Ponson helps Ducks to victory in season opener
As Sidney Ponson watched the flight of the ball, it seemed as though his road back to the majors would be even longer than the home run he had just allowed.
After Ponson gave up back-to-back singles with one out in the second inning, Joe Gaetti turned on the first pitch he saw and crushed a tremendous three-run home run that not only cleared the leftfield fence but soared out of the stadium. But that pitch would be Ponson's only blemish in an otherwise solid outing last night. He earned the victory in the Ducks' season-opening 8-5 win over Lancaster on a brisk night at Suffolk County Sports Park.
"I felt great, but still a lot of work to do," Ponson said. "My fastball was there. My breaking pitch wasn't there. I'm happy with it, besides that curveball the guy hit 500 feet . . . Sometimes one bad pitch a game can cost you the game. Thankfully, these guys came up and put some bats on the ball."
Nearly nine months since he last took the mound in a major-league game, the 33-year-old righthander threw 88 pitches, 55 for strikes, and allowed only two baserunners after the home run. He showed good command, allowing four hits and one walk with four strikeouts in six innings.
Perhaps it wasn't an outing that will send scouts rushing to general managers, but it was a good first impression for a pitcher trying to return to a league that places a premium on pitching.
If there were any scouts in the crowd of 5,552 to see Ponson, they were witness to a hitting clinic by the Ducks in the seven-run fourth inning.
The Ducks gave Ponson a comfortable cushion by batting around in the inning. With one run home courtesy of Johnny Hernandez's RBI single up the middle, Matt Cavagnaro took advantage of a shallow outfield and hit a shot to deep left-centerfield for a two-run triple as the Ducks took a 4-3 lead. After Tom Pennino's chopper up the middle got through to bring home Cavagnaro, Juan Francia and Billy Kovatch singled to load the bases for Dustan Mohr, whose three-run double capped the inning and put the Ducks in front 8-3.
Francia went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Mohr finished with four RBIs in his Ducks debut.
Ponson allowed only one walk in his final three innings. Bill White came out of the bullpen to pitch a scoreless seventh inning before Joe Valentine allowed a two-run homer to Jason Perry in the eighth. Closer Kane Davis worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth and struck out Toshihisa Nishi to earn the save.
Notes & quotes: Ducks owner Frank Boulton presented the Atlantic League MVP trophy to Ray Navarrete on the field before the game. "I want to take the time to thank all the fans," said an emotional Navarrete, who is on crutches because of a heel injury.
