Going to a Newark Bears game these days feels a little like getting stuck in the movie “Groundhog Day.” The details change a little, but ultimately you end up watching the same one-sided blowout over and over.

Ryan Bukvich

I suspected we were in for a long evening when Ryan Bukvich was announced as the starting pitcher for Newark. I still remember Somerset Patriots beat writer Ryan Dunleavy telling us that Bukvich was the best pitcher in the league the first time we saw him. Bukvich may very well have the best stuff, but he’s got the worst control. He lead the league with 54 walks entering tonight’s game, despite not starting a game in nearly a month.

Sure enough, Bukvich walked the first two batters of the game and I thought we were in for a repeat of last night’s game. But Bukvich recovered and struck out the next two batters. He might have escaped the inning unscathed, but Charlton Jimerson lazily played a fly ball into a single and an error, and the Bears were down by two.

The Bears cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the first when Tike Redman manufactured a run with his speed. Even though Bukvich walked four batters in the first, he was still very much in the game. He scattered four more walks and a hit over the next three innings, but Bukvich kept the Long Island Ducks off the board. I wanted to believe Newark actually had a chance.

The Bears wasted a second inning leadoff double from Salomon Manriquez, but they didn’t have any other real scoring opportunities through the first four innings. And in the fifth, everything fell apart for the Newark.

Preston Wilson signs autographs

Preston Wilson led off with s home run to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead, but Bukvich was able to retire the next two batters. Then he lost the strike zone. He walked the last four batters he faced, forcing in the fourth Long Island run of the game. Raines pulled Bukvich and made a call to the bullpen.

Elvin Vargas

In came number 38, and for a moment I thought for a moment that Sean Tracey was coming into the game. But it was Elvin Vargas, a New York native who was a 25th round draft choice of the Baltimore Orioles in 2005. (Tracey went home after last night’s disastrous performance. He’ll finish his Atlantic League season with a 162.00 ERA.)

Vargas looked like he was trying to fit in — he walked in the fifth run, and allowed the sixth and seventh to score on Ray Navarette’s RBI single. Preston Willson drove home the eighth with an RBI single, while the ninth run scored on a  passed ball. Vargas struck out Estee Harris to finally end the inning, but the damage was done.

Troy Cate

The Bears got one back in the bottom of the fifth off starter Troy Cate and scored two more off of reliever Ron Flores. But it was too little, too late. The Bears dropped below .500 with their 8th loss in 10 games and 2nd loss in a row.

Before the game, I got Preston Wilson to sign a couple more cards for me, this time showing him as a Colorado Rockies player and a Washington National. After the game, I caught reliever Jason Norderum on the way off the field. He seemed surprised that someone was interested in his autograph, but he was very patient as I fumbled around to find his card and a pen.

But the real prize came courtesy of my friend Greg, who managed to scare up an Atlantic League baseball and got Gary Carter to sign it with the inscription HOF 2003, MGR L.I. Ducks 2009.

Ramiro Mendoza

The Bears finally announced the guests for this weekend’s Legends Sunday: Armando Benitez and Ramiro Mendoza. I’ve been thinking about asking Armando to sign a baseball, so in a sense this is perfect for me. On the other hand, it might have been nice to bring in somebody who isn’t a Newark Bear.