RUMBLE PONIES GAME NOTES: Game #16 - Rumble Ponies (7-8) at RubberDucks (8-9) - 6:35 PM

BINGHAMTON RUMBLE PONIES (7-8), 4th Eastern, 2.0 GB (New York Mets)		AKRON RUBBERDUCKS (8-9), 5th Western, 2.0 GB (Cleveland Indians)
	Tuesday, April 25, 2017 • 6:35 PM Canal Park • Akron, OH RHP Donovan Hand (0-0, ---- ) vs. RHP Michael Peoples (1-1, 3.06) WNBF 1290 AM

RUBBERDUCKS RUMBLE PAST PONIES: Akron earned the series-opening win on Monday night behind RHP Julian Merryweather’s 6.2 innings of two-run baseball. After scoring twice in the third inning, the Binghamton bats were held to just three hits, while Rumble Ponies starting pitcher P.J. Conlon was touched for a season-high eight hits in his first loss of the 2017 season. The Rumble Ponies five hits tied a season-low.

BINGHAMTON  STARTER: RHP Donovan Hand makes his Rumble Ponies debut in his 11^th professional season. In three starts with Las Vegas this season, the 31-year-old is 1-2 with a 7.16 ERA. Hand joins Cody Decker as the only Rumble Ponies with Major League experience. Hand has appeared in a combined 32 games (7 starts) for the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds. While Hand has played Double-A baseball in parts of three different seasons, he has never appeared in an Eastern League game (only Southern League).

AKRON STARTER: RubberDucks RHP Michael People’s becomes the second Akron hurler to start his fourth game in 2017. After losing his first start and not earning a decision in his second, People’s beat Reading on April 19 by tossing 6.2 innings while allowing just two runs. The 25-year-old is in the midst of his 6^thprofessional season and second with Akron. Last season, he started a team-high 27 games, including three against Binghamton. People’s posted a 1-1 mark with a 2.60 ERA against the 2016 B-Mets.

WELCOME, DALE: On April 24, INF Dale Burdick was transferred from St. Lucie to Binghamton. The 21-year-old appeared in four games for Binghamton last year, going 0-for-6. This season, Burdick his hitting .146 (6-for-41) with St. Lucie in the Florida State League. Burdick was drafted in the 40^th round by the Mets in 2014.

THIS ONE GOES TO ELEVEN?: Kevin Taylor is in the midst of a team-high ten-game hitting streak. It ranks as the third-longest streak in the Eastern League in 2017. Taylor is hitting .378 (14-for-37) during the stretch. He compiled a career-long 14-game hit streak last year with St. Lucie (High-A).

PETERSON PUTS ‘EM DOWN: Tim Peterson pitched one scoreless inning on Monday, stretching his scoreless innings streak to seven (five appearances). Last season, Peterson didn’t allow an earned run until his sixth appearance, after tossing eight scoreless frames to begin the season.

HITTING THE SKIDS: Binghamton has dropped their last six meetings against the RubberDucks, dating back to last year. Since May 24, 2015, Binghamton has gone 2-13 versus Akron. Binghamton has lost eight consecutive games at Canal Park. Their last win occurred on June 28, 2015.

BALLIN’: Alberto Baldonado has not allowed a run in his first five appearances, spanning 8.0 innings.

UP NEXT: The Rumble Ponies conclude their three-game series against the RubberDucks on Wednesday night at 6:35 PM. RHP Corey Oswalt opposes RHPNick Pasquale.