AKRON RUBBERDUCKS GAME NOTES Akron Rubberducks Media Relations ● Canal Park ● 300 S
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AKRON RUBBERDUCKS GAME NOTES Akron RubberDucks Media Relations ● Canal Park ● 300 S. Main St. ● Akron, OH 44308 Director of Public & Media Relations: Adam Liberman [email protected] Lead Broadcaster: Marco LaNave [email protected] Akron RubberDucks (1-6) at Altoona Curve (5-2) Cleveland Indians Double-A Pittsburgh Pirates Double-A RHP Matt Solter (First Start) LHP Cam Vieaux (0-0, 0.00) akronrubberducks.com @AkronRubberDucks Thursday, April 11, 2019 • Peoples Natural Gas Field • 6:00 p.m. EDT @AkronRubberDuck Game 8, Road Game 1, First Half Game 8, Night Game 6 WARF Fox Sports 1350 AM ● iHeartRadio (Fox Sports 1350) ● TuneIn (Akron RubberDucks) ● MiLB.TV @akronrubberducks Broadcaster: Marco LaNave Wednesday Recap: Solid pitching, 10-hit performance leads Ducks to first win (Akron 5, Trenton 2) Akron right-hander Jake Paulson (1-0) allowed two second-inning runs to fall behind, 2-0, but quieted the Thunder for the rest of his six-inning start to lead Akron to its first win of the season. The RubberDucks scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break a 2-2 tie, with the go-ahead run scoring on a dropped popup by Thunder second baseman Wendell Rijo, followed by designated hitter Mitch Longo’s RBI single. Longo finished 3-for-5, and catcher Li-Jen Chu had his first two hits of the season – an RBI double in the second inning and an RBI single in the eighth – as part of Akron’s 10-hit showing. With a 4-2 lead entering the seventh inning, Akron right-hander Argenis Angulo, left-hander David Speer, and right- hander Dalbert Siri each pitched a scoreless inning to finish the 5-2 win. Bats Warming Up to Double-A After going hitless in their Double-A debuts on April 4, Akron’s Andruw Monasterio and Wilson Garcia have each assembled five-game hitting streaks, tied for the longest by any RubberDuck this season. Monasterio is 8-for-20 with a double in the last five games, while Garcia is 5-for-18 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs. Ducks Relief Corps Strength The RubberDucks bullpen has not allowed a run in the last 9 2/3 innings, a stretch that includes six different pitches over seven appearances. Since left-hander Ben Krauth allowed an eighth-inning, two-run home run to Trenton’s Chris Gittens on Monday, RubberDucks relievers have combined for 9 2/3 shutout innings, allowing one hit and no runs with three walks and 15 strikeouts. That stretch includes the Akron bullpen retiring all 17 batters it faced in Tuesday’s 7-2 loss to Trenton. Altoona’s Revenge: The Curve won all four meetings at Canal Park last Thursday through Sunday in the clubs’ first meeting since their 2018 playoff series. The RubberDucks ended the Altoona Curve’s 2018 season and defense of their 2017 Eastern League title with a 3-1 Division Series victory last September. Akron advanced to face New Hampshire, which swept the Championship Series to take the 2018 Eastern League crown. First Win Recorded: After losing its first six games for the first time in 31 seasons of the franchise in Northeast Ohio (Canton-Akron Indians 1989-96, Akron Aeros 1997- 2013, RubberDucks 2014-present), the RubberDucks won on Monday night. It snapped an eight-game losing streak at Canal Park and was the first win at home since Sept. 6, 2018 – Game 2 of the Eastern League Division Series against Altoona. RubberDucks on the Road: Akron’s first road trip of the season is against the same opponents it hosted for the season-opening homestand. The RubberDucks play four games in Altoona and three in Trenton after hosting the clubs for four and three games, respectively. Akron plays 17 games in as many days before its first off day on Easter Sunday, April 21. The RubberDucks were 40-30 on the road in the 2018 regular season and 78-62 overall. RubberDucks Retention: 18 from ‘18 Akron entered with season with 18 active players who spent part of the 2018 season with Akron, including three 2018 Eastern League All-Stars and four players among the top Indians prospects, according to both Baseball America and MLB.com. The pitching staff includes Indians top left-handed pitching prospect Sam Hentges, who is on Cleveland's 40-man roster and ranked No. 6 by Baseball America and No. 10 by MLB.com among Cleveland's top overall prospects. Right-hander James Karinchak made 10 relief appearances with Akron and is ranked by MLB.com as the Indians' No. 30 prospect. Akron has 10 returning pitchers. Right-hander Jake Paulson was a 2018 Eastern League All-Star and had a league-best 3.04 ERA. Akron's outfield features returning Eastern League All-Stars Andrew Calica and Connor Marabell. Marabell was an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star, and both he and Ka'ai Tom return after tying for the club lead with 64 RBI. Joining them are Mayfield High School and Ohio University alumnus Mitch Longo, and Daniel Johnson, who was traded from Washington as part of the deal that sent catcher Yan Gomes to the Nationals this winter. Johnson is ranked as the Indians' No. 14 prospect by Baseball America and No. 22 by MLB.com. Shortstop Ernie Clement reached Akron as the last of his three stops during his first full pro season. Baseball America ranks him as the organization's No. 18 prospect and as the "Best Strike-Zone Discipline" of any Indians prospect entering 2019. MLB.com ranks him as Cleveland's No. 15 prospect. UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS (ALL TIMES EASTERN) – SUBJECT TO CHANGE Friday, April 12 6:00 p.m. RHP Zach Plesac (0-0, 3.00) at Altoona RHP Scooter Hightower (0-0, 3.00) Saturday, April 13 4:00 p.m. LHP Tanner Tully (0-0, 3.00) at Altoona RHP Pedro Vasquez (1-0, 1.50) Sunday, April 14 2:00 p.m. LHP Sam Hentges (0-2, 9.39) at Altoona TBA Monday, April 15 7:00 p.m. TBA at Trenton TBA Double-A Eastern League Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians RUBBERDUCKS STARTING PITCHER #44 Matt Solter…RHP, 6-3, 220, Age 25 (6/14/93), Birthplace: Quantico, VA Acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Cleveland Indians on Feb. 12, 2019. Twitter: @MattSolter Instagram: @mattsolter Throws: Fastball, Slider, Changeup RubberDucks record in 2019 starts: First Start CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2019 • Finished two Major League Spring Training games in relief for the Indians (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K). • Making his first regular season appearance in affiliated baseball since Sept. 1, 2017. 2018 • Released by the San Francisco Giants organization on March 26. • Signed with the independent St. Paul Saints of the independent American Association. • Made 15 starts for St. Paul (3-5, 4.73 ERA, 80.0 IP, 52 R, 45 ER, 87 H, 31 BB, 56 K, 1.48 WHIP). 2017 • Began the season with Augusta (A) before being promoted to San Jose (A-Adv) on May 14. • Made four straight starts with the Giants before six consecutive relief outings, and then three starts over his final four appearances. 2016 • Signed by the San Francisco Giants as a free agent on April 19. • Made his affiliated baseball debut for Augusta (A) June 4 against West Virginia, earning a win (5 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K). • Finished the season with 14 starts for the GreenJackets. 2015 • Pitched 18 games in relief for the Gary (IN) SouthShore RailCats, going 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched. Amateur Notes • Pitched four seasons for Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. • Made 57 relief appearances and one start during his first two collegiate seasons, before making 30 starts and 1 relief appearance over his final two collegiate seasons. • Finished his college career 9-13 with a 4.57 ERA, 8 saves and 212 strikeouts in 249 1/3 innings. • Graduated from New Bern High School in North Carolina. Matt Solter - Pitching - Career - Regular Season Season League Team W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP AVG WP BK 2016 A(Full) Augusta GreenJackets 4 6 6.45 14 14 0 68.1 87 50 49 7 30 60 1.71 .315 7 2 2017 A(Full) Augusta GreenJackets 2 1 3.98 7 5 0 31.2 30 16 14 2 18 35 1.52 .248 2 0 2017 A(Adv) San Jose Giants 5 2 4.08 14 7 0 57.1 57 29 26 5 18 46 1.31 .261 4 0 Career A(Adv) Multiple 5 2 4.08 14 7 0 57.1 57 29 26 5 18 46 1.31 .261 4 0 Career A(Full) Multiple 6 7 5.67 21 19 0 100.0 117 66 63 9 48 95 1.65 .295 9 2 Thursday, April 11, 2019 Page 2 of 9 2019 RUBBERDUCKS FIELD STAFF #24 Rouglas Odor, Manager (First Season) – Odor, 51, is the 18th manager in club history. He follows Tony Mansolino, who was promoted to Triple-A Columbus after guiding Akron to a 78-62 record and finish as runner-up in the 2018 Eastern League Championship Series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Last season, Odor managed the Class-A Advanced Lynchburg Hillcats to their fourth consecutive postseason. After posting the Carolina League's worst first-half record of 29-38, the Hillcats rebounded to go 42-28 in the second half, claiming the Northern Division title.