Long Island Ducks: Somerset Patriots series will be another chapter in the rivarly

The Long Island Ducks will begin a three-game set with the Somerset Patriots this week. Both teams are coming into this series doing quite well in the series openers. The Ducks took two out of three when they played the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. On the other hand, the Somerset Patriots swept the Philadelphia Road Warriors. Just to put it in perspective how good these two teams are since the Atlantic League was found in 1998, the Ducks and Patriots have been involved in the championship series fourteen times.

The 2018 chapter to the long rivalry will begin on Tuesday night at 6:35 pm Est. Although the Patriots are coming into the game with the better record, they need to watch out for the Ducks. The Ducks are coming into this series with everything clicking. I know many are talking about the pitching may not fully be there. However, that may not be a problem right now. In three games, the Ducks are tied for second in runs, first in home runs, and have driven in 20 runs. While the Patriots will need to worry about the Ducks hitting, the Ducks need to also worry about something else.

The big reason why the Patriots are 3-0 to start the season is because of the pitching. When you look at the top 5 pitchers in the Atlantic League, two of them are on the Somerset Patriots. Pitcher Aaron Laffey and Trevor Floss have an ERA of 0.00. It would not shock me if they are not a factor in this series in one way or another. Finally, this is an important series for both teams. If the Patriots sweep the Ducks or take the series, then they can extend their lead in the division. However, if the Long Island Ducks can grab a win or two, then they could be coming home on Friday in first place.

The Ducks and Patriots will kick off their series at 6:35 pm on Tuesday.

Jon Blayne

Jon is a diehard wrestling fan but still takes time to show his devotion to the Giants, Mets, and Knicks