June 12: RubberDucks win, 4-3, fall to Curve, 3-2, in split
June 12 RubberDucks Game Recap | Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score Akron RubberDucks (20-13) 4-2, Altoona Curve (21-13) 3-3 Game 1 WP: Juan Hillman (4-1) LP: Trey McGough (0-2) S: Francisco Perez (1) Game 2 WP: Osvaldo Bido (2-0) LP: Tanner Tully (1-3) S: Cristofer Melendez
June 12 RubberDucks Game Recap | Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Akron RubberDucks (20-13) 4-2, Altoona Curve (21-13) 3-3
Game 1 WP: Juan Hillman (4-1) LP: Trey McGough (0-2) S: Francisco Perez (1)
Game 2 WP: Osvaldo Bido (2-0) LP: Tanner Tully (1-3) S: Cristofer Melendez (2)
Summary
Left-hander Juan Hillman pitched five innings to become the first Akron RubberDuck to win four games this season, and left fielder Alex Call homered in a 4-3 Game 1 win. In Game 2, the Altoona Curve rallied from a 2-0 deficit, with shortstop Oneil Cruz hitting a fifth-inning, go-ahead homer that split Saturday’s doubleheader at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Turning Point
Akron took the lead for good in Game 1 with a three-run second inning against left-hander Trey McGough. Center fielder Chris Roller walked, shortstop José Fermín singled, and first baseman Jonathan Engelmann hit a two-run double to left-center field, before designated hitter Marcos González added an RBI double for a 3-0 lead. In Game 2, Cruz broke a 2-2 tie with his third go-ahead home run of the series, leading off the fifth inning against left-hander Tanner Tully.
TOP 2: Jonathan Engelmann in his second game with the Ducks puts us up 2-0 with the double!
— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) June 12, 2021
AKRON 2 - ALTOONA 0 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/4deLBih26U
TOP 2: Marcos Gonzalez makes it back-to-back doubles for Akron! 3-0 good guys!
— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) June 12, 2021
AKRON 3 - ALTOONA 0 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/x9RcxhrZvf
TOP 3: Alex Call with his fourth bomb of the season, this one gets out to left in a hurry!
— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) June 12, 2021
AKRON 4 - ALTOONA 2 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/Djdbacos3S
Mound Presence
Hillman allowed a pair of Altoona runs on three hits in the second inning of Game 1, but catcher Mike Rivera threw out a runner trying to steal, keeping the tying run out of scoring position. A fifth-inning RBI single by catcher Arden Pabst brought Altoona within 4-3, but he was thrown by Roller when trying to reach second base. After a single and walk began the sixth inning for Altoona, left-hander Francisco Pérez retired three straight batters to hold the lead, and he pitched a scoreless seventh inning for his first professional save. In Game 2, Tully allowed single runs in the first and second innings, but lost his third straight Double-A start, with three runs – two earned – in a season-long 5 1/3 innings.
END 2: Make me like Mike! Mike Rivera catches the would-be base stealer to end the second!
— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) June 12, 2021
AKRON 3 - ALTOONA 2 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/i0oTKDwUKI
Duck Tales
Akron took a first-inning lead in Game 2, when the first four batters reached against right-hander Osvaldo Bido. Shortstop Tyler Freeman hit a leadoff infield single, second baseman Richie Palacios walked, before Call and left fielder Oscar González hit consecutive RBI singles for a 2-0 lead. Bido did not allow another run the rest of his five innings.
TOP 1: Y’all mind if we just take a first inning lead??
— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) June 12, 2021
Alex Call with his second RBI of the day to put us up early in game two!
AKRON 1 - ALTOONA 0 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/PpMZX0gQPX
TOP 1: Ducks Double Down! Oscar Gonzalez adds his 24th RBI of the season tying him for sixth in the Double-A Northeast!
— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) June 12, 2021
AKRON 2 - ALTOONA 0 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/AJUSpqXEPh
Notebook
Pérez earned his first save in 83 career outings (17 in relief)…Palacios extended a seven-game hitting streak (11-for-28) with his team-high 12th double…Call is 9-for-18 in his five-game hitting streak…Each team has scored 32 runs in the series, with four of five being one-run games…Time of games: 2:09, 1:54 (shortest of the season)…Attendance: 4,712.
On the Pond
The RubberDucks conclude their six-game series in Altoona at 6:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Akron RHP Alex Royalty (1-1, 4.44 ERA) is scheduled to start against Curve RHP Jeff Passantino (0-2, 2.70 ERA). The game broadcast, powered by FirstEnergy, is on 640 WHLO, the 640 WHLO iHeartRadio channel, and akronrubberducks.com, and available on MiLB.TV. Tickets for RubberDucks home games are available at akronrubberducks.com/tickets.