Patriots Add Catcher Hopf

Ryan Dunleavy of The Courier News reports that the Somerset Patriots have added catcher J.R. Hopf.

Hopf, 27, spent the first four years of his career in the Milwaukee Brewers organization and topped out at Triple-A.  A career .232 hitter, he spent all of last season in Double-A Huntsville.  He can also play first base on occasion.  A roster move will need to be made to get under the limit of 27.

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com

Freak A Leek

(PR) Central Islip, NY – The Somerset Patriots put up eight hits against Long Island’s Randy Leek but only mustered one run as the Ducks’ southpaw won his Atlantic League-leading sixth game, leading Long Island to an 8-3 win and a series victory on Thursday night at Suffolk County Sports Park.

Leek (6-1), a winner of his six games in six straight outings, scattered the eight Patriot knocks over seven innings, striking out three. The Patriots’ lone tally was an unearned run in the fourth inning after Joe Burke reached on an error. He scored two batters later on a Jason Belcher single, tying the game at 1-1. The victory is Leek’s second over Somerset this season.

Something had to give as Somerset’s Justin Jones came in riding a three-start win streak and the lefty was fine through four frames, allowing runs in the second and fourth innings. However, Jones (3-1) ran into trouble in the fifth after one out singles to Eric Monzon and Ray Navarette. With Monzon at third, Robinson Cancel grounded a slow roller to second. Matt Hagen flipped to second for one out but Cancel just beat out Elliott Ayala’s relay throw, allowing Monzon to score and keep the inning going. After getting behind Matt Esquivel 3-0, Jones intentionally walked the Ducks’ slugger, putting two on with two outs. Dustan Mohr stood in and bounced a pitch in front of home plate with Jones racing in to grab it but as Jones wheeled to first, his throw sailed over Burke’s head, allowing Cancel to score from second, moving Esquivel to third and putting Mohr on second base. Matt Padgett would make the error hurt, driving in the pair, closing out a four-run inning giving the Ducks a 6-1 lead. Jones finished five innings allowing a season-high nine hits, six runs, three of which were earned.

The Ducks added their final two runs in the sixth off of Matt Reilly while Somerset scored in the eighth and ninth innings off the Long Island bullpen. The series loss is the first the Patriots have suffered since losing two of three in Camden on May 12-13.

Somerset (18-13) begins a three-game series in nearby Newark on Friday, taking on the Bears. Jason Monti (1-2, 3.14) will have the ball in the opener as coverage begins at 7:00 from Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium on WCTC-AM and online at http://www.wctcam.com and http://www.somersetpatriots.com.

NOTES: The Patriots left 11 men on base…David Housel, who pinch-hit in the ninth for Burke, and Mike Hernandez were the only two Patriots who did not notch a hit…Belcher drove in a pair of runs while Hagen had the other RBI…Wayne Lydon and Joe Holden each had a pair of hits…Jerry Dunn threw for the first time since May 19 and tossed two scoreless frames. He now has thrown four straight scoreless innings…Lydon started in left field and batted ninth for the second consecutive game.