Aug. 27: Martínez slam, Brito's 5 RBI lead Ducks over Curve, 9-2

August 27, 2023 RubberDucks Game Recap | **[Box Score**](https://www.milb.com/gameday/724334/final/box)

Akron RubberDucks (23-28, 58-62) 9, Altoona Curve (22-27, 56-61) 2

WP: Tanner Burns (4-3) LP: Nick Dombkowski (5-5) Save: none

Summary

RubberDucks shortstop Angel Martínez hit his first career grand slam in his first game back with Akron, while second baseman Juan Brito added a two-run homer and a season-high five RBI in a 9-2 win over the Altoona Curve in the finale of a six-game series at Peoples Natural Gas Field Sunday afternoon.

Turning Point

Trailing, 1-0, in the top of the third inning, the RubberDucks rallied against left-hander Nick Dombkowski. First baseman Bryce Ball, catcher Joe Donovan hit into a fielder’s choice, designated hitter Connor Kokx singled, and right fielder Petey Halpin walked to load the bases. Dombkowski hit second baseman Juan Brito with a pitch to force home the tying run, and Martínez lifted a towering fly ball 383 feet to the left-field bleachers for his 11th Eastern League home run this season, also giving him 60 RBI as a RubberDuck this season.

Mound Presence

Akron right-hander Tommy Mace pitched a scoreless first inning but allowed an unearned run on a hit and two errors before retiring three straight in the second inning. He worked around two baserunners in each of the next two innings but allowed another Altoona run in the fifth on two hits, two walks and a wild pitch. Mace finished 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs – one earned – on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Right-hander Tanner Burns got the final out of the fifth and worked a scoreless sixth inning. Left-hander Erik Sabrowski tossed a scoreless inning with a walk and two strikeouts, and right-hander Jordan Jones pitched the final two scoreless innings with a hit and a strikeout.

Duck Tales

Akron added to the lead in the seventh inning, as Halpin hit a one-out single, and Brito drilled a two-run home run 404 feet to right field for a 7-2 lead. The next inning, after a hit and two walks loaded the bases with two outs, Brito lined a two-run double down the right-field line to make it 9-2 – Akron’s largest lead in a game since leading Somerset 8-1 on Aug. 3.

Notebook

Eight RubberDucks had at least one hit…Left fielder Cesar Idrogo had two hits to extend a five-game hitting streak in which he has nine total hits and four two-hit games…Akron moved five games behind Bowie (28-23) in the Southwest Division second-half playoff race with 18 games remaining…Akron tied Altoona in the season series, 6-6. The teams will meet at Canal Park for the final series of the year Sept. 12-17…Game Time: 2:45…Attendance: 3,817.

On the Pond

The RubberDucks open a six-game series with Bowie at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday at Canal Park. Right-hander Hunter Stanley (3-10, 5.05 ERA) is scheduled to face Baysox right-hander Ryan Long (2-3, 8.01 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.