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Duda homers in fifth straight game

Becomes fifth player in team history to accomplish feat
July 3, 2010
Lucas Duda makes it sound pretty simple. But only four other players in Buffalo's 125-year history have done what he did on Friday night.

Duda tied a team record by homering for the fifth straight game, powering the Bisons to a 12-4 romp over the Rochester Red Wings at Coca-Cola Field.

Wrapping up his first month at the Triple-A level, the former seventh-round pick drilled a 1-2 pitch from Anthony Swarzak in the third inning over the right-center field fence for his sixth homer in 16 games with Buffalo.

"I took a hack and luckily I got a good piece of the ball and it went out," Duda told The Buffalo News. "There's nothing more to it, that's all it is. There's a lot of work in the [batting] cage, but ultimately, you get a pitch to hit and luckily you put some wood on it and it leaves the yard."

"That one he hit tonight, he crushed that ball. It was a line drive that got out in a hurry," Bisons manager Ken Oberkfell added.

Duda became the first Bison to homer in five straight games since Andy Marte from June 15-19, 2006. The others to do it are Bill Selby (1998), Carlos Garcia (1992) and Ollie Carnegie (1938).

The 24-year-old outfielder was promoted by the Mets after hitting .286 with six homers and 34 RBIs in 45 games at Double-A Binghamton. He batted .222 without a homer in his first seven games with the Bisons but is hitting .419 (13-for-31) with six homers and 12 RBIs in his last nine contests.

"He's seeing the ball well, swinging the bat good," Oberkfell said. "I hope he keeps doing it."

"Everything kind of turned around. It's just fun to play baseball now," Duda said. "Everything's going right and hopefully, we keep winning. Six in a row tomorrow -- wins, that is, not home runs. I don't care about the home runs as long as we get wins."

Daren Smith is an editor for MLB.com.