RubberDucks Walk It OFF In Wild Finish

Akron, OH — Canal, Park

The Akron RubberDucks took the field looking to snap a 4-game skid with the Erie SeaWolves on Sunday afternoon. Prior to the final game of the six-game series, Erie had outscored Akron 26-16.

LHP Ryan Webb toed the rubber for the RubberDucks and kept the SeaWolves off the board, including a two out, bases loaded jam in the third, through 4.2 innings pitched. Webb ended the afternoon with two hits, no runs, four walks, and five strikeouts.

The Ducks defense backed the pitching performances, with two great plays coming in the first and second innings of the game. At the end of the first, left fielder Alexfri Planez made a spectacular sliding catch to end the inning — and to grab the third out of the second inning, second baseman Christian Cairo had an incredible diving catch in the grass behind the bag.

The Ducks also had a crack with the bases loaded in the second, but failed to push any runners across the plate. RHP Troy Melton for the SeaWolves worked four scoreless frames, allowing five hits with three strikeouts on the day.

RHP Lenny Torres Jr., who relieved Webb in the fifth, finished the day with two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts through 1.1 innings. Webb got himself out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth when the SeaWolves were primed to score with just one out. 

Akron found a way to push a run across the plate in the seventh. Erie’s RHP Angel Reyes walked Joe Naranjo, and Cairo bunted safely to get the first two runners on. Yordys Valdes followed suit with a sac-bunt, moving the pair to second and third, and Micael Ramirez brought home Naranjo on a sac-fly to right to put the RubberDucks on the board first.

RHP Tyler Thornton, who relieved Torress Jr. in the seventh, came back out for Akron in the eighth. Thornton walked two, so the call to the bullpen was made. Inheriting the runners with two down, RHP Andrew Walters gave up a single, tying the game 1-1. 

With a tied game in the ninth, Alexfri Planez led off with a single and with one out, Christian Cairo chopped one to third and beat out the throw at first. Yordys Valdes grounded into a force out at second, and a wide throw pulled the ‘Wolves off the bag.

With Cairo rounding third hard and nearly halfway down the line, Erie threw behind him and Cairo continued barreling towards home. Another errant throw had Cairo sliding safely into home for the Ducks to walk it off with a final score of 2-1. 

The RubberDucks will head to Pennsylvania to play the Altoona Curve in their next six-game series starting Tuesday night. 

By Adrienne Goehler

Photo Courtesy of the MiLB

@AdrienneGoehler for the We Like Sportz Show, part of the Sideline Sports Network