First-half success for Ducks

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Reaching the midway point of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball campaign with the best half-season record in their 16-year history, the Long Island Ducks (46-23) have plenty to be excited about but also more work to do.

“We had an excellent half,” Ducks fifth-year manager Kevin Baez said. “Unfortunately it wasn’t good enough for first place, which makes it a little frustrating because you want to see the guys rewarded for all the hard work.

“We still like our chances to make the playoffs,” he added. “We’ve got a great clubhouse and we’re looking forward to a strong second half. Once you make the playoffs, everyone knows anything can happen.”

Despite winning 23 games in June, along with a franchise-record 17 straight at Bethpage Ballpark, the Ducks entered the final series of the first half with no shot to catch the Somerset Patriots in the Liberty Division race. The Patriots broke the league mark for most victories in a half with 50, surpassing the previous record of 48 held by the Atlantic City Surf in the second half of 2005 and the Sugar Land Skeeters in the opening half of 2013.

“Both teams aced the test,” Ducks President/General Manager Michael Pfaff said of Long Island and Somerset. “Only we got a 95 and they got 100.”

Somerset’s first half success was led by the league’s best pitching staff that produced a dominating 2.51 team ERA. Sean Bierman leads the Patriots with a 7-2 record and ranks second in the league with a 1.86 ERA, trailing only Ducks knuckleballer Mickey Jannis (6-2, 1.18 ERA, 67 strikeouts) who was signed by the New York Mets organization on July 1.

“On and off the field, we like our group,” Pfaff added. “It’s going to be an exciting second half. We encourage fans to keep coming out to the ballpark. This year’s marketing slogan is ‘Good Times, Every Time,’ and we have a promotion for every game to add to the fans’ experience.”

The average Ducks home crowd of 5,079, best in the league, has been given plenty to cheer about, especially in June when the club went unbeaten in 15 home games and outscored opponents by a combined 77-38. The Ducks, 28-6 at home, also won their first two July games at Bethpage Ballpark before seeing the streak end with a loss to Somerset on the 3rd. Long Island came back to beat the Patriots the next two nights, giving it 19 wins out of 20.

“It’s something we’re really proud of,” outfielder Lew Ford said of the remarkable run at home. “I can’t remember the last time we lost at home. The atmosphere here is tremendous.”

The Ducks boast the league’s top four hitters (Ford, Dan Lyons, Dalton Cleary Jr., and Reegie Corona) and ranked No. 2 behind Somerset in the pitching department in the first half.

“I like the passion and competitiveness these guys bring to the field every day,” Baez said. “One thing we’ve preached since spring training is quality at-bats.”

Ford has picked up where he left off last season when he became the second player in Ducks history to win Atlantic League Player of the Year honors. He leads the league in batting average (.361) and RBIs (58) and ranks among the leaders in home runs with eight. Last year he played in all 140 games, becoming the first player in league history to accomplish the feat, and set a single-season record for hits with 189.

Lyons, a veteran shortstop who played in his 500th game for the Ducks on July 2, hit .327 in the first half and ranked third in RBIs with 38. Cleary Jr., an outfielder signed on May 14, has been a huge addition with a .326 average, 30 runs and 15 stolen bases in 47 games. Corona, another newcomer to the organization, has 75 hits and a .325 average.

On the bump, John Brownell and Ian Marshall will be asked to anchor the starting staff in the second half following the departures of Jannis and Andrew Barbosa (Atlanta Braves). Brownell is 6-1 with a 3.24 ERA and 64 strikeouts, while Marshall has three wins and a 2.81 ERA. Closer Ryan Kussmaul leads the league in saves with 19 and is 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA.