May 12: Stanley stellar, but Curve beat Ducks, 2-1 in 10 innings
May 12, 2023 RubberDucks Game Recap | Box Score Altoona Curve (14-15) 2, Akron RubberDucks (15-15) 1, 10 innings WP: Oliver Garcia (2-2) LP: Tyler Samaniego (1-1) Save: Cade Smith (9) Summary Akron right-hander Hunter Stanley pitched a career-long 6 1/3 innings – the longest start by a RubberDuck this
May 12, 2023 RubberDucks Game Recap | Box Score
Altoona Curve (14-15) 2, Akron RubberDucks (15-15) 1, 10 innings
WP: Oliver Garcia (2-2) LP: Tyler Samaniego (1-1) Save: Cade Smith (9)
Summary
Akron right-hander Hunter Stanley pitched a career-long 6 1/3 innings – the longest start by a RubberDuck this season – but Altoona center fielder Matt Gorski had a walk-off RBI in the 10th inning for a 2-1 Curve win, snapping Akron’s four-game winning streak in the fourth game of a six-game series at Peoples Natural Gas Field Friday night.
Turning Point
In a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 10th inning, Altoona placed pinch runner Lolo Sanchez at second base. Curve second baseman Liover Peguero singled to left field, sending Sanchez to third base. Right-hander Davis Sharpe struck out left fielder Matt Fraizer and intentionally walked right fielder Henry Davis. Gorski grounded to shortstop Angel Martínez, who tried to start an inning-ending double play, but Gorski beat second baseman Aaron Bracho’s throw to first base, allowing Sanchez to score the winning run for Altoona.
Mound Presence
Stanley held Altoona scoreless until the fourth inning, when Davis hit a leadoff single, advanced on a groundout, and scored on an RBI single by first baseman Jacob Gonzalez. Stanley then worked around two hits in the sixth inning, with help from left fielder Johnathan Rodríguez throwing out a runner at third base. Stanley exited with a runner at third base and one out in the seventh, as left-hander Randy Labaut struck out two batters to escape the inning. Labaut walked the first two batters of the eighth inning before a strikeout and double play, ending 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Sharpe worked around a single in the ninth but allowed the unearned run in the 10th inning.
Free baseball!!@joenaranjo_ secures the pop out to send this game to extras tied 1-1 pic.twitter.com/7F4hGtx0O5
— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) May 13, 2023
Duck Tales
Akron was shut out for six innings by Altoona right-hander Aaron Shortridge. Trailing, 1-0, in the eighth against right-hander Matt Eckelman, Akron rallied to tie the game. Right fielder Connor Kokx hit a two-out single to left field, and center fielder Julian Escobedo drove a game-tying double to the right-center field wall. Designated hitter José Tena reached on an error by Peguero, sending Escobedo to third base, but Martínez grounded out against right-hander Juan Minaya. Akron had seven total hits but was caught stealing four times by Altoona catcher Dylan Shockley.
AND WE ARE TIED!!!@JulianEsco1_ doubles home a run to knot this game up!
— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) May 13, 2023
TOP 8: Akron 1 | Altoona 1 pic.twitter.com/wtJMKYtBHp
Notebook
Kokx has five hits in the last two games…The RubberDucks are 45-for-148 (.304) in the first four games of the series and have outscored the Curve, 24-12…Escobedo and Rodríguez each have five-game hitting streaks, while Tena and Bracho each extended four-game hitting streaks…Game Time: 2:41…Attendance: 6,595.
On the Pond
The RubberDucks continue their series in Altoona at 4 p.m. Saturday at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Akron left-hander Jaime Árias (0-0, 6.23 ERA) is scheduled to face Curve right-hander Kyle Nicolas (1-4, 5.74 ERA). The game broadcast is on 640 WHLO, the 640 WHLO iHeartRadio channel, and akronrubberducks.com, and available on Bally Live. Tickets for RubberDucks home games are available at akronrubberducks.com/tickets.