Game Recaps 6/6

Lots of stuff on the draft the last two days. Scroll down the page for a lot of flash analysis from Day 1 from Dennis Nosco as well as his Day 2 Post-Draft thoughts. I also threw in a comment from a scout I talked to about Chisenhall.

Aeros Score Early, Often in 6-1 Victory

PORTLAND, ME – Akron roughed up Portland starter Dustin Richardson for six runs in the first three innings and never looked back, rolling to a 6-1 victory over the Sea Dogs before 6,767 fans at Hadlock Field Friday night. The Aeros improved to 32-26 and climbed to six games over the .500 mark for the first time in 2008, while Portland dropped to 36-24.

Akron erupted for three runs in the top of the first, as a single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases with one away for Bronson Sardinha. The white-hot slugger wasted no time in getting the Aeros on the board, ripping a two-run double inside the first base bag to give Akron a 2-0 lead. Matt Whitney followed with an RBI single of his own to make it 3-0, and the Aeros then struck for two more runs in the second. Ryan Goleski and Brandon Pinckney led off the inning with singles, and run-scoring base hits from Josh Rodriguez and Wes Hodges, respectively, pushed the advantage to 5-0. Stephen Head then put an exclamation point on the early outburst with a solo homer leading off the third, hammering a hanging curve for his second shot of the season.

That was plenty of support for a trio of Aeros pitchers, highlighted by Scott Lewis in his first start of the season. The Ohio State University product was slated to begin the year with the Aeros but suffered a strained left lat at the end of spring training, but showed no ill effects in retiring the first 14 hitters he faced. Lewis ended up working five scoreless innings, surrendering just a pair of singles and striking out three men while not allowing a walk. Reid Santos followed with three shutout innings of his own, and T.J. Burton recorded the final three outs.

Lewis (1-0) got the win in his 2008 debut, while Richardson (5-5) lasted just three innings in the loss. All nine position players for Akron had a hit in the game, with Rodriguez, Hodges, Head and Goleski all collecting two hits on the night. Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to a season-high 11 games, and Sardinha ran his hitting streak to eight straight contests. Pinckney, who had drawn a grand total of two walks in 99 at-bats entering the game, walked twice and added a single.

Game two in this three-game series is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, with Aeros southpaw Chuck Lofgren (1-3, 5.54 ERA) taking on an as yet unnamed Portland right-hander. The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

K-Tribe Loses 8-5

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans clinched the Southern Division 1st half title with an 8-5 win over Kinston, Friday night at Historic Grainger Stadium. Myrtle Beach (41-21) has the best record in the CL and will go to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. The Pelicans clinch snaps a streak of four consecutive first half titles by Kinston. Coming into this season the K-Tribe had won the Southern Division first half in seven of the last 11 years.

The Pelicans got things going in a big way with two solo home runs off of Carlton Smith in the first inning to go ahead 2-0. Kinston parlayed four consecutive hits into three runs in the third to go ahead 3-2. Adam Davis's solo home run extended the lead in the fifth, and it looked like the Pelican celebration would be delayed for another evening.

Myrtle Beach stormed back with three runs in the sixth, and a big three-run homer by Eric Campbell in the seventh to put the game on ice.

Carlton Smith (4-3) drops his third game and ends a streak of three straight starts with a win. Ryne Reynoso (6-3) got the win for Myrtle Beach and Brett Butts picked up his eighth save.
Kinston is back in action tomorrow with the Pelicans at 7:00. Kinston will be auctioning off special jerseys that will be worn in the game. Bids start at $50, and will take place at the Grainger Stadium, you must be present in order to bid. Jeanmar Gomez (2-6) takes the hill for the K-Tribe.

CAPTAINS SHUT OUT SUNS 11-0

(Hagerstown, MD) – Roman Pena had three extra base hits and three RBI’s as the Lake County Captains scored double digit runs for the second night in a row as they shut out the Hagerstown Suns 11-0 on Friday. This was the Captains ninth shut out this year.

The Captains got going in the third inning off Suns starter Josh Smoker when Adam White singled and went to second when Mark Thompson was hit by a pitch. They both scored on a
double by Roman Pena. After Dustin Realini struck out, Matt Brown walked and both runners scored on a triple by Karexon Sanchez. Sanchez scored on a ground out by Jeff Hehr and the Captains led 5-0.

The Captains added four more runs in the fourth inning when Adam White singled and scored on a double by Mark Thompson. Erik Arnesen relieved Smoker and walked Roman Pena. Both Thompson and Pena moved up a base on a wild pitch. Realini hit a sacrifice fly to score Thompson with Pena taking third. Pena scored when Matt Brown doubled him home. Brown would score on a single by Hehr and the Captains led 9-0. The Captains added another run in the sixth inning when Pena doubled, went to third on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brown to make it 10-0. Pena added a solo home run off Chris Lugo in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 11-0.

De La Cruz went five scoreless innings on three hits, walking two and striking out seven to up his record to 5-2. Josh Judy relieved De La Cruz in the sixth inning and pitched two scoreless innings. Joanniel Montero pitched the last two innings to close out the shut out. Smoker took the loss to drop his record to 0-2.

The Captains and Suns play game three of the series on Saturday at 6:35 PM with the Captains sending LHP Ryan Morris (6-1, 2.30) to the mound against the Shorebirds RHP Colton Willems (4-4, 4.36). The game can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

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