The Long Island Ducks are soaring toward the finish line — and a championship is now within reach.
It has been a dramatic season in Central Islip, where the Ducks are closing in on the Atlantic League Professional Baseball Championship Series against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Long Island is just one victory from claiming the best-of-five series after winning the first two games on the road.
The Ducks have reached this point despite losing polarizing former MLB All-Star Trevor Bauer, who left for Mexico in June after joining the club at the beginning of the year.
“You never know how guys are going to respond to different things like that,” manager Lew Ford told The Post.
“And they did respond. Different guys have stepped up throughout the year … the beginning of August we just started playing our best baseball.”
With the championship weekend ahead, Ford said the Ducks are entering the decisive stretch with plenty of belief.
“We’ve had our hitters step up in big situations,” Ford said. “But it really just starts with our pitching and the defense … our pitching staff has stepped up so much.”
Long Island’s postseason hopes went down to the final series of the regular season. The 80-win Ducks had to sweep Southern Maryland to secure a playoff spot, then swept the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars in the divisional round to advance to the championship series. Now, Ford’s club will try to finish the job at home this weekend.
“It’s going to be an exciting atmosphere,” he said. “We’re looking for some good fan support.”
Among those expected to be cheering from the stands will be former owner Frank Boulton, a beloved figure who sold the Ducks to Texas Rangers-adjacent REV Entertainment last winter after 25 years leading the team.
“He’s very happy that we’re in the championship series right now, and he’s totally supportive,” Ford said. “He just loves his Ducks.”
