Kauffman and Jones Pitch Well in Yard Goats 1-0 Loss

WP - Logan Allen (4-3)

LP - Karl Kauffmann (4-3)

S - Jerson Ramírez (2)

T - 2:19

A - 6,003

Hartford, Conn - Karl Kauffmann and Stephen Jones combined to allow just five hits across nine innings, but George Valera’s sixth-inning solo shot was enough for Rubber Ducks’ pitching as Akron shutout the Yard Goats, 1-0, at Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Thursday night. Akron moved into sole possession of first place of the Eastern League Southwest division with the win, while Somerset’s win gives the Patriots a one-game lead on the Yard Goats in the Northeast with nine games to play in the first half of the 2022 split season.

Kauffmann generated a total of five ground ball outs while facing the minimum through the first three innings. In the fourth, Bo Naylor cracked a double off the wall in right for the first hit off of Kauffmann, but Willie MacIver threw him out trying to steal third. Kauffmann worked around two walks and a single to preserve the shutout.

In the fifth, Kauffmann allowed his first leadoff baserunner of an inning before MacIver erased him trying to steal second. The following inning, the Guardians’ No. 2 prospect in Valera launched his 10th home of the season to left center to put Akron ahead, 1-0. Kauffmann finished his outing with just that lone run allowed and three strikeouts in six innings.

Hartford faced Cleveland’s No. 8 prospect Logan Allen and scratched out two hits and a walk over the first three innings. But, the lefty set Hartford down in order after that and finished with 11 strikeouts, a season-high. Yard Goats’ reliever Stephen Jones entered in the seventh and retired the first six Rubber Ducks he faced through the eighth.

In the bottom of eighth, Daniel Montano looped a two-out single just past the glove of Akron first baseman Micah Pries and into right field. Isaiah Collins came in as a pinch runner with Ezequial Tovar at the plate. Collins stole second on a 1-1 count, but on the ninth pitch of the at-bat reliever Jerson Ramírez got Tovar to fly out just shy of the warning track in right.

Jones returned for the top of the ninth and allowed a leadoff hit. But the righty responded by striking out Pries, MacIver threw out his third runner of the game, and Jones finished three scoreless innings of relief by striking Julian Escobedo out swinging. Ramírez remained just as sharp in the final half and retired the Yard Goats in order to end it.

The Yard Goats (38-22) and Rubber Ducks (35-25) play again tomorrow, June 17 (7:05 ET) at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. RHP Mitch Kilkenny starts for Hartford, and RHP Xzavion Curry will start for Akron. The game will be broadcast on Newsradio 1410 WPOP.