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 (27-25) at Erie SeaWolves (24-24) Cleveland Indians Double-A Detroit Tigers Double-A LHP Sam Hentges (1-6, 4.50) RHP Casey Mize (4-0, 1.40) akronrubberducks.com @AkronRubberDucks Friday, May 31, 2019 • UPMC Park • 7:05 p.m. EDT @AkronRubberDuck Game 53, Road Game 26, First Half Game 53, Night Game 36 WARF Fox Sports 1350 AM ● iHeartRadio (Fox Sports 1350) ● TuneIn (Akron RubberDucks) ● MiLB.TV @akronrubberducks Broadcast Powered By FirstEnergy ● Broadcaster: Marco LaNave Thursday Recap: Marabell, RubberDucks complete sweep in Bowie Ducks visit SeaWolves: The RubberDucks and SeaWolves are playing (Akron 9, Bowie 5): Right fielder Connor Marabell became the first the second of six scheduled series this season, with seven games at RubberDuck to homer in three straight games this season and was within Canal Park and 12 at UPMC Park (Akron’s closest trip – 125 miles – and a triple of the cycle in a three-hit, three-RBI day that led a 9-5 victory and most frequent road opponent). Last season, Akron went 11-8 against Erie, fourth straight win – matching the team’s longest streak this season – and including 7-3 at UPMC Park. Erie finished fifth in the Western Division, at three-game sweep of the Bowie Baysox at Prince George's Stadium on 63-77, last season. Since 2005, Akron is 154-152 against Erie. Thursday. Right-hander Jake Paulson (3-3) allowed a run in five innings to win for the first time since April 17. Akron has won eight of 10 games Stingy starters: In 20 of 22 games since May 7, Akron’s starting pitcher and 13 of 18 to move a season-high two games above .500 (27-25). had allowed two earned runs or fewer (Jake Paulson allowed 4 ER in 6 IP Saturday, Tanner Tully allowed 5 ER in 6 IP Wednesday). Included Tom’s torrid May: RubberDucks outfielder Ka’ai Tom leads the Eastern are 11 quality starts (6+ IP, 3 ER or fewer). The RubberDucks are 14-8 in League in May with 32 hits, 21 runs, 61 total bases, a .426 OBP, .649 that span (7-4 in the quality starts). In 21 of the last 22 games, Akron’s SLG, and 1.075 OPS. He is second in average (.340) After hitting .177 starter has pitched 5+ innings (Sam Hentges went three innings May 21). with one home run in 23 April games, Tom is hitting a team-best .340 (32- for-94) with seven home runs (tied for the team high) in 25 May games. Ducks winning the home run margin: The RubberDucks have hit 44 Since May 10, he has hit safely in 16 of 18 games (26-for-65, .400 home runs, second in the Eastern League, while allowing only 25 home average, seven home runs, 18 runs), raising his average from .191 to a runs – the fewest of any EL club – for a league-best +19 home run team-high (qualifying players) .269. In 2018, he hit .286 in May (his differential. Akron has 30 home runs in May – seven more than any other highest monthly average) after hitting .183 in April. Eastern League club. Of the RubberDucks’ 44 home runs this season, 29 have come in 10 multi-homer games, including 13 in four straight games Tom is Player of the Week: RubberDucks outfielder Ka’ai Tom was May 9-13. Akron’s six home runs on May 11 were the most for the club named Eastern League Player of the Week for May 20-26, when he went since hitting seven on July 2, 2008, in a 10-6 win at Erie. 9-for-20, with two doubles, two home runs (May 25 and 26), five runs and four RBI, with a league-best .850 SLG and 1.392 OPS. He is the first Clement’s return: Prior to going 0-for-4 on May 25, infielder Ernie RubberDuck this season to win a weekly award. Clement had reached base in his last 14 games (tying the longest streak by a RubberDuck this season) since April 7 and had a season-long seven- Marabell is a mainstay: Third-year RubberDuck Connor Marabell game hitting streak. After he was on the Injured List with a right adductor homered in all three games in Bowie. He has played in each of Akron’s strain April 16-May 8, Clement has played 15 games since coming off the first 52 games. He started 44 straight April 8-May 26, before coming off IL, going 18-for-54 (.333) with six multi-hit games, two doubles, a triple, a the bench Monday to replace Indians right fielder Tyler Naquin on his home run, 11 runs, five RBI, nine walks, and a .439 OBP. In six games rehab assignment. Marabell is tied for the team lead in hits (50), second in prior to going on the IL, the Indians No. 15 (MLB.com)/No. 18 (Baseball doubles (11) and runs (28). He has made 4 starts at first base, 15 in left America) prospect was 3-for-25 (.120). field, 5 in center field, 22 in right field, and 4 as a DH. N-Rod rejoins Akron: First baseman and designated hitter Nellie Garcia finds a groove in Double-A: First baseman and designated hitter Rodríguez has hit safely in 12 of 17 games to begin his season, including Wilson Garcia has a season-long eight-game hitting streak. In his first a season-opening eight-game hitting streak May 11-19 (11-for-35, double, season with the Indians organization and first in Double-A, Garcia leads three home runs, seven RBI, eight runs, .314 AVG, .351 OBP). He joined the Eastern League with 35 RBI, is second with 16 doubles (league-high Akron May 11 to begin his eighth season in the Indians organization (and 10 in May), tied for second with 23 extra-base hits (15 in May to tie for the fourth season he has played with Akron in five years). Rodriguez, 24, first league lead), fourth with 87 total bases and tied for fifth with 50 hits – all of reached Akron in August 2015, after having posted numbers that earned which lead Akron. He is third on the team with seven home runs, a .451 him Carolina League MVP honors. In 205 games with Akron (his most for SLG, and .752 OPS. Originally signed by the Phillies in 2010, he was any club), he has 38 home runs (his most at any level). traded to the Orioles May 1, 2018, before the Indians acquired him in the December 2018 Rule 5 Draft. Plesac’s debut: Right-hander Zach Plesac, the nephew of former major league left-hander Dan, was the first 2019 RubberDuck to make his major Leading the way in May: The RubberDucks lead the Eastern League in league debut on Tuesday (5 1/3 IP, 1 ER, no-decision) for the Indians in a May with 372 total bases and 30 home runs, and they lead in runs scored 7-5 win in Boston. In six starts with Akron to begin 2019, Plesac was 1-1 this season (241). In May, they are 15-12 and have a 3.09 ERA, which with 34 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings. His 0.96 ERA and 0.78 WHIP led the ranks second in the Eastern League. Eastern League when he was promoted to Columbus May 11. UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS (ALL TIMES EASTERN) – SUBJECT TO CHANGE Saturday, June 1 7:05 p.m. RHP Eli Morgan (2-0, 1.96) at Erie RHP Matt Manning (4-2, 2.10) Sunday, June 2 1:35 p.m. RHP Aaron Civale (4-0, 2.96) at Erie RHP Anthony Castro (1-1, 6.35) Tuesday, June 4 7:05 p.m. TBA vs. Reading TBA Wednesday, June 5 7:05 p.m. TBA vs. Reading TBA Double-A Eastern League Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians RUBBERDUCKS STARTING PITCHER #33 Sam Hentges…LHP, 6-8, 245, Age 22 (7/18/96), Resides: Shoreview, MN Member of Indians 40-man roster Acquired: Selected by the Indians out of Mounds View (MN) High School in the 4th round of the June 2014 MLB Draft Twitter: @samhentges Instagram: @samhentges Throws: Fastball, Cutter, Curveball, Changeup LAST START (Sunday, May 26, vs. Richmond, L in 3-2 loss) Hentges shut out Richmond for the first four innings, allowing two hits and a walk. With a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, he allowed a two-out double to Brandon Van Horn, a two-run home run to Jacob Heyward, and consecutive singles before escaping the inning. He departed after consecutive two-out singles in the seventh inning with a 2-1 deficit. Left-hander Ben Krauth stranded the runners but allowed an eighth inning run, and Akron only came within 3-2 in the loss. Season Highlights • His ERA in May (1.88) ranks fifth in the Eastern League. • Entered the season ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the Indians system by Baseball America and No. 10 by MLB.com (both as top left-handed pitcher). • Added to the Indians 40-man roster Nov. 20, and made his first two career major league spring training appearances, with two scoreless, hitless starts for the Indians – Feb. 26 at Colorado (W, 1.0 IP, 0 BB, 0 K) and March 3 vs.