Dittler Pitches Gem For Ducks

By Brian Bohl on May 31, 2009

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY- Jake Dittler’s best statistical season came in 2007, when Cleveland’s 2001 second-round draft pick went a combined 9-2 for the Indians Double and Triple-A affiliates.

Dittler still carried a 4.47 ERA that season, hardly numbers that suggest ace status. But Dittler’s best performance as a Duck came at crucial time with the club putting former staff No. 1 Randy Leek on the inactive list with an oblique injury.

Leek, who won a team-high 12 games for the Ducks last season, was removed from the active roster Saturday morning. Hours later, Dittler tossed seven shutout innings against York and Estee Harris drove in two runs, leading the Ducks to a 4-0 victory over the Revolution in front of 7,053 at Citibank Park.

“Tonight’s performance was outstanding when we needed a good performance,” Carter said. “To go seven innings and throw 88 pitches… I thought it was one of the better outings that we’ve had all year because he was getting ahead with his pitches and he never got himself into any trouble.”

Through his first four Ducks appearances, Dittler was tagged for a 10.80 ERA, allowing 15 hits in just 8 1/3 innings. The 6-4, 220-pound pitcher rewarded manager Gary Carter’s faith, retiring seven straight batters at one point in limiting York to three hits. Dittler struck out four and nearly cut his ERA in half, walking only one batter in the process The Ducks won its second straight to move over the .500 mark at 17-16.

“That’s what they brought me in for and that’s what I’m trying to do,” Dittler said. “Losing Leek was big but we’ll get him back and get him back healthy.

“Coming in, I was sitting at home and not working as much as I wanted. When I got here, I had to feel myself at a little bit and got into the rotation and got in my routine and I’m trying to hit my stride here.”

Leek was 12-3 with a 3.66 ERA in 2008, earning the Opening Day start while tying a team-high mark with two complete games in helping the Ducks to a fifth straight Atlantic League playoff berth.

The Levittown native and MacArthur High School standout couldn’t duplicate his effort. Leek’s 1-5 start with a 7.78 ERA was the dichotomy of his previous season. In seven starts, Leek averaged less than six innings per start and allowed 60 hits in 37 innings, necessitating a roster shakeup and give Leek time to heal.

“We figured by putting him on the inactive list, that will give him a couple of weeks to get healthy,” Carter said. “This is the best thing for him at this time.”

Before the game, the Ducks placed veteran reliever Dan Miceli on the inactive list. That hit to the bullpen didn’t hurt the club in this contest after Joe Valentine escaped a bases-loaded, one out jam in the eighth.

Valentine was unusually wild, sandwiching walks around a single after retiring the first batter. With the bases loaded, Valentine settled down, inducing a flyout to shallow left and getting Matt Padgett to pop out to second to end the threat and keep the team’s shutout bid intact.  Closer Bill Simas struck out the side a non-save situation in the ninth.

“I felt good,” Dittler said. “I wanted to go out and let guys put the ball in play. The defense did a great job making all the plays on the groundballs.”

York’s Dave Gassner matched Dittler pitch-for-pitch before the Ducks mounted a two-run fifth to break a scoreless tie. Preston Wilson’s one-out single started the rally and Victor Rodriguez followed by lining a run-scoring single off the right-centerfield wall to plate Wilson. Johnny Hernandez walked and John Pachot singled sharply to right, loading the bases.

Harris hit under the ball slightly, missing a grand slam but still sending it deep enough to center for a sacrifice fly a 2-0 lead. The Central Islip native extended that advantage one inning later, coming through with a clutch two-out single to center to plate Rodriguez.

“We had a great pitching performance and when your pitcher goes out and does that, it makes you want to go out and get runs for him,” said Harris, who finished 2-3 and made a strong throw off a catch in left to prevent York’s potential eighth-inning sacrifice fly. “When a guy puts up a performance like that, you definently feel motivated to go out and give him as much as you can.”

Dittler first came to the Atlantic League last season, splitting the campaign with Camden and Texas’ Double-A affiliate. The 26-year-old did not allow a runner past first base after the second inning, putting the Ducks in position to sweep the three-game series Sunday.

York and Bridgeport are the league’s two last place teams and the Ducks are now 2-0 in a 10-game stretch against the bottom feeders. Combined with Southern Maryland’s loss, the Ducks are 3 ½ games behind in the Liberty Division and are looking to make strides.

“We obviously have a little momentum going right now,” Carter said. “Hopefully we can get things going again and get everybody healthy.”

Notes: One day after welcoming the four millionth fan in team history, the Ducks drew another stellar crowd. The attendance total was more than 1,000 people the club recorded on Opening Day, where 6,051 came to the park. The Ducks previous season-high was 6,411, set on the second home game May 2…Former Yankee Brad Halsey will look to find his early season rhythm when he takes the mound for the Ducks Sunday afternoon. Game time is set for 1:35 p.m.

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