2018 Akron RubberDucks Game Notes Bowie Baysox (64-68) vs. Akron RubberDucks (75-59) Baltimore Orioles Cleveland Indians Game 135 • Wednesday, August 29, 2018 • 7:05 p.m. Canal Park • Akron, OH Radio: WARF 1350 AM • WARF iHeart Channel • TuneIn App | Television: MiLB.TV Today’s Starting Pitchers: Wed. 8/29, 7:05 p.m. vs. Bowie: Akron: LHP Matt Whitehouse (4-1, 2.07) Bowie: LHP Keegan Akin (14-7, 2.98) UpcominG Games and PitchinG Probables (subject to chanGe): Thu. 8/30, 7:05 p.m. vs. Bowie: Akron: RHP Triston McKenzie (7-4, 2.87) Bowie: LHP Brian Gonzalez (7-6, 6.09) Fri. 8/31, 7:05 p.m. at Erie: Akron: RHP Kyle DoWdy (3-8, 6.22) Erie: RHP Spenser Watkins (1-1, 4.22) Sat. 9/1, 6:05 p.m. at Erie: Akron: TBA Erie: RHP A.J. Ladwig (4-1, 2.31) Sun. 9/2, 6:05 p.m. at Erie: Akron: LHP Sean Brady (7-7, 4.70) Erie: RHP Beau Burrows (10-9, 3.96) RubberDucks News and Notes: Last Time Out Akron’s Sean Brady alloWed just one run over six innings, and Nellie Rodriguez homered and doubled, as the RubberDucks clinched a 2018 Eastern League playoff berth With a 7-3 victory over the BoWie Baysox Tuesday night at Canal Park in Akron, Ohio. Where We Stand At 75-59, the RubberDucks are tied for 1st place in the EL West, even With Altoona. Akron has clinched a playoff spot. Altoona holds the potential tie-breaker if the teams end up tied for the division title. Six games remain in the regular season. The RubberDucks… -have the most Wins in the EL (75). -are 10-16 so far this month and have lost seven games in the standings (+7.0 as of 8/1). -occupied 1st place from 5/2-8/26. -are 38-30 in the friendly confines of Canal Park. -rank 2nd in the EL in runs (635), 2nd in ERA (3.49), T-8th in batting (.248), 3rd in steals (128) and T-6th in defense (.978). Player Notes -OF Andrew Calica is 10-22 (.455) With a homer, tWo doubles and four RBI on the homestand. He is also 3rd in the EL in stolen bases (27) and 2nd in on-base percentage (.391). -2B Mark Mathias is the top-ranked defensive second baseman in the EL (.987 FA, 6 E, 460 TC). About the Opposition BoWie is the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Gary Kendall is in his eighth season as manager, and recently managed his 1,000th Baysox game. The Baysox Won the 2015 EL championship, defeating the Reading Fightin Phils, three games to tWo. It is the only league title for the franchise, Which began in 1993. Notable alumni of the Baysox include Jake Arietta and Manny Machado. The “Bay” in “Baysox” refers to Chesapeake Bay, located about 20 miles from Prince George’s Stadium. Transaction Wire RHP Neil Ramirez and OF Rajai Davis have joined the RubberDucks on minor league rehabilitation assignments. RHP Aaron Civale has been placed on the DL (right lat strain). RHP Dominic DeMasi has been activated from the DL. LHP R.C. Orlan has been promoted to Columbus, and RHP Preston Claiborne has been received from the AZL Indians (rookie) Where he Was pitching on rehab. On Deck The RubberDucks and Baysox Will conclude the series and homestand on Thursday night at 7:05. Akron Baseball: A WinninG Tradition This is the 30th season of Double-A baseball in Northeast Ohio, and the 22nd in doWntoWn Akron. The franchise began as the Canton-Akron Indians in 1989, and then moved to Canal Park in Akron as the Aeros in 1997. KnoWn as the RubberDucks since 2014, Akron has qualified for the Eastern League playoffs 16 times overall, and 10 of the last 16 years. The team has captured five Eastern LeaGue titles—2003, 2005, 2009, 2012 and 2016. Notable alumni of the franchise include Jaret Wright, Victor Martinez, CC Sabathia, Grady Sizemore, Charles Nagy, Cliff Lee, Jhonny Peralta, Danny Salazar, Jose Ramirez, Roberto Perez, Francisco Lindor, Giovanny Urshela, Tyler Naquin and Bradley Zimmer. Last Game Recap RubberDucks 7 Baysox 3…Tuesday, 8/28/18 Summary Akron’s Sean Brady alloWed just one run over six innings, and Nellie Rodriguez homered and doubled, as the RubberDucks clinched a 2018 Eastern League playoff berth With a 7-3 victory over the BoWie Baysox Tuesday night at Canal Park in Akron, Ohio. Turning Point The RubberDucks (75-59) broke open a tWo-run game in the fifth inning When Rodriguez smacked a tWo-run double off Bruce Zimmerman (1-2) to extend the Akron lead to 5-1. AndreW Calica Was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and Tyler Krieger singled to put tWo men aboard for Rodriguez. His two-run double doWn the left-field line knocked Zimmerman from the game. Mound Presence Brady (7-7) made his 26th start of the year count, as he hurled six impressive innings and alloWed just one run. He scattered four hits and struck out six. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam With a double-play in the second. Jordan Milbrath (0.2 IP), Rob Kaminsky (1.1 IP) and David Speer (1.0 IP) all provided relief help for the Ducks. Kaminsky recorded a crucial strikeout of Ryan Mountcastle to end the seventh With the bases loaded. Duck Tales Rodriguez ripped a solo homer to left off Matt Grimes in the seventh to make it 6-1. It Was Rodriguez’s fourth of the year and gave him three RBI on the night. Ka’ai Tom folloWed later in the inning With an RBI single to give the Ducks a comfortable, 7-1 lead. Tom also added an RBI on a fielder’s choice in the fourth when the Ducks scored tWice to grab a 3-1 lead. Sam Haggerty chipped in a clutch, tWo-out RBI double in the fourth. Catcher Li-Jen Chu socked a solo homer in the second inning to get the Ducks on the board. Chu finished a triple short of the cycle, going 3-4. Notebook The win clinched a spot for the Ducks in the upcoming EL playoffs…It is the 17th playoff appearance in the 30-year history of the Akron franchise…The Ducks will play Altoona in a first-round series beginning Wednesday, September 5th, although the opening site is still to be determined…Akron and Altoona are noW tied for the EL West lead with six games to play…Akron improved to 13-6 against the Baysox (64-68) …Time of game: 2:55… Attendance: 4,379. RubberDucks 2018 Field Staff #6 Tony Mansolino, Manager—Former minor league infielder Tony Mansolino is in his first season as manager of the Akron RubberDucks. Mansolino, 35, Was named the 17th manager in franchise history on January 17, 2018. He replaces Mark Budzinski, Who Was promoted to the major league staff after managing the RubberDucks last season. This season marks Mansolinoi’s third as a manager in the Indians minor league system. A native of NeWport Beach, California, and noW a resident of Nashville, Tennessee, Mansolino managed the Class-A Lynchburg Hillcats last season. He was named Carolina League “Manager of the Year” after guiding the Hillcats to a stellar 87-42 overall record and a Carolina League co-championship. Mansolino made his managerial debut With the Lake County Captains in 2016. Drafted by the Pirates in the 26th round of the 2005 draft out of Vanderbilt University, Mansolino played professionally for six years in the minor leagues and Was a career .231 hitter With 19 homers and 173 RBI. In addition to the Pirates organization, he also played in the Phillies minor league system and With three independent clubs before moving into coaching in 2011. He served as the RubberDucks hitting coach in 2015. Mansolino played four years for head coach Tim Corbin at Vandy, including an NCAA tournament appearance in 2004. Mansolino’s father, Doug, is the minor league field coordinator for the Phillies. #47 RiGo Beltran, Pitching Coach—After spending the past three seasons as pitching coach at Class-A Lynchburg, former major league left-hander Rigo Beltran Will serve as the RubberDucks pitching coach in 2018. Beltran, 48, joined the Indians in 2014, following seven years as a pitching coach in the Reds organization. After being selected in the 26th round of the 1991 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals out of the University of Wyoming, Beltran Went on to pitch professionally for 16 seasons. He appeared in 78 major league games With the Cardinals, Mets, Rockies and Expos, going a combined 2-3, With a 4.40 ERA. Born in Tijuana, Mexico, and noW a resident of Delray Beach, Florida, Beltran served as the pitching coach for Mexico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. #25 Kevin Howard, Hitting Coach—RubberDucks hitters Will have the luxury of getting advice from a College World Series champion this season, as former University of Miami star Kevin HoWard Will serve as the RubberDucks hitting coach. This Will be his fourth season as a hitting coach in the Indians organization. HoWard, 36, Was a sophomore infielder When the Hurricanes defeated Stanford to Win the 2001 college baseball title. The folloWing summer, he Was drafted in the 5th round by the Reds and Went on to play professionally for 10 seasons. HoWard slugged 93 homers and drove in 540 runs during his minor league career. He Was born in Hinsdale, Illinois, attended high school in Westlake Village, California, and noW makes his off-season home in Miami Beach.