Pluck-A-Couple-Ducks

(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 29, 2012) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Camden Riversharks 5-3 on Wednesday night in the final game of a three-game series at Bethpage Ballpark.

Camden took an early 2-0 lead in the first against Ducks starter Bobby Blevins on a sac fly to right by Brian Burgamy and a RBI single to right by Eduardo Perez. The Ducks grabbed a run in the second on Shawn Williams’ RBI groundout off Riversharks starter Eddy Camacho to cut the deficit to one.

Long Island then jumped in front 3-2 in the fourth on Josh Johnson’s two-out two-run single to right with the bases loaded. It stayed that way until the ninth when the ‘Sharks scored three to take a 5-3 lead. Burgamy’s RBI double, a sac fly by Raul Padron and a run-scoring single from Perez did the damage.

Neither starter factored into the decision. Blevins tossed five innings, yielding two runs on five hits with four strikeouts, and Camacho pitched six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out four. James Houser (2-0) got the win after tossing a scoreless eighth inning, and Armando Benitez (2-1) suffered the loss, surrendering three runs on three hits in the ninth. Leo Rosales earned his second save with a scoreless ninth.

Hey, At Least We Got Free Ice Cream: Revs, Cody Shutout 'Sharks 8-0

When York leadoff hitter Brandon Haveman took the second pitch he saw from 'Sharks starter Eddy Camacho deep over the right field wall, I knew it would be a long afternoon for our Camden Riversharks.

York sent eight men to the plate in the first inning, scoring three more times after Haveman's solo shot. Things never got better for Camacho or the 'Sharks, as they were blanked by a superior Revs team in an embarrassing 8-0 blowout. It was Camden's third straight loss, and drops them to 6 games behind the Liberty Division leading Southern Maryland Bluecrabs.

Camacho went six innings, giving up six runs on twelve hits. He struck out six.

Camden could only manage four hits all afternoon against Revs pitching, and only one of those, a Pedro Feliz leadoff double in the seventh, went for extra bases. York starter Chris Cody cruised through the 'Sharks lineup, at one point retiring sixteen batters in a row.

In relief of Camacho, and holding true to form, Spencer Steedley managed to give up two more runs on four hits in just an inning of work. In an ironic twist, the much beleaguered Josh Walter and Zach Hammes combined to work back to back 1-2-3 innings in what might've been Camden's only bright spot for this game.

Another Day, Another Bullpen Meltdown, 'Sharks Lose 10-3

Ryan Harvey was having a bad night.

The 'Stormers designated hitter had struck out swinging in each of his first three at bats. With his team leading 4-3 in the seventh inning, Harvey was at the dish again, with two men on, staring at an 0-2 count from 'Sharks reliever Spencer Steedley.

If you've followed the misadventures of the Camden Riversharks bullpen at all this season, you already know how this story ends.

Harvey drilled Steedley's next pitch to the base of the centerfield wall, scoring Blake Gailen and Tommy Everidge, and putting the 'Stormers up 6-3. Lancaster went on to score three more times in the inning, on RBI singles from Francisco Hernandez and Bridger Hunt, to take a 9-3 lead into the eighth. They went on to win 10-3.

Let's back up a minute. The 'Sharks, suddenly finding themselves with a hole in their starting rotation due to Sean Jarrett's DL stint, and with their tired bullpen in shambles, need pitching help in the worst way possible.

The worst way possible, for those unaware, is the nightmare trifeca of Spencer Steedley, Josh Walter, and Zach Hammes, who combined have been scored on more times than Sasha Grey in estrous.

So it was with some relief that I learned Eddy Camacho, late of the "Venezuelan Visa Problems" episode, was stepping in to a starting role. Camacho indeed had problems earlier in the season finding the strike zone, but as of late had pitched well when needed. He went five innings tonight, giving up three runs on eight hits while striking out four. Not dominant, but he battled, and he wasn't the main problem.

Neither was the 'Sharks offense, with their fourteen hits, thought they had major trouble driving in runs tonight. And while Jake Eigsti's 0 for 4, grounding into two inning ending double plays performance was frustrating, you've gotta find solace in Chris Walker's 3 for 5 night, or Pedro Feliz' solo shot in the fourth that tied the game.

No, the main problem, as it has been for the entire second half so far, is the bullpen. More specifically, Steedley, Walter and Hammes. Steedley and Walter's ERA's are the team's worst, at 6.29 and 6.30. As long as these three clowns are our only 'pen options, the 'Sharks might as well pack it in and hope for a better 2013. Compare that to Leo Rosales, who at 1.13 has the team's BEST ERA. Or Lujan, and his 20 saves. Heck, even Blake King is pitching better. Change is needed, but sadly, it seems the options are few.

Jarrett, Gomez Headed To The DL

The 'Sharks announced today they have placed pitchers Sean Jarrett and Mariano Gomez on the disabled list. The news is undoubtedly bad for an already beat up pitching staff, who now have to deal with a four man rotation and the loss of a key lefty in the bullpen. This is Jarrett's second stint on the DL, after being out for two weeks with a forearm injury just last month. Eddy Camacho or newly acquired James Houser might be forced into a starting spot, but odds are good we'll be seeing some new faces pitching for Camden in the very near future.

In Which The 'Sharks Blow Another Lead, And The Writer Loses His Shit

 Iggy Suarez' two out single in the bottom of the 10th scored Aaron Bates, and the Sugarland Skeeters capped a remarkable five run comeback with a 6-5 victory over the Riversharks tonight at Constellation Field.

Camden led 5-1 in the 8th, andOH I CAN'T WRITE THIS RECAP,OK?? LOOK, JOSH WALTER AND ZACH HAMMES STINK. THERE"S NO GETTING AROUND THE FACT THAT SINCE BERGMANN WAS PICKED UP OUR BULLPEN HAS GONE TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET. EDDY CAMACHO AND LEO ROSALES COMBINED FOR SEVEN GREAT INNINGS, THEN WALTER AND HAMMES CAME IN AND SHIT ALL OVER THEIR EFFORTS. JESUS CHRIST, THE NEW GUY DELWYN YOUNG GOES THREE FOR THREE, EDDY PEREZ GOES THREE FOR FIVE WITH TWO RBI, MATERA AND EIGSTI BOTH HOMER, AND IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH!!!!

LOOK AT THIS CLUSTERFUCK OF AN EIGHTH INNING:

Bottom of 8th	Sugar Land Skeeters
Pitching Substitution	38 Josh Walter subs for Leo Rosales.
#16 Octavio Martinez	Called Strike
Defensive Substitution	8 Danny Santiesteban subs for Steve Doetsch at Right Field.
#16 Octavio Martinez	16 Octavio Martinez advances to 1st (single)
#4 Dominic Ramos	Ball, 4 Dominic Ramos advances to 1st (hit by pitch), 16 Octavio Martinez advances to 2nd (4)
#11 Ofilio Castro	Foul, Called Strike, Foul, 11 Ofilio Castro advances to 1st (error by the second baseman), 4 Dominic Ramos advances to 2nd (11), 16 Octavio Martinez advances to 3rd (11)
#10 Bubba Bell	Called Strike, Swinging Strike, 10 Bubba Bell advances to 2nd (double), 11 Ofilio Castro advances to 3rd (10), 4 Dominic Ramos Scores Earned (10), 16 Octavio Martinez Scores Earned (10)
Pitching Substitution	28 Zach Hammes subs for Josh Walter.
#25 Jason Lane	Ball, Ball, Ball, 25 Jason Lane advances to 1st (walk)
#31 Josh Pressley	Ball, Foul, Ball, Ball, 31 Josh Pressley advances to 1st (walk), 25 Jason Lane advances to 2nd (31), 10 Bubba Bell advances to 3rd (31), 11 Ofilio CastroScores Unearned (31)
Offensive Substitution	23 Matt Hagen runs for Josh Pressley at 1st base.
#34 Aaron Bates	Ball, Swinging Strike, Ball, Ball, 34 Aaron Bates advances to 1st (walk), 23 Matt Hagen advances to 2nd (34), 25 Jason Lane advances to 3rd (34), 10 Bubba Bell Scores Earned (34)
#19 Steve Moss	Ball, Called Strike, Called Strike, 19 Steve Moss putout (strike out swinging) for out number 1
#2 Iggy Suarez	Called Strike, 23 Matt Hagen putout (5) for out number 2, 2 Iggy Suarez putout (5-3 DP) for out number 3
Runs: 4, Hits: 2, Errors: 1, LOB: 2

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?? THE FIRST THING HAMMES DOES IS WALK A GUY ON FOUR PITCHES!! HE THEN PROCEEDS TO WALK THE BASES LOADED. IT'S A MIRACLE THE SKEETERS DIDN'T SCORE 40 RUNS!!

SO THE GAMES TIED AND HEADED TO EXTRAS. IN THE TOP OF THE 10TH, THE SHARKS LOAD THE BASES WITH ONE OUT BUT CAN'T GET A SINGLE RUN OUT OF IT!!

THE SKEETERS, ON THE OTHER HAND, GET A TWO OUT TRIPLE FROM AARON BATES!! FUCKING SPENCER STEEDLEY!! I'M GOING TO MAKE A SIGN FOR THE BULLPEN THAT SAYS 'ABANDON ALL LEADS, YE WHO ENTER HERE' GAAAcjfa;lfa lvrilr98 lfdkhviv nI ALkhfl nhfiQH aslSHFAlFH lFHD aslFalf hfhlofHOIRHOIHoiHoidJW

[Ed. Note - Apparently, Jim knocked himself out banging his head on the keyboard. 'Til next time, True Believers.]

Corey's Not So Hot Line

The York Revolution knocked 'Sharks starting pitcher Bryan Corey out of the game before he could record a single out today, on their way to an eventual 8-6 victory at Campbell's Field.

The Revs first seven batters pounded Corey for five runs on four hits before he was finally pulled for reliever Blake King. King got Travis Scott and Chris Nowak on a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play for outs one and two, and Danny Gonzalez popped out to Jake Eigsti to mercifully end the inning.

Amazingly, Camden got three runs back in the bottom of the frame. Eddy Perez singled in Chris Walker, a Pedro Feliz double scored Perez, and Raul Padron's grounder to second scored Brian Burgamy to make it 5-3. AFTER ONE.

Both teams settled down after that first inning insanity until, in the fifth, the 'Sharks tied the game at 5-5. Feliz belted his 5th home run of the year, and Raul Padron scored on a Wade Korpi wild pitch. Blake King and Eddy Camacho had combined for five shutout innings, and it seemed like momentum was on Camden's side.

Until...

In the top of the sixth, York scored three more runs, this time off reliever Mariano Gomez, to take an 8-5 lead. Camden cut it to 8-6 in the eighth when Brian Burgamy launched his 12th homer over the outfield wall, but York closer Ricardo Gomez shut the 'Sharks down in the ninth, picking up his fifth save of 2012.

'Sharks Win Behind Solid Effort From Corey

Bryan Corey pitched effectively through 5 2/3 innings and earned his fourth win of 2012 as the Camden Riversharks beat the Long Island Ducks 6-2 tonight at Campbell's Field. Corey surrendered only one run on four hits while striking out two. 


Brian Burgamy blasted his seventh home run of the season deep to right to get the 'Sharks on the board in the bottom of the first. In the second, Jake Eigsti's RBI double scored Steve Doetsch and made it 2-0. 


Eigsti got another RBI in the fourth on a sacrifice fly that scored Drew Macias, and the 'Sharks lead it 3-0. Macias, the #7 hitter, had two stolen bases on the night.


Camden got another run in the fifth when Pedro Feliz grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Lloyd Turner. 


Camden nearly coughed up the lead in the sixth. After a James McOwen solo shot finally got the Ducks on the board, reliever Eddy Camacho threw seven straight balls and walked his way into a bases loaded 2 out jam. Camacho got Colin Roberson swinging for out number three. 


Long Island scored once more in the seventh when McOwen singled in Kraig Binick to make it 4-2 before Ron Karkovice had seen enough of Camacho. Josh Walter was brought in to get the last out of the inning. 


The 'Sharks tacked on some insurance in the eighth when Macias scored after an error by Ducks reliever Eric Niesen, and some smart baserunning by Steve Doetsch allowed him to score on a wild pitch from Jon Hunton.


John Lujan came on in the ninth and retired the Ducks in order. 

Sanchez To The DL, Camacho Set To Return

Riversharks manager Jeff Scott has announced that Humberto Sanchez is most likely headed to the disabled list. Sanchez lasted an inning an two-thirds in his start on Wednesday, allowing five walks and giving up a monster home run before getting yanked for Kevin Reese.

In an interview before Game 2 of their day/night double header with the Bridgeport Bluefish, Scott said Sanchez complained of "soreness in his bicep" which contributed to his control problems.

When asked if this move would leave a hole in the 'Sharks starting rotation, Scott said he expects lefty Eddy Camacho to join the team at the beginning of the week. Camacho is finished his obligations to a team in Puerto Rico, and would slide right in to Sanchez's spot in the order.

Eigsti's First HR Spoiled In Loss

Much like last night, the Riversharks jumped to an early lead. This time, it was behind the bat of Alvin Colina. The game led-off with a Jonel Pacheco walk, a Lloyd Turner single and the finishing touches were put on by Colina’s two-out single.

The scoring halted for both teams until an offensive explosion by the Revs in the 6th. Chris Nowak singled, Jose Herrera walked, and then a single by Bryant Nelson tied the game at one. That was short-lived after Vince Harrison blasted his ninth homerun of the season over the centerfield wall to extend the lead to 4-1.

The ‘Sharks answered back with a run of their own; again, off the bat of Alvin Colina. This time it was a solo shot to left field.

The bats went silent until the top of the ninth when Scott Grimes led the inning off with a stand-up triple. Some miscommunication between Brian Burgamy and Jake Eigsti led to a bloop-single by Chris Walker. A bang-bang play at the plate saw Grimes beat the throw home.

In the bottom of the ninth down 5-3 and on their last strike, the newly-acquired Eigsti delivered on his first hit as a ‘Shark. A no-doubter over the left-center field wall pushed the ‘Sharks to within one. However, it wasn’t enough and the ‘Sharks dropped the series finale against the Revs.

Sharks Blown Out by Bluefish

The Bridgeport Bluefish pounded out five home runs and fifteen hits en route to a convincing 12-6 victory over the Camden Riversharks. Camden has now lost eight of their last nine games.

Paul Oseguera (11-3) picked up the win despite allowing six earned runs and nine hits in 6.1 innings.

Eddy Camacho (6-6) took the loss surrendering five runs on six hits in just two innings including four home runs.

Luis Lopez wasted no time giving the Bluefish the lead in the top of the 1st with a two-run home run, his 10th, to make it 2-0 Bridgeport.

Camden fought back to tie the game in the home half of the 1st. After Noah Hall drove home Lloyd Turner with an RBI triple, Willis Otanez brought him in with an RBI groundout to tie the game at 2-2.

Bridgeport added to their home run parade in the 2nd inning with three more in the 2nd inning. Prentice Redman, Luis Rodriguez, and Andres Perez all left the yard to give the Bluefish a 5-2 advantage.

The fireworks continued in the bottom of the 3rd as Alvin Colina launched a two-run home run, his 12th, to cut the deficit to 5-4.

The Bluefish added three runs in the 5th inning highlighted by a two-run double by Prentice Redman.

Bridgeport blew it open in the 6th inning with four more runs against the Riversharks bullpen. Luis Lopez collected his 4th hit with an RBI single and Steve Moss hit a two-run home run to extend the lead to 12-4.