Daily Recap: 7/12

On Saturday, Buffalo activated RHP Jeff Weaver. Weaver was signed to a minor league contract by the Indians on July 5. Also, RHP Bryan Bullington was activated. Bullington was claimed by the Indians off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 10. To make roster room for Weaver Bullington, INF Chris De La Cruz and RHP Frank Herrmann were transferred to Double-A Akron. Herrmann was 0-2 with a 1.38ERA in two starts while De La Cruz hit .140 (6-43) with four RBI in 18 games with the Bisons.

Quick comment on the above...why not keep Herrmann in Buffalo???? Why bother with Weaver or some of the other guys we have pulled out of the recycle bin to throw into the Buffalo rotation this year? Man, Herrmann deserved a better fate than that....why not give him another start and see if you caught lightening in a bottle? Just wondering.

RHP Fausto Carmona will be in Lake County on Monday night to make a rehab start. Carmona last pitched in Lake County in 2003 when he burst onto the scene and was the Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Indians.

Goleski Hustles Aeros to 3-2 Win

READING, PA – Ryan Goleski manufactured a run with his feet in the top of the second and that tally ended up as the difference, as Akron slipped past Reading 3-2 before 8,957 fans at FirstEnergy Stadium Saturday night. The Aeros improved to an Eastern League-best 60-34, while the Phillies dropped to 38-55.

Josh Rodriguez wasted no time in opening the scoring, launching a solo home run to left on the very first pitch of the game from Reading starter Brett Myers to make it 1-0. Brandon Pinckney followed with a bloop single to right, and with two away Stephen Head doubled to right center to put men at second and third. White-hot Wyatt Toregas then laced an RBI single to left, plating Pinckney and making it 2-0.

Goleski made his presence felt in the second, starting the frame with a grounder to short that Brad Harman threw away. With one out Goleski stole second (his first steal since April 15th), and with two gone Bronson Sardinha hit a bouncer to first which should have ended the inning. Clay Harris roamed to his right to field the ball, but Myers dropped the throw at first as Sardinha was safe. Running with his head up, Goleski alertly saw that the ball was still rolling up the first base line and raced around third, eventually sliding home ahead of the tag from Kevin Nelson.

Luke Appert got Reading on the board with a solo home run in the third, but that was all Aeros starter Kevin Dixon would surrender. He used double play balls to get out of slight trouble in both the fourth and fifth innings, and then caught a break when Neil Sellers was hit on the base path by a batted ball to end the sixth.

Reading made things interesting against Wisconsin native Scott Roehl in the ninth, as with a runner at first and two away Harris reached on a strikeout/wild pitch combination. Jake Blalock followed with an RBI single to left to make it 3-2 and put the potential tying run at second base, but Roehl recovered to strike out Nelson on a changeup to end it.

Dixon (8-5) earned the win with his team-leading 11th quality start of the year, holding the Phillies to a run on five hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out six. Myers (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) and five hits in eight innings. He walked two and struck out 10. Erik Stiller earned his first hold with two perfect innings in the seventh and eighth, and Roehl’s save was his third of the season. Rodriguez’s leadoff home run was his sixth of the year, and Pinckney finished 2-3 with a walk.

Game three in this four-game series is set for 1:05 p.m. Sunday, with Akron southpaw Chuck Lofgren (1-3, 5.64 ERA) making his return to the starting rotation against Reading’s J.D. Durbin (4-4, 2.45 ERA). The game broadcast begins at 12:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at http://www.akronaeros.com/.

K-Tribe beat Winston-Salem for third straight win

The Kinston Indians won their third game in a row, beating the Winston-Salem Warthogs, 6-2, at Historic Grainger Stadium, dethroning the team who had first place in the Carolina League South coming into the day. The Indians go to within a half game of new first place leader Myrtle Beach.

After Brandon Allen hit a two-out solo home run to put the Warthogs on top in the first, Beau Mills responded with his team leading 15th home run of the season in the bottom half. Nick Weglarz followed with his team-leading third triple, and scored on a Jared Goedert sacrifice fly to put the K-Tribe on top, 2-1. The K-Tribe broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the third inning,
when Johnny Drennen led off with a double and scored on a Carlos Rivero ground out. Kinston added a run in the sixth on an RBI double by Jason Denham. In the seventh a Jared Goedert RBI single scored Weglarz. Kinston finished the scoring with a Denham sacrifice fly in the eighth. Niuman Romero went 2-for-4, extending his hitting streak to 17 games, the second longest streak in the Carolina League this season.

Carlton Smith (6-5) picked up the win, going six innings and giving up just five hits. Smith tied a season high by striking out six batters. Matt Meyer, Neil Wagner and Vinnie Pestano finished things up from the K-Tribe bullpen. Warthogs starter John Ely (3-10) picked up the loss for
Winston-Salem.

The K-Tribe takes on Winston-Salem in game two of the four game set Sunday afternoon at 2pm from Historic Grainger Stadium. Shawn Nottingham takes the mound for the K-Tribe.

CAPTAINS GAME POSTONED ON SATURDAY
Game to be made up Sunday

(Eastlake, OH) – The Lake County Captains game against the Asheville Tourists scheduled for Saturday has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 1:05 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.

In Sunday’s double header, the Captains will send LHP Ryan Morris (7-2, 3.18) to the mound against the Tourists RHP Bruce Billings (6-6, 4.08) in game one. In game two, the Captains will send LHP Kelvin De La Cruz (7-3, 1.74) to the mound against the Tourists RHP Connor Graham (7-4, 2.06). All Captains games can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

SCRAPPERS HAVE 1ST RAINOUT OF THE YEAR

Saturday night’s game between the Hudson Valley Renegades and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers was cancelled do to rain. There will be a double header played on Sunday beginning at 5:05.

In Other Games...

- Buffalo lost 9-3. RHP Jeff Weaver made his Buffalo debut and went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, 1 walk and had 2 strikeouts. RHP Bryan Bullington relieved him and went 3 innings and gave up 4 runs on 4 hits, 1 walk and had 6 strikeouts (we sent down Herrmann for this?). Offensively, Buffalo is still struggling. 1B Jordan Brown went 1-for-4 with a run and RBI. RF Jason Cooper went 1-for-2 with a 2B, RBI and 2 walks.

- The GCL Indians won 3-2. RHP Danny Salazar continues to impress, running his record up to 3-0 and going 7 innings and allowing 1 run on 3 hits, 1 walk, and had 6 strikeouts. DH Matt McBride went 1-for-4, 3B Abner Abreu went 1-for-3 with a 2B and walk, and OF Kevin Rucker went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

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