Game Recaps 6/26

Today, RHP Frank Herrmann was sent to Mahoning Valley and RHP T.J. Burton was placed on the disabled list with a strained left calf. Taking their spots on the Akron roster are LHP Ryan Edell and RHP Luis Perdomo. The move of Herrmann to Mahoning Valley is just a paper move as he was not really sent there. They do these kind of moves when they need to finagle a starter onto the team. Herrmann will likely be activated and then another pitch sent to Mahoning Valley soon, and the process will repeat. Also, the "strained left calf" for T.J. Burton is likely just another paper move to get Perdomo to Akron. Surprisingly, Newsom is still in Akron even after Perdomo was called up. Perhaps Newsom will be on the move in the next day or so, possibly as soon as Jeff Stevens is called up to Cleveland.

Also, more movement in Single-A with Lake County RHP Vinnie Pestano being promoted to Kinston. Lake County has not filled Pestano's spot at this time. 1B Dustin Realini also was put on the disabled list with facial injuries and LHP Kelvin De La Cruz was activated. No word yet on what happened to Realini, but word is it was not a fight or a car accident. He is expected to be out a few weeks.

Aeros Withstand No-Hit Bid to Win 3-2

AKRON, OH – Bowie starter David Hernandez carried a no-hitter through six innings, but the Aeros broke through and tied the game on Stephen Head’s home run in the seventh and a sacrifice fly from Wes Hodges in the eighth was the difference-maker in Akron’s 3-2 victory before 5,845 fans at Canal Park Thursday afternoon. The Aeros dropped three of five games in the series, but improved to 47-31 with the win while the Baysox fell to 44-35 and had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Bowie got on the board first off Aeros starter Ryan Edell with single runs in the second and fourth innings. Jeff Nettles led off the second with a single, and moved to third when Nolan Reimold grounded a ball off the glove of Wes Hodges at third that scooted into left field, putting runners on the corners. Mike Rodriguez followed with an RBI fielder’s choice to take the 1-0 lead. In the fourth, Lou Montanez led off with a double and moved to third on a single by Nettles. Reimold followed by grounding into a 6-3 double play, but Montanez scored to make it 2-0.

It seemed the Baysox would hold that lead. Hernandez was brilliant in facing just two over the minimum in the first six frames, but Bronson Sardinha led off the seventh with a soft liner that fell just beyond the reach of second baseman Carlos Rojas for a single. Sardinha immediately moved to third after Hernandez threw wildly over to first on a pick-off move and Hodges, the Eastern League’s RBI leader, followed with a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Sardinha and cut the lead in half. Head then crushed a 1-0 change-up into the last row of bleachers in right field, tying the game at 2-2 and forcing Hernandez to the showers after a two-hit performance.

The Aeros played small-ball to plate the winning run in the eighth inning. Jose Constanza started the rally by putting down a perfect bunt that came to rest on the third base chalk line for a single. Trevor Crowe sacrificed him to second base, and walks to Josh Rodriguez and Sardinha loaded the bases. Hodges followed with his second sacrifice fly of the game and his 61st RBI to give the Aeros a 3-2 lead that closer Randy Newsom ensured would be enough. Newsom walked Nettles to lead off the ninth, but got Reimold to ground into his second double play of the game and Mike Rodriguez bounced to second to end the game.

Luis Perdomo (1-0) earned the win in his Aeros debut, tossing two innings in relief of Edell and allowing just one hit while striking out two. Edell gave up just two runs (one earned) in six innings while striking out five. Jason Burch (2-2) took the loss for Bowie, but it was Gerardo Casadiego who surrendered the game-winning sacrifice fly. Hernandez was charged with two runs on two hits and two walks with nine strikeouts for Bowie. Newsom picked up his league-leading 22nd save after his scoreless ninth inning. Sardinha, Head, and Constanza had the only hits on the day for Akron, while Hodges drove in two runs.

The Aeros stay home through the weekend, welcoming the Reading Phillies at 7:05 p.m. Friday to begin a three-game series. Akron’s Kevin Dixon (4-5, 4.67 ERA) will face off against Reading’s Carlos Carrasco (5-6, 3.64 ERA). It is Fireworks Friday at Canal Park with a spectacular fireworks show to follow the game, presented by ACME. The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

K-Tribe Loses 10-6

The Kinston Indians came back off the All-Star Break with the big bats but fall short of beating the Frederick Keys, losing 10-6 in game one of a three game series in Maryland. Both teams scored five runs each in the first three innings with Kinston smacking three home runs. The K-Tribe got a two-run homer from Brian Juhl in the second and then back-to-back homers by Nick Weglarz and Jared Goedert. Frederick's Matt Wieters hit his league-leading 15th home run of the season before being promoted to AA Bowie after the game.

The Indians got a run in the fifth on a Jason Denham single to break open a 5-5 tie. The Kinston bullpen couldn't hold, giving up five runs in three innings of work to spoil what would have been Jeanmar Gomez's third win of the season. Gomez settled down after a rocky start, allowing five runs in five innings, but left with a lead that the 'pen would relinquish.

The K-Tribe loses just their second game since the second half started, but remains in first place in the Carolina League Southern Division. They look for win number six in eight games when Shawn Nottingham takes the mound against Frederick starting at 7:00 PM Friday night in Maryland.

CAPTAINS GAME POSTONED ON THURSDAY
Game to be made up Friday

(Eastlake, OH) – The Lake County Captains game against the Lakewood BlueClaws scheduled for Thursday has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 5:05 PM. Fans with tickets can exchange them for any other regular season game based on availability. Tickets must be exchanged in person at the Ticket Office or the National City Ticket Information Center prior to entering the gates for another game. For Captains ticket information please call 440-954-WINS.

The Captains will send LHP Kelvin De La Cruz (5-3, 1.60) to the mound against the BlueClaws LHP Walter Tejeda (3-3, 3.89). The Hagerstown Suns will come to town for a two game series starting on Saturday. All Captains games can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

In Other Games...

- Buffalo won 7-3. 1B Jordan Brown connected on his second home run of the season and went 3-for-3 with a walk at the plate. Catcher Chris Gimenez went 2-for-4 with a 3B and RBI, and OF Brad Snyder went 1-for-3 with a 2B and 2 RBI. LHP David Huff got the win (2-1) and went 5 innings giving up 3 runs on 4 hits, 0 walks and struck out 4.

- Mahoning Valley lost 7-6. 3B Jeremie Tice went 2-for-2 with an RBI and 3 walks. OF Ryan Blair went 2-for-4 with a walk. INF Isaias Velasquez went 2-for-4 with an RBI. LHP Russell Young got the start and went 3 innings and gave up 0 earned runs on 5 hits, 1 walk and struck out 4.

- GCL Indians won 4-2. SS Walter Diaz 2-for-4 with a 2B, OF Kevin Rucker 1-for-3 with a walk and a HR. RHP Alexander Perez with the start going 5 innings and allowing 1 run on 4 hits, no walks, and 8 strikeouts. LHP Tony Sipp with 2 shutout perfect innings with 1 strikeout.

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