Daily Recap: 8/22

Winfree Homer Leads Cats Past Aeros, 3-2

NEW BRITAIN, CT – David Winfree hit a two-run homer, his fourth in as many games against Akron, and New Britain held off a late rally to earn a 3-2 win over the Aeros before 6,058 fans at New Britain Stadium Friday night. The Rock Cats improved to 56-74 while the Aeros fell to 75-58. Harrisburg also won Friday, meaning Akron’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot remained at four.

Both teams missed out on opportunities early, with Aeros starter Ryan Edell escaping a second and third, one out jam in the second and Rock Cats starter Kyle Aselton then working out of a bases loaded, one out jam in the top of the third. Akron did take advantage of an opportunity in the fourth however, as Stephen Head led off with a single and Matt Whitney doubled him to third. Bronson Sardinha then made it 1-0 with an RBI single to right, and Damaso Espino followed with a high chopper to the left side that shortstop Steve Tolleson did well just to keep on the infield, as Whitney scored to make it 2-0.

New Britain got a run back in the bottom of the inning, as Winfree led off with a double and then moved to third on a one-out throwing error by shortstop Josh Rodriguez. The extra out came back to haunt the Aeros when Rodolfo Palacios delivered a two-out RBI single to right to cut the advantage in half at 2-1.

The Rock Cats took the lead for good in the fifth, as Edell retired the first two hitters of the inning before Danny Valenica sliced a double to left-center that flicked off the glove of a diving Nathan Panther in center. Winfree followed two pitches later with his 19th home run of the year, and the two-run shot put New Britain ahead to stay.

Akron had one final chance in the eighth, as one-out singles from Head and Whitney put runners of the corners for Sardinha. New Britain countered by brining on left-hander Jose Mijares from the bullpen, and on a full-count offering Sardinha lofted a fly ball into medium center field. Dustin Martin played it well and caught it with his momentum bringing him towards home plate, and the Aeros opted not to send Head from third. Espino then filed out on the next pitch to end the inning.

Aselton (6-6) turned in his second straight quality start and earned his second straight win against the Aeros, holding Akron to two runs and seven hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out four. Edell (6-8) was done in by the long ball for the second straight start, allowing three runs (two earned) in five innings. He walked none and struck out three. The left-hander allowed just seven home runs in his first 19 starts this season, but has now surrendered seven dingers in his last six outings. He also allowed two homers in a defeat last Saturday against New Britain, accounting for all three Rock Cats runs. Head and Whitney led the offense, with Head collecting three of Akron’s nine hits and Whitney chipping in with a pair of knocks.

Game two in this three-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. Saturday, with Akron’s Steven Wright (3-3, 4.69 ERA) taking on New Britain’s Jay Rainville (8-9, 6.22 ERA). The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

Kinston Drops Seventh Straight game

A solo home run by Wilmington’s Cody Straight in the top of the 12th inning gave the Blue Rocks a 3-2 win over the K-Tribe Friday night at Historic Grainger Stadium. The loss was Kinston’s seventh straight.

The K-Tribe’s bullpen did all they could, retiring 18 batters in a row before the home run. The hit was Wilmington’s first since the fifth inning and came off of K-Tribe reliever Sung-Wei Tseng (0-7) who took the loss. Matt Meyer, Josh Tomlin and Vinnie Pestano combined for four perfect innings from the pen for Kinston. Tseng pitched a perfect eleventh inning before he gave up the home run in the twelfth. Kinston got a great start from Hector Rondon, who gave up just five hits and two earned runs through five innings. Rondon struck out a season high nine batters.

Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kinston got a solo home run from Carlos Rivero to cut the Blue Rock lead in half. It was Rivero’s sixth home run of the season. Johnny Drennen walked with one out later in the inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Roman Pena. After a Mills single in the sixth inning, Kinston would not get another hit in the game. The K-Tribe loaded the bases in the bottom of the eleventh thanks to three straight two-out walks, but failed to plate a run.

Kinston returns to Grainger Stadium for their final home game of the regular season on Saturday. Kelvin De La Cruz gets the start for Kinston, game time 7pm.

McBRIDE WALK OFF STUNS BLUECLAWS 6-5

(Eastlake, OH) – Matt McBride hit a walk off three run pinch hit home run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Lake County Captains stunned the Lakewood BlueClaws 6-5 on Friday. The BlueClaws wasted three home runs and another strong starting pitching performance. The BlueClaws fell to 1.5 games behind West Virginia who won their game tonight.

Captain’s starter Ryan Miller gave up solo home runs to Travis D’Arnaud and Mike Durant in the top of the second inning and the BlueClaws led 2-0. The Claws lead went to 3-0 when Tim Kennelly doubled home T.J. Warren in the third inning. It went to 4-0 in the top of the fifth inning.

The Captains got to Claws reliever Zach Sterner in the bottom of the sixth inning when Matt Brown doubled home two runs to cut the lead to 4-2. It went to 5-2 in the eighth when Travis Mattair walked and scored when Karl Bolt doubled off of Captains reliever Mike Pontius. The Captains cut the lead to 5-3 in the eighth inning on a RBI ground out by Jeff Hehr.

Miller took a no decision going 6.2 innings and allowing four runs on ten hits, walking two and striking out six. Pontius gave up a run in 1.2 innings of work. Jonathan Holt got the win by pitching a scoreless ninth inning. The BlueClaws Chance Chapman pitched five shutout innings striking out seven with nothing to show for the effort. Jared Simon took the loss and his record fell to 6-3.

The Captains and BlueClaws play game four of the five game series on Saturday with the Captains sending RHP Joey Mahalic (7-5, 3.80) to the mound to face the BlueClaws RHP Mike Stutes (4-1, 0.84). Game time is 7:05 PM. All Captains games can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

MUCKDOGS SWEEP SERIES WITH SCRAPPERS 10-1

BATAVIA, NY- On Friday night Eddie Burns made his first start as a Scrapper. He worked the first two innings and gave up one hit. Then in the bottom of the eighth the Muckdogs exploded for eight runs, that saw two different Scrapper relievers work in the inning where the Muckdogs collected six base hits and after three it was 8-0 Batavia.

The Muckdogs added a solo run in the fourth, on a RBI ground out by Osvaldo Morales and it was now 9-0 Muckdogs after four innings.

The Scrappers scored their run in the fifth, when they loaded the bases and a run scored on a double play ground out by Michael Valadez and it was now 9-1 Muckdogs after five innings.

In the seventh the Muckdogs added a single run and the lead was now 10-1 going to the eighth inning. Both teams went scoreless in the eight and we went to the ninth 10-1 Batavia.

In the ninth the Scrappers were retired quickly, with a walk mixed in and dropped game two of the series 10-1 and were swept in the series 2-0.

In Other Action...

- Buffalo won 6-3. RHP Brian Bullington went 6 innings and allowed no earned runs on 5 hits, 3 walks and had a strikeout. OF Trevor Crowe went 0-for-5, 1B Jordan Brown went 2-for-4 with a 3B and 2 RBI, and OF Jason Cooper went 3-for-4 with a 3B and 3 RBI.

- The GCL Indians were rained out.

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