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 (8-18, 42-53) at Erie SeaWolves (17-7, 48-42) Cleveland Indians Double-A Detroit Tigers Double-A LHP Sam Hentges (1-8, 4.96) RHP Kyle Funkhouser (0-1, 1.80) akronrubberducks.com @AkronRubberDucks Wednesday, July 17, 2019 • UPMC Park • 12:05 p.m. EDT @AkronRubberDuck Game 96, Road Game 50, Second Half Game 27, Day Game 27 WARF Fox Sports 1350 AM ● iHeartRadio (Fox Sports 1350) ● TuneIn (Akron RubberDucks) ● MiLB.TV @akronrubberducks Broadcast Powered By FirstEnergy ● Broadcaster: Marco LaNave Tuesday Recap: Salazar goes 3 innings on rehab, before SeaWolves Ducks visit SeaWolves: The RubberDucks and SeaWolves are playing top RubberDucks (Erie 5, Akron 3): Cleveland Indians right-hander the fourth of six scheduled series this season, with seven games at Canal Danny Salazar allowed one run in the first three innings and departed Park and 12 at UPMC Park (Akron’s closest trip – 125 miles – and most with a 1-1 tie, while third baseman Nolan Jones homered for a second frequent road opponent). Last season, Akron went 11-8 against Erie, straight night, but the SeaWolves used a three-run fifth inning to earn a 5- including 7-3 at UPMC Park. Erie finished fifth in the Western Division, at 3 win and clinch a series victory at UPMC Park. The RubberDucks have 63-77, last season. Since 2005, Akron is 155-159 against Erie, which has lost three straight road series and five straight series overall (both season won nine of the first 11 meetings this season (six of eight in Erie). highs) and six straight games to Erie (most against any 2019 opponent). Jones arrives in Double-A: Third baseman Nolan Jones, ranked by Clement’s strong return: Since returning from the Injured List on May 9, Baseball America and MLB.com as the Indians No. 2 prospect, made his shortstop Ernie Clement has played 57 games, collecting 71 hits (second Double-A debut on July 11. A second-round pick in 2016 from Holy Ghost in the Eastern League) and going 71-for-229 (.313, second in the EL) to Preparatory School (Bensalem, PA), he became the highest-ranked move to seventh in league with a team-high .291 average with 20 multi-hit Indians prospect to appear for Akron this season. A 2019 Carolina League games, eight doubles, three triples, a home run, 30 runs, 14 RBI, 14 Mid-Season All-Star with Class-A Advanced Lynchburg, Jones led the walks, a .359 OBP and separate 13- and 14-game hitting streaks. He was league in walks (65), on-base percentage (.435) and OPS (.860) at the on the Injured List with a right adductor strain April 16-May 8. In six games time of his promotion to Akron. He also led Lynchburg with 48 runs. He prior to going on the IL, the Indians No. 15 (MLB.com)/No. 18 (Baseball played 77 games and hit .286 with seven home runs, 41 RBI, and a .456 America) prospect was 3-for-25 (.120). slugging percentage. He also represented the Indians in the SiriusXM All- Star Futures Game at Progressive Field on July 7, starting at third base League leaders: Akron leads the league in games (95), at-bats (3,174), and grounding out to the pitcher in his only at bat. hits (771), home runs (81) and total bases (1,206), and is tied with Bowie for the lead in runs (399). The RubberDucks average 4.20 runs per game Ducks flying out of the park: The RubberDucks have hit an Eastern this season, but since June 5, they have scored 137 total runs in the last League-leading 81 home runs while allowing only 60 home runs (fourth 39 games (3.51/game, 13-26 W-L), scoring 5 or more in 11 games (8-3). fewest among EL clubs) for a league-best +21 home run differential. In 49 road games, Akron has hit 51 home runs, allowing 35 (+16 differential). Of Salazar makes rehab start: Cleveland Indians right-hander Danny the RubberDucks’ 81 home runs this season, 52 (64 percent) have come Salazar (currently on the 60-day Injured List) made his second Double-A in 19 multi-homer games, including 13 in four straight games May 9-13. rehab start with the RubberDucks in Erie on Tuesday, allowing an earned Akron’s six home runs on May 11 in Reading were the most for the club run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts in three innings. In his since hitting seven on July 2, 2008, in a 10-6 win at Erie. first Double-A start on Thursday, he took a loss (2.2 IP, 2 K) and allowed an earned run on two hits and a walk in the third inning, before the Akron Warming up the bats: Shortstop Ernie Clement‘s 13-game hitting streak bullpen relieved him. Salazar made two rehab starts (June 30 and July 5) ended on Sunday, but his 16-game on-base streak continues. Outfielder this season for the rookie-level Arizona League Indians (0-1, 6.23 ERA, Trenton Brooks also had his longest hitting streak of his first Double-A 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 11 K), his first regular season action since he was season snapped Sunday. He had 11 RBI in an 11-game hitting streak (five placed on the Injured List for the entire 2018 regular season with right two-hit games) in which he was 17-for-46 with four doubles, a triple, three shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis. He has not pitched in the major leagues home runs and 11 RBI. Outfielder Mitch Longo, also in his first Double-A since the 2017 American League Division Series. After 13 starts for Akron season, had a seven-game hitting streak snapped on Thursday. He was between 2012 and 2013 (6-3, 2.26 ERA, 67.2 IP, 74 K), Salazar has 12-for-25, with four multi-hit games, three doubles, a home run, two RBI pitched 2013-2017 in the major leagues with the Indians. and five walks. First baseman Nellie Rodriguez hit four home runs in eight games June 29-July 6, has 10 this season – tied for second on the RubberDucks All-Stars: The RubberDucks had five players selected as club – and has 45 in his Double-A career – his most at any level. Western Division All-Stars, and four played in the Eastern League All-Star Game, won by the Western Division, 5-0, on July 10 in Richmond. Call named Player of the Week: RubberDucks center fielder Alex Call Connor Marabell played the entire game as the designated hitter, going was named the Eastern League Player of the Week for June 24-30, after 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Ka’ai Tom went 1-for-2 with a strikeout and was he led the league with 22 total bases and was tied for the lead with three promoted afterward to Triple-A Columbus. Right-hander Eli Morgan home runs (including consecutive games Saturday, when he hit Akron’s allowed one of the two Eastern Division hits but was the only Western first grand slam of the season, and Sunday), five extra-base hits, and Division pitcher to strike out two batters in his scoreless fifth inning. Left- eight RBI. He hit safely in six of seven games on the road trip, going 10- hander Kyle Nelson struck out Binghamton’s Braxton Lee to end the for-32 with a double, a triple, and four runs. He is the second RubberDuck seventh inning. Wilson Garcia did not participate (right foot sprain). to be named Player of the Week (Ka’ai Tom was May 20-26). UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS (ALL TIMES EASTERN) – SUBJECT TO CHANGE Thursday, July 18 7:05 p.m. TBA LHP Adam Scott (3-0, 3.34) vs. Binghamton TBA Friday, July 19 7:05 p.m. TBA RHP Jake Paulson (6-7, 4.11) vs. Binghamton TBA Saturday, July 20 7:05 p.m. TBA RHP Chih-Wei Hu (0-0, 3.38) vs. Binghamton TBA Sunday, July 21 2:05 p.m. TBA RHP Danny Salazar (0-1, 3.18; MLB Rehab) vs. Binghamton 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 (Friday, July 12, vs. Bowie, ND in 6-5, 10-inning loss): Hentges allowed a first-inning run on two hits and a walk, but Akron scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning and pitched a perfect third. In the fourth, he hit the leadoff batter, and with one out allowed a walk, double and single to tie the game, 3-3. Hentges gave way to left-hander Ben Krauth, who got the last two outs of the inning. The 3-3 tie remained until the eighth inning in a game Bowie eventually won, 6-5 in 10 innings. Season Highlights • In May, had the eighth-best ERA (2.38), eighth-most innings (34) and tied for the fifth-most strikeouts (35) in the Eastern League.