Daily Recap: 8/01

Apologies for the brief hiatus, this was due to technical difficulties.

The Akron Aeros have received RHP Randy Newsom from AAA Buffalo. Newsom made 9 appearances for the Bisons amassing a 1.86ERA. Newsom started the year with the Aeros going 5-0, 1.72ERA in 37 relief appearances.

To make room for Newsom, 25-year old RHP James Deters was somewhat surprisingly released. Deters, had a 4.52ERA in 30 games (7 starts) between Kinston and Akron this year after posting a 12-4, 2.24ERA in 33 games (10 starts) at High-A Kinston in 2007.



Home runs doom Jackson, Bisons as rally falls short

Zach Jackson allowed 8 runs off 10 hits, including 3 home runs and the Buffalo Bisons came up just short falling 8-7 at the hands of the Durham Bulls on Friday night.

Jackson (2-1), making just his 3rd start for the Herd, had been excellent in his first two starts posting a 0.90ERA (10IP, 1ER); but he would never find his groove on a night that he would be victimised by the home run ball.

The trouble started for Jackson in the first inning; after Ben Zobrist had reached on a 1-out single Justin Ruggiano beat out a potential double play ball to keep the inning alive for former Oakland A's firstbaseman Dan Johnson. Johnson launched Jackson's 0-1 pitch over the wall in left center for an opposite field blast and a 2-0 lead. Next up was another former Major Leaguer (Orioles) DH Chris Richard who crushed a 2-0 fastball from Jackson for a 3-0 lead.

Jackson would again struggle with 2-outs in the 2nd inning; Jon Weber and Elliot Johnson had reached on singles earlier in the inning and up stepped Zobrist with 2-on and 2-out. After fouling off a pair of 2 strike pitches, Zobrist smashed his 4th HR of the season on a 3-2 pitch to left field to put the Bulls in a commanding 6-0 lead. The Bulls would cap their scoring in the bottom of the 3rd inning as John Jaso stroked a 2 run single to centerfield with 2-outs in the inning, meaning all 8 Bulls runs scored with 2-outs against Jackson who finished the night with 3.2IP, 10H, 8R, 7ER, 1BB, 4K.

The Bisons would begin their comeback in the top 3rd; Trevor Crowe and Tony Graffanino reached on back-to-back one out singles and Crowe was brought home on a sac fly by Michael Aubrey. They would do most of their damage in the 4th inning; Jason Cooper and Jorge Velandia lead off in the inning with back-to-back singles against Bulls starter Ben Hendrickson before Brad Snyder launched a 1-0 pitch to straight away center for a 3-run home run to cut the defecit to 8-4. After Trevor Crowe walked with 1-out, Aubrey strode to the plate with 2 down in the inning and stroked a 2-run HR to right field for his 4th home run in 13 games since the All-Star break (5th overall) to bring the Herd back to 8-6. After a walk to Todd Linden and a Chris Gimenez HBP, Jason Cooper hit an RBI single to cut the defecit to 8-7.

This was as close as the Bisons could get as Bulls relievers Dale Thayer, Chris Mason and Scott Dohman worked a combined 5.1 scoreless innings allowing only 4 hits with 6Ks. The Bisons pen matched, if not bettered that effort though to give the Herd every chance to mount a comeback; Brian Slocum (2.2IP, 0H, 4K), Brenden Donnelly (1IP, 0H, 2K) and Preston Larrison (1IP, 1H) combined to shutout the Bulls over the final 4.2 innings.

Aubrey (2-for-3, HR, 3RBI) and Jason Cooper (4-for-4) the offensive standouts for a Bisons team that returns home for a 2 game series against the Syracuse Chiefs on Saturday night. LHP John Halama the scheduled starter for the Herd.


Aeros continue to struggle, fall in 10 to Senators

The Akron Aeros offense continued to scuffle Friday night managing only 4 hits as they fell 3-1 at the hands of the Harrisburg Senators in 10 innings. The loss dropped the Aeros record to a disappointing 6-11 since the AA All-Star break and saw their lead in the Southern Division of the Eastern League cut back to 2.5 games as the Bowie Bay Sox cruised to a 19-3 win over Altoona on the back of RF Luis Montanez career night (5-for-6, cycle, 8RBI).

Akron starter RHP Steven Wright was excellent again, working 7 sparkling innings allowing only a 5th inning HR to Senators LF Marvin Lowrance on his way to a 7IP, 5H, 1R/ER, 1BB, 2K night. The 7 inning performance marked the 4th straight strong start for Wright at the AA level after initially struggling on his promotion from High A. Wright has amassed a 1.96ERA in 23IP over that span (5ER), but left Friday nights start in line for the loss.

He would get taken off the hook in the bottom of the 8th inning as Aeros 1B Stephen Head would launch his 10th home run of the season with 2-outs in the inning against Senators reliever Adam Carr to tie the game up at 1-1.

LHP Chuck Lofgren relieved Wright in the 8th inning and retired the first 6 hitters he faced to send the game into extra innings. After striking out Marvin Lawrence to start the 10th, former Aeros C Javi Herrera would double off Lofgren who then elected to intentionally walk pinch hitter Edgardo Baez. Akron would then bring in sidearming righty (roogy) Randy Newsom to face right-handed hitter Seth Bynum, but the Senators would respond by pinch-hitting with switch hitter Marcos Yepez, who batting left-handed lined a 2-run double over the head of CF Jose Constanza.

Both runs were charged to Lofgren as he took the tough luck loss falling to 1-5 on the season.


Rondon, bats power K-Tribe past Avalanche

Hector Rondon worked 6 strong innings and the Kinston Indians banged out 15 hits on their way to a 7-1 over the Salem Avalanche on Friday night.

20-year old Rondon (10-5) allowed just the 1 run on 4 hits in his 6 innings of work, he didn't walk a batter and struck out 2 with the only damage coming on a sac fly by Avalanche 1B Mark Ori in the 6th.

The Indians would get on the board in the first inning; Carlos Santana would reach on a 1-out single and after a 2-out walk to Jared Goedert, Niuman Romero would bring Santana home with an RBI single to center. They would add on in 4th inning on an RBI single by Brian Juhl scoring John Drennen who had lead off with a double and again in the 5th inning as Juhl walked with the bases loaded to score Beau Mills who had lead off with a double.

The game would be effectively put out of reach in the 6th inning as the Indians added on 3 more. Lucas Montero (single), Santana (BB) and Mills (single) all reached safely to lead off the inning and load the bases with nobody out. Jared Goedert than drove 1 run home with a single to left, but Santana was gunned down at the plate. That didn't matter as Romero followed with an RBI single of his own and Drennen made it 6-0 with a sac fly to to left. The Indians would cap the scoring in the 8th as Jared Goedert drove in the final run with an RBI groundout scoring Santana who had lead off with a single and moved to 3rd on a double by Mills.

Santana (3-for-4, 2R, BB), Mills (3-for-5, 2 2B[30]) and Romero (3-for-5, 2RBI) the offensive standouts for the K-Tribe.

Mike Pontius (2IP, 0H, 4BB, 3K) and Vinnie Pestano (1IP, 0H) worked the final 3 scoreless innings to close out the victory for an Indians team that will continue the 3-game series with the Avalanche at 6.07pm Saturday. LHP Kelvin De La Cruz will make his 3rd start for the Indians looking to rebound from his last start when he didn't make it out of the 1st inning.


In other games....

- Captains win late 2-1 over Greensboro. Joey Mahalic (5IP, 3H, 0R, 5K) with an excellent start. Paulo Espino (2IP, 0R, 3K) was in line for the win until Dallas Cawiezell (3-7) allowed a game tying HR in the 8th inning, but picked up the win after Doug Pickens stroked the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom 8th. Kyle Landis struckout 2 in a perfect 9th for his 5th save.

- Scrappers lose 5-3 at the hands of Jamestown Jammers. LHP Kaimi Mead (4-5) took the loss allowing 4 runs, 3 earned in 4 innings. CF Donnie Webb (2-for-4, 3B, 2RBI) the top offensive performer - Webb hitting .400 (12-for-30) over his last 10 games after getting his season off to a terrible .129 (13-for-101) start.

- GCL Indians win the resumed game from Thursday 2-1. TJ McFarland (3-2) brilliant over the last 6 shutout innings allowing just a single with 6Ks. Abner Abreu (1-for-2, RBI, BB) with the go ahead RBI single in the 3rd. Win the regularly scheduled game 2-0 in a game called with 2-outs in the bottom of the 6th due to rain. 2008 25th round pick Steve Smith got the spot start working 3 scoreless allowing 1-hit with 6Ks. 12th rounder Guido Fonseca (great name!) worked a scoreless 4th inning to pick up his first pro win. Both the Indians runs scored in the 3rd inning on a throwing error and a passed ball.

- DSL Indians lose 4-2 to DSL Twins. 6'6" LHP Elvis Araujo (3-2) takes the loss allowing 3ER in 5IP.

Posted in: