Daily Recap: 8/14

Martin Deals in 2-1 Win
Barfield Goes 0-2 on the Night

AKRON, OH – Akron starter J.D. Martin was terrific in his fifth start of the season and the Aeros got on the board early to earn a 2-1 win over Connecticut before 4,703 fans at Canal Park Thursday night. The Aeros (73-53) salvaged the final game of this three-game set and avoided their longest losing streak of the season, while the Defenders fell to 63-31.

Martin avoided immediate trouble in the first when Connecticut tripled and doubled but failed to score. Kyle Haines led off with the three-bagger, but Antoan Richardson lined a shot right back to Martin, who snagged it and fired to third to double off Haines. Olmo Rosario then doubled, but Martin struck out cleanup hitter Adam Witter to end the inning.

The Aeros jumped on Connecticut for a run in the second inning when Bronson Sardinha and Matt Whitney stroked back-to-back doubles with one down. Nathan Panther then added Akron’s final run with a home run into the bleachers to open the bottom of the fifth inning. It was Panther’s second homer in as many nights and his seventh on the season.

Connecticut did not manage to get on the board until the top of the ninth with Aeros closer Randy Newsom on the mound. A walk and single put runners on the corners with one out, and Mike Mooney hit a sac fly to deep left field to cut the advantage to a single run. Newsom recovered nicely however, getting Dave Maroul ground into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

Martin (9-3) earned his ninth win of the season to tie Frank Herrmann for the team lead. The former first-round pick worked 5.2 shutout innings (his longest outing of the season), allowing just three hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Ben Snyder (1-5) took the loss for the Defenders, working six innings and allowing two runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Newsom surrendered the ninth-inning run but picked up his 27th save, and left-hander Chuck Lofgren impressed with 2.1 shutout innings, allowing just two hits and earning his first hold.

The Aeros open a three-game series Friday at 7:05 p.m. with the New Britain Rock Cats, who are making their only trip to Canal Park. Frank Herrmann (9-5, 4.17 ERA) gets the call for Akron against New Britain’s Yohan Pino (5-5, 4.75 ERA). It is the final Fireworks Friday of the season, so get your tickets to see the spectacular post-game display, sponsored by Akron Children’s Hospital Kids Cancer Survivors. Cleveland’s Victor Martinez will also begin his rehab assignment Friday as he works his way back from right elbow surgery and a strained hamstring. The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

K-Tribe Wins Seventh Game in a Row

The K-Tribe won their seventh straight game, beating the Frederick Keys 4-1 Thursday night in Maryland. The seventh straight wins ties Kinston’s season high, set in a weeks stretch at the end of May.

Kinston starter Carlton Smith (10-5) picked up his tenth win of the season, pitching six shutout innings. Smith gave up just four hits while striking out two for his fifth win in his last six starts. Josh Tomlin, Matt Meyer and Vinnie Pestano finished it up from the K-Tribe bullpen, Pestano picked up his seventh save of the season.

Kinston started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, when Beau Mills scored on an RBI double from Roman Pena. Kinston piled on in the second inning, when Cirilo Cumberbatch and Niuman Romero unleashed RBI hits. Romero scored from third base on a wild pitch to finish the scoring for Kinston. Mills went 2-for-2 with two walks for Kinston. Carlos Rivero and Cumberbatch each added two hits for the Indians.

The K-Tribe moves to a season high 13 games over .500 with a 67-54 overall record and a 32-20 mark in the second half. Kinston goes for eight wins in a row Friday night in Frederick in game two of the four game series. Shawn Nottingham gets the start for Kinston, game time 7pm.

CAPTAINS SWEEP FOUR GAMES IN COLUMBUS

(Columbus, GA) – The Captains had another big offensive inning and overcame a 4-1 deficit on their way to a series sweep, by defeating the Columbus Catfish on Thursday 6-4. This was the fourth game of the series where the Captains used a big inning to take a lead that they would not lose.

For the fourth time in the series, the Captains scored first. Ron Rivas doubled home Adam Davis in the second inning against Catfish starter Jason Ragan and it was 1-0. The lead was short lived as the Catfish put up two runs in the bottom of the second inning off of Captains starter Joanniel Montero on a RBI double by Chase Fontaine and a ground out by Omar Luna and the Fish led for the first time in the series 2-1.

The Catfish made it 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning when Shawn O’Malley doubled home two runs. The Captains sent eleven men to the plate in the top of the sixth inning scoring five runs on four hits and four walks. Karexon Sanchez had two RBI’s and Chris Nash, Matt Brown and Davis chipped in one apiece and the Captains regained the lead 6-4.

Montero got the win to up his record drop to 3-6 going five innings allowing four runs on nine hits and striking out three. Dallas Cawiezell came on in the sixth inning and pitched two scoreless innings striking out two. John Gaub relieved Cawiezell in the eighth inning and pitched two scoreless innings and picked up his first save of the year. Jose Mejias took the loss and his record dropped to 2-2.

The Captains travel to Rome on Friday to start a four game series with the Braves. The Captains will send LHP Ryan Morris (8-4, 3.50) to the mound against Braves LHP Richard Sullivan (1-2, 3.70). Game time is 7:00 PM. All Captains games can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

In Other Games...

- Buffalo lost 7-4. LHP Scott Lewis made his Triple-A debut and struggled in his first outing (4 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K). Newcomer Jerad Head had a nice Triple-A debut going 1-for-3 with a HR and 2 RBI. C Chris Gimenez chipped in going 2-for-4 and 1B Jordan Brown went 1-for-5 with a 2B.

- Mahoning Valley won 10-3. LHP Russell Young went 5 innings and allowed 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts for the win. The offense was paced by the top four guys in the lineup who hit a combined 11-for-19. LF Donnie Webb (3-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI), 2B Cord Phelps (2-for-5, 2 3B, RBI), SS Lonnie Chisenhall (3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI), and 3B Jeremie Tice (3-for-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI) paced the offense. The Scrappers hit four triples in the game.

- The GCL Indians won 3-2. RHP CLayton Cook started and went a restricted 3 innings and allowed 2 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, and had 2 punchouts. 3B Abner Abreu continues to be an extra base hit machine and went 2-for-4 with a 2B and walk. LF Bo Greenwell went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and 2B Rafael Vera went 2-for-4 with a 2B and walk.

- The DSL Indians won 6-5. LHP Francisco Jimenez went 5 innings and allowed 7 hits, 3 runs, 0 walks, and had 5 strikeouts. RHP Jose Pena picked up his 15th save and threw a scoreless inning and allowed 1 hit, 0 walks, and struck out 2. The DSL team managed only 4 hits, with OF Jose Cabrera going 2-for-4.

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