RubberDucks Offense Explodes for 16 Hits, Takes Series Finale 13-1 against Reading
May 23, 2021 - Eastern League (EL)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
On the sixth and final game of the series between the Akron RubberDucks and the Reading Fightin' Phils, the Ducks once again had double-digit runs for the second
night in a row, as they collected 16 hits in their 13-1 victory.
Turning Point
Going into the bottom of the sixth with a 3-1 lead,
Will Benson would draw a walk to start off the inning. After stealing 2nd,
Marcos Gonzalez hit one down the left field line, and Benson went around the bases and crossed
home plate to make it 4-1. On what would be a career day for him, Mike Rivera then hit
a deep fly ball to right that would bounce off the wall and bring home another run. With two men on,
Tyler Freeman would continue his impressive on base streak as he hit a double into right
field that brought home two more runs to give Akron a 7-1 lead. The 'Ducks would add 3 more runs in the seventh to hit double digits.
Mound Presence
Juan Hillman took the mound for his fourth start of the season for the 'Ducks.
All Hillman did was having the longest outing by an Akron pitcher this season, as he went 7 innings, giving up one home run, four hits and walks, had one earned run and struck out two.
Jake Miednik entered for Hillman in the eighth inning and worked two scoreless innings.
Duck Tales
Akron would continue their streak of the long ball as the Ducks hit a big fly for the third game in row. With
Richie Palacios and Tyler Freeman on base, Trenton Brooks smoked a ball deep to right field for a 3-run home run, giving him his 14th RBI of the season, and Akron the 3-0 lead in the first. There wouldn't be any runs for either
team until the top of the sixth, when Arquimedes Gamboa hit a ball deep into left that cleared the wall, to cut the RubberDucks lead to two. Akron would answer back in a huge way in the bottom half of the inning. First,
Marcos Gonzalez would hit a line drive down the left field line for a double, allowing
Will Benson to score all the way from first to make it 4-1. Mike Rivera would then hit a fly ball off the right field way that brought home Gonzalez to extend the Akron lead to 4.
Tyler Freeman hit for the 11th time in 12 games when he smoked a line drive into right center field that brought home two more runs to make it 7-1. Rivera continued his phenomenal afternoon when he doubled into left center field for his fourth
hit of the afternoon and brought home two more runs to make it 9-1 in the bottom of the seventh. The 'Ducks would hit double digit runs for the second game in a row when
Jose Fermin hit a bloop single into center that brought home Rivera.
Notebook
After Reading hit a 2-run home run Friday night in the first inning of Akron's 3-2 win, the RubberDucks pitchers would hold the Fightin' Phils scoreless for the next 22.2 innings,
until Arquimedes Gamboa hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth of Sunday's game. Mike Rivera
came into the game batting just .071 on the season, but after his fourth hit of the game, he raised it all the way up to .278. The last time Rivera had a three hit game was April 16, 2019 with the Lynchburg Hillcats (Then High-A). With a Hit-by-pitch
in the first inning, Tyler Freeman extended his on base streak to 14 games. ... Time of Game: 2:59... Attendance: 2,735.
On the Pond
The Ducks will be on the road for the next week as they begin a seven-game series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. The game will be broadcast on 640 WHLO AM,
the WHLO iHeartRadio channel, and the TuneIn Radio App, and available on
MiLB.TV. The pitching matchup has yet to be announced.
Eastern League Stories from May 23, 2021
- Bowie Rallies in Ninth, Wins in Extras - Chesapeake Baysox
- RubberDucks Offense Explodes for 16 Hits, Takes Series Finale 13-1 against Reading - Akron RubberDucks
- Squirrels Surrender Late Lead, Fall in Extras to Baysox - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Gamboa Launches One Deep to Left in Loss to Akron - Reading Fightin Phils
- Casas, Meneses Homer in 7-2 Victory in New Hampshire - Portland Sea Dogs
- SeaWolves Take Down Ponies on Sunday - Erie SeaWolves
- Somerset Completes Six-Game Sweep with a 10-3 Sunday Win - Somerset Patriots
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- Moreno Hits Third Homer in Sunday's 7-2 Loss to Portland - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Curve Need Extras for Sunday Afternoon Victory - Altoona Curve
- Senators Fall in 11 - Harrisburg Senators
- Erie SeaWolves vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies - Game Information - Erie SeaWolves
- May 23, 2021 Sea Dogs Game Notes - Portland Sea Dogs
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