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 (0-1, 34-36) at Reading Fightin Phils (1-0, 40-28) Cleveland Indians Double-A Philadelphia Phillies Double-A LHP Adam Scott (Carolina League: 3-7, 3.45) RHP Adonis Medina (5-2, 3.32) akronrubberducks.com @AkronRubberDucks Thursday, June 20, 2019 • FirstEnergy Stadium • 5:30 p.m. EDT Games 71/72, Road Games 35/36, Second Half Games 2/3, Night Games 50/51 @AkronRubberDuck WARF Fox Sports 1350 AM ● iHeartRadio (Fox Sports 1350) ● TuneIn (Akron RubberDucks) ● MiLB.TV @akronrubberducks Broadcast Powered By FirstEnergy ● Broadcaster: Marco LaNave First suspended game: For the first time this season, the RubberDucks Ducks visit Fightin Phils: The RubberDucks and Fightin Phils are had a game suspended, which they will resume on Thursday. Rain playing the last of four scheduled series this season, with seven games at suspended play with a 1-1 tie after seven regulation innings in Game 2 of Canal Park (Reading won four) and six at FirstEnergy Stadium. The teams Wednesday’s doubleheader in Reading. The RubberDucks and Fightin split games May 10-11 in Reading before a rainout May 12. Last season, Phils will begin with extra-inning rules in effect in the eighth inning, when Akron went 3-6 against Reading, including 3-3 at FirstEnergy Stadium. each team will begin its turn at the plate with a runner at second base. Reading finished fourth in the Eastern Division, at 64-73, last season. After the game’s completion, they will play a regularly scheduled nine- inning game, beginning no earlier than 7:10 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium. Ducks-Phillies connections: Akron RubberDucks first baseman and designated hitter Wilson Garcia was signed by the Phillies organization in Wednesday Game 1 Recap: Fightin Phils shake off rain delay for 2010 and played from 2011 until May 1, 2018, when he was traded to the comeback win over RubberDucks (Reading 6, Akron 4, 7 innings): Orioles. He never reached higher than Class-A Advanced Clearwater. After Reading right feidler Cornelius Randolph hit a game-tying three-run Left-hander Anthony Gose was originally drafted by the Phillies as an double in the fourth inning, first baseman Darick Hall hit a fifth-inning, go- outfielder in the second round of the 2008 draft out of Bellflower (CA) High ahead three-run home run after a one-hour, 22-minute rain delay to propel School. Gose also was traded before reaching Double-A, as he was sent the Fightin Phils to a 6-4 victory over Akron at FirstEnergy Stadium on to the Astros – and later the Blue Jays – on July 29, 2010. He reached as Wednesday night. Akron right-hander Eli Morgan went 3 1/3 innings – his high as Class-A Advanced Clearwater in the Phillies system. shortest start of the season – and had a no-decision. Garcia finds a groove in Double-A: In his first season with the Indians Second half beginning: The first half of the season concluded with organization and first in Double-A, RubberDucks first baseman and Tuesday’s games. Although Reading won, it lost a tiebreaker to Trenton, designated hitter Wilson Garcia leads the Eastern League with 23 which clinched the Eastern Division first half with its win over Richmond doubles and 33 extra-base hits, is tied for the lead with 46 RBI. He is Tuesday night. The Harrisburg Senators won the first half in the Western second in hits (69) and total bases (122) – all of which lead Akron. He is Division, with Akron finishing in third place, 7.5 games behind. The first- second on the club with a .268 average, a .475 SLG (seventh in the place team in each division in each half qualifies for the playoffs. If the Eastern League), and .785 OPS, and he is tied for second with 10 home same team wins both halves, the team with the second-base overall runs. Originally signed by the Phillies in 2010, he was traded to the record in the division receives the second playoff spot. Orioles May 1, 2018, before the Indians acquired him in the December 2018 Rule 5 Draft. Clement’s hitting streak: With hits in both games on Wednesday, infielder Ernie Clement has a 14-game hitting streak that began June 6 Ducks winning the home run margin: The RubberDucks have hit 56 against Reading and is the longest by a RubberDuck this season. After he home runs – second in the Eastern League – while allowing only 37 home was on the Injured List with a right adductor strain April 16-May 8, runs – second fewest of any EL club – for a league-best +19 home run Clement has played 34 games since coming off the IL, going 40-for-128 differential. In 35 road games, Akron has hit 33 home runs, allowing 20 (.313) with 10 multi-hit games, six doubles, two triples, a home run, 15 (+13 differential). Of the RubberDucks’ 56 home runs this season, 38 runs, eight RBI, 12 walks, and a .375 OBP. In six games prior to going on have come in 14 multi-homer games, including 13 in four straight games the IL, the Indians No. 15 (MLB.com)/No. 18 (Baseball America) prospect May 9-13. Akron’s six home runs on May 11 in Reading were the most for was 3-for-25 (.120). the club since hitting seven on July 2, 2008, in a 10-6 win at Erie. Tom’s hot stretch: When he did not reach base in Game 1 Wednesday, Tom named Eastern League Player of the Month: Outfielder Ka’ai Tom outfielder Ka’ai Tom’s 27-game on-base streak was snapped (began May was named as the Eastern League’s Player of the Month for May 2019, 21). The streak tied that of Binghamton’s Sam Haggerty (a RubberDuck becoming the first Akron player to earn the honor since Tim Fedroff won in in 2018) for the longest on-base streak in the Eastern League this season. May 2011. Tom led the league in May with a .434 OBP, .635 SLG, and During the on-base streak, Tom was 35-for-92 (.380) with seven doubles, 1.069 OPS, and tied for the lead with 21 runs. He was second in hits (32) seven home runs, 19 RBI, 19 runs and 17 walks for a .491 on-base and total bases (61), and tied for second in average (.333). After hitting percentage. Since May 10, he has hit safely in 30 of 36 games (45-for- .177 with one home run in 23 April games, Tom hit .333 (32-for-96) with 129, .349 average, 10 home runs, 26 runs, 23 RBI), raising his average seven home runs (tied for the team high and third in the league) in 26 May from .191 to a team-best .276. Tom is third in the league in total bases games. Tom was also the EL Player of the Week for May 20-26, when he (115), tied for third in runs (38), fifth in on-base percentage (.385) and was 9-for-20, with two doubles, two home runs (May 25 and 26), five runs, OPS (.881), sixth in slugging (.481), tied for fifth in hits (66) and home four RBI, and a league-best .850 SLG and 1.392 OPS. He is the first runs (11) and seventh in bases on balls (34). RubberDuck this season to win a weekly award. In 2018, he hit .286 in May (his best in any month) after hitting .183 in April. UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS (ALL TIMES EASTERN) – SUBJECT TO CHANGE Friday, June 21 7:05 p.m. RHP Jake Paulson (5-4, 3.84) vs. Erie RHP Matt Manning (5-4, 2.35) Saturday, June 22 7:05 p.m. LHP Tanner Tully (5-6, 4.16) vs. Erie RHP Spenser Watkins (2-0, 3.45) Sunday, June 23 2:05 p.m. LHP Sam Hentges (1-8, 4.84) vs. Erie RHP Logan Shore (2-6, 4.77) Monday, June 24 6:30 p.m. TBA at Harrisburg TBA Double-A Eastern League Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians RUBBERDUCKS STARTING PITCHER #48 Adam Scott…LHP, 6-4, 220, Age 23 (10/10/95), Resides: Fort Mill, SC Acquired: Selected by the Indians out of Wofford University in the 4th round of the June 2018 MLB Draft Twitter: @Adam_Scott13 Instagram: Throws: Fastball, Slider, Curveball, Changeup FIRST EASTERN LEAGUE START Season Highlights • Began the season with Lynchburg (A-Adv), making 12 starts before a June 20 promotion to Akron. • Ranked third in the Carolina League with 74 strikeouts at the time of his promotion. 2018 • Began his professional career on June 18 and made four relief appearances for the AZL Indians (rookie). • Promoted on July 2 to Mahoning Valley (SS-A) and made five relief appearances for the Scrappers. • Promoted on Aug. 2 to Lake County (A) and made five relief appearances for the Captains. • Promoted on Aug. 30 to Lynchburg (A-Adv) and made four relief appearances (two in the postseason) for the Hillcats. Amateur/Personal • Pitched four seasons at Wofford University, where he set program records for games started (59), innings pitched (364.2) and strikeouts (389 – third-most in Southern Conference history) and finished second with 26 wins. • Set Wofford single-season record with a conference-leading 137 strikeouts in 103.1 innings as a senior in 2018, when he was named All-Southern Conference second team by the coaches and media.