Guardians Baseball Insider

It was a successful series full of drama for the RubberDucks as they squared off against Bowie seven times in six days at Canal Park. They opened the week with two walk off hits by Micah Pries, dropped the next two and picked up three big wins to end the week. In Saturday’s doubleheader, put in place to make up for a rainout in Bowie in July, the ‘Ducks walked it off again in game one before a blowout victory in game two. Sunday saw Akron come back from a 6-0 deficit to capture their fifth win of the series. The RubberDucks offense didn’t put up amazing numbers but the pitching staff, especially the bullpen, put Akron in situations to win. 

Day-by-Day

8/9/22: Akron 6, Bowie 5; W: Labut; L: McGinness
8/10/22: Akron 3, Bowie 2; W: W: Vargas; L: Perez
8/11/22: Bowie 4, Akron 2; W: Elliott; L: Ponticelli; S: Loeprich
8/12/22: Bowie 6, Akron 4; W: Armbruester; L: Burns; S: McLarty
8/13/22 (Game 1): Akron 3, Bowie 2; W: Labaut; L: McGinness
8/13/22 (Game 2): Akron 6, Bowie 1; W: Jones; L: Stauffer
8/14/22: Akron 7, Bowie 6; W: Marman; L: Rom; S: Smith

Player of the Week

The Bullpen: 35.1 IP, 6 ER, 18 H, 19 BB, 35 K

For a bullpen that once gave up 25 earned runs in 24 innings earlier this season in a series at Erie, their collective performance against Bowie was truly inspiring. They played a big role in holding the Baysox to two runs or less in three of Akron’s wins and six runs or less in all games. RHP’s Robert Broom, Brett Daniels, Cade Smith, Jordan Jones, Carlos Vargas, Kyle Marman and LHP’s Randy Labaut and Eli Lingos combined for 28.2 innings allowing no earned runs. Lingos also started game two on Saturday and tossed four scoreless as he went six innings without allowing a hit and just two walks on the week. 

Who’s Hot

RHP Tanner Bibee: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

It’s hard to believe Bibee was drafted just 13 months ago. The right hander tossed six innings while allowing just one unearned run in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader. Bibee has allowed just six earned runs in 37.2 Double-A innings while striking out 38 as prospect evaluators continue to buy stock in him. 

C Bryan Lavastida: 6-18, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, SB

Nobody on the offense had a career week but Lavastida had a second straight solid series after a very poor start to his stint with Akron. He was a big part of the walk off win on Tuesday as he tied the game on a RBI single down to his last strike. 

IF/OF Micah Pries: 9-28, 2 2B, 5 RBI, BB, 5 K

This was far from Pries’ best week this season statistically, but he earns a spot in this section for collecting the most hits on the team and for his walk-off heroics on Tuesday and Wednesday. He’s got three walk-off RBIs this season as he continues to make a name for himself in the organization. 

Who’s Not

IF/OF Jhonkensy Noel: 3-23, 2B, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 11 K

Noel started the week off well with a two-RBI single in the first inning on Tuesday and then plummeted. He got back to his usual high strikeout numbers while showing an inability to lay off the low and away slider.

LHP Jaime Arias: 5 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K

Arias, who has filled in for the Akron rotation in light of injuries and call-ups, had the worst week of any pitchers on the ‘Ducks against Bowie. 

Transactions

8/15/22: OF Johnathan Roodriguez assigned to Akron RubberDucks from Lake County Captains

8/15/22: OF Quentin Holmes released from Akron RubberDucks

8/15/22: RHP Manuel Alvarez released from Akron RubberDucks

On ‘Duck 

8/16/22: @ Erie, 6:05 PM

8/17/22: @ Erie, 6:05 PM

8/18/22 (Game 1): @ Erie, 5:05 PM

8/18/22: (Game 2): @ Erie, TBD

8/19/22: @ Erie, 6:05 PM

8/20/22: @ Erie, 6:05 PM

8/21/22: @ Erie, 1:35 PM