Daily Recap: 7/13

Just a reminder, OF Matt LaPorta and 3B Wes Hodges will be out of the Akron lineup until Thursday. They are in New York and took part in the Futures Game on Sunday, with LaPorta going 1-for-3 with a BB and K, and Hodges going 1-for-2 with a double. Kinston RHP Hector Rondon also participated in the game and threw a scoreless-hittless inning with no walks or strikeouts.

LHP Chuck Logren returned to the starting rotation in Akron on Sunday. He only lasted 2.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 4 hits, 3 walks and had 3 strikeouts.

3rd Time Not the Charm as Aeros Fall 5-3

READING, PA – Akron scored three runs for the third straight game, but unlike the previous two contests couldn’t pull out a win as Reading defeated the first-place Aeros 5-3 before 5,578 fans at FirstEnergy Stadium Sunday. The Phillies improved to 39-55 while Akron fell to 60-35.

Chuck Lofgren returned to the starting rotation for the first time in a month for Akron after spending time on the inactive list, but had trouble finishing innings. He recorded the first two outs in the first before issuing a two-out walk, and then got the first two hitters in the second before running into trouble. Luke Appert started the rally with a bloop single to center on an 0-2 pitch, and Jake Blalock then doubled off the left field fence. Bronson Sardinha played the carom perfectly and fired a strike to the cut-off man Brandon Pinckney, but the relay throw to the plate sailed over the head of catcher Damaso Espino as Appert scored. Two pitches later, Kevin Nelson launched a fly ball into the jet stream that was blowing out to center for a two-run homer and a 3-0 Reading lead.

The Phillies added another two-out run in the third, but Akron rebounded with three runs in the fourth. Sardinha opened the frame with a single to left, and Matt Whitney followed by blasting a two-run homer to left-center to cut the deficit in half. Espino added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to make it 4-3, but that was as close as the Aeros would get. Reading’s Clay Harris led off the eighth with a solo home run to account for the final margin.

J.D. Durbin (5-4) earned the win with seven solid innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four. Lofgren (1-4) surrendered four runs and four hits in 2.2 innings, walking three and also striking out three. Jim Deters followed out of the bullpen and worked 3.2 shutout innings, giving up just two hits. Whitney’s home run was his seventh of the season, while Sardinha, Josh Rodriguez, and Nathan Panther all had two hits.

The finale in this four-game series is set for 12:05 p.m. Monday, with Aeros left-hander Scott Lewis (4-2, 4.37 ERA) squaring off against Reading’s Tyson Brummett (1-3, 4.81 ERA). The game broadcast begins at 11:50 a.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

K-Tribe Wins Fourth Game in a Row

A three-run home run by Kinston’s Jason Denham broke open a tie game, sending Kinston to a 7-5 victory over Winston-Salem, Sunday afternoon at Historic Grainger Stadium.

Kinston opened the game with a bang when Niuman Romero hit a two-out, two RBI double in the bottom of the first to give the Indians a 2-0 advantage. Romero’s first inning hit ran his consecutive game hit streak to 18 games, tied for the longest in the Carolina League this season. Romero went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs on the afternoon.

Winston-Salem took a lead in the third inning when Kinston committed three errors, leading to three unearned runs. Up 3-2 in the bottom of the third, the Warthogs committed a costly two-out error of their own. With the inning extended, Kinston tied the game on a Romero RBI double and took the lead on Denham’s three-run homer. It was Denham’s fourth home run of the season. Alex Castillo added a solo home run in the fourth inning, his seventh of the season, to finish the scoring for Kinston.

Shawn Nottingham (1-1) picked up the win for Kinston. Nottingham went five innings, giving up four hits and three unearned runs. Sung-Wei Tseng, Mike Pontius and Vinnie Pestano came in from the bullpen to finish up for Kinston. Pestano picked up his first save of the season for Kinston. The K-Tribe pitching staff survived a season high six errors from Kinston fielders. All five runs Winston-Salem scored were unearned. The six errors came from six different K-Tribe position players.

Major League Closer Bobby Jenks will be on the mound for Winston-Salem Monday Night, making a rehab appearance for the Chicago White Sox affiliate. Jenks is scheduled to start and throw one inning for the Warthogs. Kinston will counter with Jeanmar Gomez, game time 7pm.

CAPTAINS SWEPT IN DH BY ASHEVILLE

(Eastlake, OH) – The Lake County Captains were only able to come up with one run and six hits in the double header as Asheville swept the Captains 4-1 and 2-0. This was the second time in ten double headers that the Captains have been swept. They have swept five themselves and split three.

In game one, the Tourists took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning when Darren Holcomb singled off of Captains starter Ryan Morris driving home Michael Mitchell. The Captain tied it up in the bottom of the fifth when Richard Martinez homered against Tourists starter Bruce Billings and it was 1-1. The Tourists got the game winner off of reliever Rob Bryson in the top of the seventh inning when Everth Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly to score Beau Seabury to make it 2-1. The Tourists added two more runs in the inning on a two run home run from Holcomb and the final was 4-1.

Morris got a no decision going five innings and giving up one run on seven hits, walking two and striking out four. Bryson relieved Morris in the sixth inning and took the loss giving up three runs in two innings of work. Bruce Billings went 6.1 innings and picked up the win and improved his record to 7-6. Randall Taylor got the last two outs and picked up his league leading 26th save.

In game two, the Tourists score in the first inning against Captains starter Kelvin De La Cruz when Daren Holcomb’s two out fly ball was lost in the sun by right fielder Lucas Montero. Jeffrey Cunningham scored and it was 1-0. The Tourists scored again in the third inning on a suicide squeeze bunt by Michael Mitchell that scored Lars Davis and it was 2-0.

De La Cruz went the distance and set down the last fifteen that he faced but took the loss giving up two runs on only four hits while striking out seven. Connor Graham went the distance as well and threw a one hit shut out to move his record to 8-4.

The Captains will conclude the series with the Tourists on Monday at 7:05 PM. The Captains will send Cleveland Indians starter RHP Fausto Carmona (0-0, 0.00) to the mound and he’ll be followed by RHP Joey Mahalic (6-2, 4.13) against the Tourists RHP Cory Riordan (6-7, 3.69). All Captains games can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

Scrappers Split Double-header

On Saturday night at Eastwood field the Hudson Valley Renegades struck first off of Scrapper starter Russell Young scoring one in the first and adding on one in the second. Then after the bottom of the second inning was completed and we were heading to the top of the third, the umpires called for the tarp and an extensive rain delay began. After a rain delay of over two hours the game was suspended to be resumed on Sunday at 5:05 PM.

We picked things up on Sunday afternoon with the Renegades leading 2-0 and it was pitching that took charge after the rain delay. Mike McGuire came in and worked three scoreless innings or relief and the game remained 2-0 Hudson Valley after five full innings.

In the seventh the Renegades added to their third run when Jared Jefferies doubled and then scored on Mike Rosses RBI single. Overall the Scrapper bats were limited to just four base tits and were shutout for the first time this season and fell in game one 3-0.

In Game Two, the Scrappers scored first in game two when Ryan Blair singled went to second on a ground out and scored on Brock Simpson’s RBI single. Then in the top of the second the Renegades took the lead for the first time in game when Jake Jefferies hit a two run home run off of Scrapper starter PJ Zocchi. In the bottom of the second the resilient Scrappers came back with two runs, on a RBI double by Zach Booker and a throwing error. After two the Scrappers lead 3-2.

The Scrappers added on in the when Simpson singled, then scored on Jeremie Tice’s two run home run. They the kept adding on to the lead when Ramon Hernandez was hit by a pitch, went to second when Donnie Webb singled, then third when Booker walked to load the bases. Walter Diaz then grounded out to score a run and Ryan Blair then followed with a two RBI triple and after three innings the Scrappers led 8-2.

In the fourth the Scrappers added on four more runs, thanks to a passed ball, Hernandez being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and RBI sacrifice fly’s by Webb and Booker and led 12-2 after four innings.

Continuing to score at least one run in each inning the Scrappers added one more run to the total when Hernandez worked a bases loaded walk and the Scrappers continued to add leading 13-2 after five innings. In the bottom of the sixth the Scrapper offense was held scoreless in an inning for the first time in game two.

Scrapper starter PJ Zocchi worked 5 innings and surrendered two runs, on three bases hits and picked up his second win on the season. Mark Rodriguez worked the last two innings of scoreless relief and the Scrappers took game two 13-2.

In Other Games....

- Buffalo lost 6-5. RHP J.D. Martin got the spot start and went 4 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits, no walks and had 4 strikeouts. RHP Brian Slocum followed him up and went 1.2 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits, 1 walk and had 3 strikeouts. SS Asdrubal Cabrera went 2-for-5 with a 2B, HR and 2 RBI.

- The GCL Indians had an off day.

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