Ducks' Joash Brodin looking to regain stroke from last year

The Ducks offense's slow start to the season continued Saturday, but if first baseman Joash Brodin produces as he did in 2013, the lineup should be fine.

Last year, the Ducks' switch-hitting first baseman and outfielder went from being a solid contributor to arguably the team's best hitter, earning both an all-star start and his first trip to affiliated baseball in the process.

Brodin, back with the Ducks after a stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Class A affiliate, is expecting another good season and for things to pick up in 2014.

"I'm excited, we got a great clubhouse and a great group of guys," said Brodin, 27, who went 0-for-8 in a day-night doubleheader against the York Revolution at Bethpage Ballpark. York won the opener, 8-7, and the Ducks took the second game, 4-3.

It was a tough day for Brodin, whose average fell to .176, but the Ducks (4-4), who entered the doubleheader batting only .199, got key hits in the nightcap to get the split,

With the score tied at 3 in the eighth, Cody Puckett's two-out single drove in Lew Ford with the winning run.

The Ducks scored three runs in the fifth on Dan Lyons' run-scoring double and Fehlandt Lentini's two-run single.

Jeremy Accardo (2-0) got the victory, despite allowing a solo homer in his only inning. Leo Rosales earned the save, striking out the side in the ninth.

In the opener, the Ducks jumped out to a 5-2 lead after two innings but their bats then went quiet until Keith Castillo hit a two-run home run in the ninth.

The Ducks, who entered the doubleheader with a league-low .199 batting average, had nine hits in the opener but faded quickly after a good start, going 4-for-25 after the second inning.

Slow start aside, Brodin has been a key part of the Ducks' lineup since joining them midway through the 2012 season after playing three years in the independent Frontier League.

"I've definitely enjoyed my time here. It's a great league," he said of the Atlantic League. "If you do well, you can get signed. It happens all the time and that's the goal for everyone here."

Brodin would know, as his strong 2013 season caught the attention of the Diamondbacks, who signed him last August to their Class-A affiliate, the Visalia Rawhide of the California League.

"It was a good experience," said Brodin, who began 2014 in spring training with the Diamondbacks.

In his first year with the Ducks, Brodin hit .282 in 49 games and batted .359 in the postseason, helping the Ducks win the first of their consecutive league titles.

Last year was even better for the Texas native, as he improved his average to .328, upped his on-base percentage to .376 from .333 and increased his slugging percentage to .441 from .371.

He attributed his improvement to "playing with former big-leaguers [on the Ducks], and just learning from them every day."

"He's willing to learn and absorb everything from the veterans," Ducks manager Kevin Baez said.

Though mid-order hitters Brodin, Ford and Adam Bailey are all hitting below .200, the Ducks are just seven games into a 140-game season, giving them ample time to right the ship.

If that happens, it is likely that Brodin will be at the heart of the offense again.