Akron, OH (July 9, 2026) – The Chesapeake Baysox, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, fell to the Akron RubberDucks, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, by an 5-3 final on Thursday night.
There were plenty of early fireworks, as each team’s leadoff hitter went deep two pitches into their half of the first inning. First, for Chesapeake (8-6, 37-46), Doug Hodo hit his third leadoff homer of the season. For Hodo, it was his fifth homer for the Baysox in 2026 – the fourth off a left-handed pitcher, as he took Akron starter Caden Favors deep to right field. Hodo’s homer was the seventh leadoff home run of the season for Chesapeake.
The RubberDucks immediately answered with a solo shot in the first from Nick Mitchell to tie the score against right-handed starter Evan Yates. After a scoreless second, Akron tacked on a run in the third and fourth frames, with Jaison Chourio and Tyrese Turner picking up RBI knocks. Yates (L, 4-5) would go scoreless from there, keeping the Baysox within striking distance. The right-hander finished five and two-thirds innings on Thursday – the second-longest outing of his Double-A career and finished with four strikeouts.
After Hodo’s leadoff bomb, Favors retired 14 of the next 16 Baysox hitters, issuing just two walks. Following a Fernando Peguero two-out single in the top of the fifth, heavy rain started to fall and the game went into a brief, 20-minute delay. Favors (W, 3-6) remained dialed in following the stoppage, finishing with five and one-third innings of two-hit, one-run ball.
The RubberDucks added on two more runs in the seventh on three hits against left-handed reliever Micah Ashman. A two-run double down the first base line from Jacob Cozart gave the RubberDucks a 5-1 advantage. Right-hander Ryan Long had an impressive outing on Thursday night to prevent any additional damage, as Long struck out all five hitters he faced following Ashman.
The Baysox had a few late chances, loading the bases in the seventh and eighth innings. Griff O’Ferrall tallied an eighth inning sacrifice fly, but Akron’s bullpen kept the Baysox from any further damage heading into the ninth. In their final stand, Chesapeake brought the tying run to the plate, but after an RBI groundout from Aron Estrada, right-hander Alaska Abney (S, 2), would generate a groundout from Anderson De Los Santos to end the game.
Chesapeake continues the six-game series in Akron on Friday night at 7:17 pm. Left-hander Sebastian Gongora (7-3, 3.18 ERA) is set to take the ball for the Baysox against RubberDucks right-hander Dylan DeLucia (1-5, 7.18 ERA).
The Baysox will return to Prince George’s Stadium following the MLB All-Star Break on Friday, July 17, when Chesapeake opens a nine-game homestand with a three-game series against the Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, with first pitch on July 17 set for 7:05 pm ET.
Single-game tickets, ticket plans, and group offers for the 2026 season are currently on sale. For more information on the Baysox schedule, tickets, and the latest team news, fans can call 301.805.6000, visit Baysox.com, or follow the team on Facebook, X, and Instagram.