It has not been a fun week for the Akron RubberDucks, who will start a brief four-game road trip to Harrisburg to take on the Senators on Friday night.
On the road to start last weekend against Bowie, they won the first two games by 7-6 and 2-1 finals before the BaySox swept a doubleheader with a 6-0 victory by former Indians farmhand Jayson Aquino and a 12-7 loss in the nightcap Sunday. After a day off, Akron returned home to Canal Park to play three against the Reading Fightin Phils, but instead of bouncing back, the RubberDucks got squeezed in three straight to the team with the best record in all of minor league baseball. The ‘Ducks fell 11-1 on Tuesday, before losing 3-2 in extras on Wednesday and 6-2 on Thursday to complete the sweep by the Phils.
Despite the five-game losing streak, Akron remains in the driver’s seat of the Eastern League’s Western Division with a 38-22 (.633) record and has a four and a half game lead over the Altoona Curve.
In other RubberDucks tales…
PLUTKO TIES K RECORD
Adam Plutko’s impressive 2016 season continued on Wednesday night with a near historic performance for the RubberDucks starter. In seven and two-thirds innings, Plutko struck out 13 Fightin Phils hitters, tying an Akron club record.
Plutko breezed through the lineup the first time through, setting Reading down in order while striking out seven. He would allow just two runs on five hits on the night, but Reading would pull out the victory in extras with a solo home run in the eleventh inning for a 3-2 win in Akron.
CLINT FINALLY KEPT OFF THE BASES
Star prospect Clint Frazier is one difficult person to keep off of the bases this season. For 24 consecutive games, starting May 5 at home against Trenton through the June 7 game at Canal Park against Reading, Frazier reached base safely with either a hit or a walk.
The streak came to an end on June 9, when he was 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts to drop his season batting average below .300 for the first time since May 17. His on-base percentage for the year now sits at .392 and his slugging percentage is a healthy .500.
KAMINSKY DEALING
In his second start since returning from the disabled list on Memorial Day, left-hander Rob Kaminsky worked five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three in a no-decision in Bowie against the BaySox.
Kaminsky worked on the holiday at home against Harrisburg and lasted two and one-third innings, allowing a run on three hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
EIGHT GREAT FROM LUCAS COMES TO AN END
Catcher Jeremy Lucas’ eight-game hitting streak came to an end in game one of the doubleheader with Bowie on June 5. It also ended his on-base streak at 13 games.
STAMETS TO THE DL, MIGUEL JOINS ROSTER
Shortstop Eric Stamets landed on the seven-day disabled list on June 3 with a strained hamstring.
Angel Miguel, a 26-year-old shortstop out of Cuba, made his professional debut on June 3 and recorded his first hit, a single, in his first start on June 4. He joined the RubberDucks from extended spring training in Arizona.
PEOPLES GETS A ONE-GAME TRIAL AT AAA
Starting pitcher Michael Peoples got to make a guest appearance on the roster of the Columbus Clippers this week, if only but for a day. Getting a spot start in Columbus against the Indianapolis Indians after the original scheduled starter Cody Anderson was needed in Seattle for the Indians series with the Mariners, the 24-year-old right-hander allowed a pair of runs on four hits over six innings, walking two and striking out three for his first Triple-A win.
He was optioned back to Double-A following the start. He has gone 5-2 in eleven starts this season for the RubberDucks with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP.
MURPHY REASSIGNED, RODRIGUEZ RETURNS
Outfielder Taylor Murphy was reassigned to the Lynchburg Hillcats on Thursday to make room for Luigi Rodriguez, as the outfielder was activated from the suspended list.
Photo: MILB.com
