RubberDucks Doomed by Early Runs in Altoona, 9-5

RubberDucks Game Recap | Box Score

Altoona Curve (27-37, 58-75) 9, Akron RubberDucks (31-32, 66-65) 5

WP: Jake Shirk (4-4) LP: Sean Matson (1-9) SV: Justin Meis (1)

Summary

Akron scored three runs in the top of the first inning, but Altoona answered with four in the bottom half and five more in the second against right-hander Sean Matson, and four RubberDucks relievers’ seven scoreless innings could not quite bring the Ducks back in a 9-5 loss to the Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field Wednesday night.

Turning Point

Altoona erased the 3-0 deficit in the bottom of the first, when second baseman Jesus Castillo led off with a home run and designated hitter Easton Carmichael doubled home a run before a wild pitch and shortstop Javier Rivas’s single put the Curve ahead. Altoona sent nine men to the plate in the second, with third baseman Murf Gray’s RBI double and first baseman Callan Moss’s three-run double chasing Matson and building a 9-3 lead.

Mound Presence

Matson gave up eight hits and nine runs in one inning, recording three outs against the 14 batters he faced and falling to 1-9. The Akron bullpen then shut the Curve down the rest of the way. Right-hander Carter Rustadstruck out a career-high six over three innings of one-hit relief, and right-handers Zach Jacobs, Magnus Ellertsand Zane Morehouse followed with hitless relief. The four relievers combined for seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks.

Duck Tales

Akron built a first-inning lead on two hits and four walks including bases-loaded ones to catcher Bennett Thompson and first baseman Jake Fox, after left fielder Jaison Chourio’s RBI single. Shortstop Dean Curleydoubled and scored on designated hitter Welbyn Francisca’s first Double-A RBI in the eighth. Fox singled and scored in the ninth after third baseman Alex Mooney doubled and right fielder Ryan Cesarini hit a sacrifice fly.

Notebook

Fox went 2-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to six games and is 14-for-23 during the run…Akron went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position…RubberDucks pitching struck out 11…Akron fell to 10-9 against the Curve in 2026 and 4-3 at Peoples Natural Gas Field…Game Time: 2:41…Attendance: 2,832.

On the Pond

The RubberDucks continue the series at Altoona with a doubleheader beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Akron left-hander Franklin Gómez (1-0, 4.63 ERA) is scheduled to face Curve right-hander Peyton Stumbo (2-12, 6.32 ERA) in the opener, with left-hander Caden Favors (7-6, 4.65 ERA) starting Game 2 against Altoona right-hander Po-Yu Chen (0-2, 8.31 ERA). The game broadcast is on 640 WHLO, the 640 WHLO iHeartRadio channel, akronrubberducks.com, and the Bally Sports Live, MiLB and MLB apps. Tickets for RubberDucks home games are available on the MiLB app and akronrubberducks.com/tickets.