AKRON, Ohio — The Akron RubberDucks received homers from Jordan Smith and Luigi Rodriguez en route to a 3-0 Eastern League baseball victory over the Portland Sea Dogs at Canal Park.
Sunday’s game was delayed 4 hours, 4 minutes at the start, and changed to a single, nine-inning contest rather than the originally scheduled doubleheader.
Nick Pasquale (2-6) twirled six scoreless frames allowing five hits with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts to earn the win for Akron (60-60). Mitch Atkins (3-7) was saddled with the loss, yielding 3 runs over 5.2 innings pitched.
Smith put Akron on the board with a two-run shot in the fourth inning. Rodriguez added a solo homer in the sixth.
Portland (45-73) had a great chance in the first inning, loading the bases, but Ryan Court popped out to second base to end the threat.
Cole Sulser induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Jake Romanski to end the game, and notch his fifth save of the year.
Ty Buttrey retired all four batters faced and Luis Ysla pitched a scoreless eighth.
The Sea Dogs had five hits, as Aneury Tavarez went 1-for-3 to extend his on-base streak to 17 games.
Portland and Akron will not make up the second game of Sunday’s scheduled doubleheader since the two teams don’t play again this season.