shanks,J walked; Owens,J advanced to second.  Garcia,T singled to

left field, RBI; Shanks,J advanced to third; Owens,J scored.  Osborn,P

struck out looking.  1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Long Island Ducks inning 6

Francia,J grounded out to p.  Ford,L flied out to rf.  Navarrete,R flied out

to rf.  0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Blue Crabs inning 6

Buzachero,E to p for Halsey,B.  Crozier,E flied out to cf.  Doetsch,S fouled

out to c.  Jeroloman,C struck out looking.  0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Long Island Ducks inning 7

Navarro,J to p for Rodriguez,E.  Wilson,P flied out to cf.  Davenport,R

popped up to 2b.  Gonzalez,R doubled down the lf line.  Hernandez,J grounded

out to ss.  0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Blue Crabs inning 7

Valentine,J to p for Buzachero,E.  Burkhart,L flied out to cf.  Giannotti,R

singled to shortstop.  Giannotti,R out at second c to 2b, caught stealing.

Owens,J struck out looking.  0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Long Island Ducks inning 8

Serrano,J to p for Navarro,J.  Prieto,A flied out to rf.  Pachot,J flied out to rf.  Francia,J struck out swinging.  0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Blue Crabs inning 8

Miceli,D to p for Valentine,J.  Shanks,J struck out swinging.  Garcia,T

grounded out to ss.  Osborn,P homered to left center, RBI.  Crozier,E

reached on an error by 1b.  Crozier,E stole second.  Doetsch,S struck out

swinging, out at first c to 1b.  1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Long Island Ducks inning 9

Ford,L singled through the left side.  Navarrete,R flied out to lf.  Ford,L

out at second c to ss, caught stealing.  Wilson,P singled to right field.

Schweitzer,M to p for Serrano,J.  Davenport,R popped up to 2b.  0 runs, 2

hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Blue Crabs inning 9

Simas,B to p for Miceli,D.  Jeroloman,C struck out swinging.  Burkhart,L

struck out swinging.  Giannotti,R grounded out to 2b.  0 runs, 0 hits, 0

errors, 0 LOB.

Game Notes:

Friday’s Probables:

LI:   RHP Ken Ray (0-0)

SMD:  RHP Ryan Bicondoa (0-0)

Official Scorer:  Gary Swenson

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