AKRON, Ohio
Francisco Mejia delivered a pinch-hit, RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning, giving the Akron Rubber- Ducks (33-31) a 3-2 walk-off Eastern League win over the Portland Sea Dogs (29-35) on Sunday afternoon at Canal Park.
The rally started with a one-out walk in the ninth to Dorssys Paulino. Luis Ysla (L, 1-4) fanned Connor Marabell for the second out. Mejia’s double gave him 11 hits in 18 at-bats against Portland this season.
Robbie Aviles pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to earn his third win of the season.
Portland jumped off to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning against Matt Esparza. Danny Mars (3-for- 4) led off the game with a single, and with two outs, Nick Longhi (3-for-4) socked a two-run homer to right-center field.
Akron responded with an unearned run in the first inning off Travis Lakins. Lakins worked 4 2/3 innings on just one hit, four walks and four strikeouts. The righty was forced out of the game due to a 49-minute rain delay in the fifth inning.
Bobby Poyner relieved Lakins in the fifth and yielded one run, a two-out homer to Yu Chang in the sixth inning. Poyner pitched 3 1/3 innings on two hits, no walks and four strikeouts.
The Sea Dogs open up a three-game series with the Erie SeaWolves (Tigers affiliate) tonight at UPMC Park. Teddy Stankiewicz (2-3, 4.01) makes his 12th start of the year for Portland. Erie has not named their starter for the game. First pitch from Erie, Pa., is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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