The math is simple for the RubberDucks after a 9-4 win over the Altoona Curve on Friday at Canal Park.
It goes something like this: 1 plus 10 equals 5.
At least that’s the hope of the Ducks, who need one more win this weekend in the Eastern League Western Division Championship to reach the organization’s 10th Eastern League final. Win that and it is league title No. 5.
As it sits right now, the RubberDucks have a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five series with the rest of the games played at Canal Park.
“It’s what we play for the all year,” Ducks left fielder Mike Papi said. “We get the chance to play in the playoffs and the chance to play for that ring. It’s the ultimate goal.”
The win was a little strange as the RubberDucks scored the go-ahead run without mustering a hit in the seventh inning.
Catcher Tomas Morales tried to pick Papi off first with one out and two on. The ball short-hopped Edwin Espinal and rolled into foul territory in right field, allowing Nellie Rodriguez to score from second.
The run was scored on two walks and a catcher’s throwing error as the RubberDucks took whatever the Curve gave them on a surreal night.
“In some aspects, I consider ourselves pretty fortunate,” Ducks manager Dave Wallace said. “But, hey, when the other team makes some mistakes we need to take advantage of it. That’s what we were able to do.
“I’m proud of our guys in how they came storming back. We kept our cool, stayed in the game and were able to open it up there in the end.”
The RubberDucks looked like they were going to run away with Game 3, going ahead 4-0 on two-run singles by Mark Mathias and Papi in the second and third, respectively.
But the Curve came back with a four-run fourth, highlighted by a two-run double by Kevin Newman. Interestingly enough, Newman was involved in a 7-6-2-5 double play on the double when Christopher Diaz was thrown out at home and Newman got drilled at third when he tried to catch Eric Haase napping.
Curve runners ran themselves into outs four times overall.
“It was a very wacky, unorthodox kind of game,” Papi said. “Fortunately, most of those plays were on our end. That’s the difference in a baseball game sometimes. It’s the weird plays that fall your way.”
Papi broke it open in the eighth with a three-run shot to right, his sixth long ball in his past nine games.
Cameron Hill picked up the win, the second time a RubberDucks reliever was the winning pitcher in the series.
Game 4 is at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Canal Park. Right-hander Nick Pasquale (4-7, 4.22) is set to go for the Ducks. Left-hander Brandon Waddell (7-9, 4.12) is scheduled to start for the Curve.
Gomes report
In his latest rehab assignment with the RubberDucks, Yan Gomes went 1-for-4 with a double, walk, RBI and run. The plan for Game 4 is up in the air as Gomes got one more at-bat then he thought he would on Friday.
“We were wanting to push for four games [in a row],” Gomes said. “But this was kind of a longer game. I got more at-bats than I usually go, so it’s something we’ll revisit. [Saturday] was supposed to be a scheduled off day.”