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Offerman, Davis provide spark for slumping Ducks
Obviously there have not been many bright spots over the last seven days, but if not for the arm of pitcher Lance Davis and the bat of Jose Offerman, the outlook might be even worse right now for the Ducks. Having split the first two games in last week's series against Somerset, the Ducks sent the recently signed Davis to the mound for the rubber game. With his first start of the season having been on the road, this was the first time that the Ducks' all-time wins leader was pitching at Citibank Park in almost two years. "It was definitely cool to be back in front of these fans who have always supported this team," Davis said, "Having been here a couple of years ago as part of the championship team and then all of the following season, I know what it is like and you really can't pick a better place to come play." However, it was Offerman who gave Long Island the initial jump-start they needed on this night, as he led-off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run. Offerman went a perfect three-forthree with one walk in the game. "I wasn't even trying to hit a home run," Offerman said after the game, "He gave me a good pitch and I got a good swing on it and somehow the ball flew out of the park." Davis took over from there, throwing six innings and allowing only one run on five hits to pick up his first win of the season. Ducks manager Dave Lapoint is happy Davis made the decision to come back to Long Island. "Lance is really the ultimate competitor and he has really added a spark to us by throwing strike after strike," says Lapoint, "He has pitched some of the biggest games in the history of the Ducks and the way he is going right now it feels like he never left." The win temporarily moved the Ducks back into a tie for first place but that would not last long as the team went on to lose the next four games in a row. This included getting swept at home in a three game series with the Lancaster Barnstormers and was the first time all season that the Ducks lost more than two games straight. On Monday night in Newark, it took the same two players to get the Ducks out of their current freefall as Offerman hit another home run and Davis pitched his third straight gem to get Long Island back in the win column. In his three starts since rejoining the team, Davis is 2-0 and has allowed only a single run in each of the three games while striking out 19 batters over a total of 18 innings pitched. These numbers are even more impressive considering Davis had not pitched at all for two months. "I was in spring training with the Detroit Tigers and after I got released I went home and didn't really think about it," Davis says, "I was having fun watching my daughter play softball and hanging out with some friends I had not seen in awhile but then I had the urge to go pitch again and here I am." While Davis is doing his job of keeping the opposing team off the scoreboard, Jose Offerman has been responsible for a good share of the runs the Ducks are scoring recently. Offerman had not hit a single home run through his first 16 games of the season but this recent power streak has seen him hit four out of the park in just the last week and a half. "I am not really doing anything different except just trying to do my job," says Offerman, who is thriving as the team's lead-off man, "If Lapoint thinks it is best for the team that I bat at the top of the order, then it is up to me to make him happy and do the best that I can." Offerman had previously made the jump back to the big leagues after spending some time with Bridgeport in 2003 and he is hoping that it could happen again if he continues playing this way. "To tell you the truth that is the reason I am here, that is what I am looking for," said Offerman, "If it happens then that is something which will make me proud but if not, then I will still come to play here and enjoy myself anyway." Offerman and Davis will have to keep up their strong play if the Ducks are to overtake the Bluefish, who currently lead the division by a game and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two teams. Extra Innings: +In the final game of the series against Lancaster, Ducks outfielders Estee Harris and Ray Navarrete collided hard while both attempting to catch a ball hit between them during the seventh inning. Both players had to leave the game and neither has played in the two games since the incident. Although the Ducks have officially listed both players as day-to-day, the team moved quickly to help fill the holes in the lineup by signing the versatile Bryant Nelson. The 33-year-old Nelson, who has experience playing in both the infield and outfield, reached the Major League level in 2002 and saw action in 25 games with the Boston Red Sox that season. This is the Arkansas native's second time in the Atlantic League after spending most of last year with the Bridgeport Bluefish playing under current Long Island manager Dave Lapoint. +Fan voting for the 2007 Atlantic League All-Star game is underway and Ducks fans have until this Sunday (July 1st) to log their votes for all of their favorite players. The internet vote is being held on the league's website but can also be accessed by going to www.liducks.com, scrolling about half way down the home page and clicking on the all-star box on the left side of the screen. "Last year our fans showed tremendous support for their team and voted seven Ducks into the All- Star game," says Long Island general manager Michael Pfaff. "This year, we've put together a great roster loaded with big league talent and we're looking forward to seeing some of those players represent our organization next month in Lancaster."
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