Long Island's Sal Romano helps Ducks earn shutout against Lancaster
Sal Romano #24 retires the first batter he faces in his Long Island Ducks debut with called third strike in the top of the sixth inning of a game against the Lancaster Stormers at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip on Sunday, July 28, 2024. Credit: James Escher
Welcome home, Sal Romano.
After growing up in Levittown and making 88 pitching appearances in the major leagues with the Reds, Brewers and Yankees, Romano returned home to Long Island and made his debut for the Long Island Ducks in the sixth inning Sunday evening against the Lancaster Stormers.
And if you’re wondering if the 27-year-old’s arm still boasts big-league heat, his first few throws supplied the answer. Three pitches. Three strikes.
“I just go off of feel and try to recognize what the hitters are doing out there,” Romano said.
“I just wanted to attack with all three of my pitches and trust it. One of the other biggest things today was to throw strikes and be efficient, and I was able to do that today.”
Romano earned his first win with the Ducks, striking out three of nine batters in three hitless innings in an 8-0 win over North Division-leading Lancaster at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
Romano said he hadn’t pitched in two weeks before Sunday evening.
“Whenever you’re pitching where you’re from, even during my career when I was able to pitch at Citi Field or at Yankee Stadium, it was really special,” he said. “Not just for me but for my family. It always gives me that little thing to get me going so I can do the best that I can.”
The Ducks (41-42, 11-9 in the second half) had seven hits in the sixth and seventh innings alone, and all but one of their 12 hits came in the final four innings. JC Encarnacion hit a two-run homer to leftfield in the seventh.
“It’s been a focus for us the last couple weeks to try and play all 27 outs and compete every at-bat we can,” leftfielder Zach Racusin said. “It might not work out every inning, but you try to wear teams down.”
Racusin made the play of the day, leaping above the leftfield wall to rob Lancaster’s Niko Hulsizer of a home run in the eighth.
“I was just trying to stay on it. I knew I was getting close to the track and the wall,” he said. “It’s nice to bring one of those back.”
Jimmy Robbins started for the Ducks, striking out six in 4 2⁄3 innings and allowing two hits and a season-high six walks.
Lancaster starter Noah Bremer allowed two runs and five hits in 5 2⁄3 innings, walking two and striking out eight.
