Daily Recap: 8/24

I got a few e-mails asking about the status of Kinston 1B Beau Mills after he left Saturday's game early with an apparent injury. Per the Indians, he left the game in the third inning because of tightness in his quad muscle and was removed for precautionary reasons.

Aeros Swept Again, Fall 3-2 in Finale

NEW BRITAIN, CT – The Rock Cats swept Akron for the second time in a week Sunday, holding off another late rally to win 3-2 before 6,015 fans at New Britain Stadium. New Britain, which took three from the Aeros last weekend at Canal Park and won all three games in this series by identical scores, improved to 58-74 while the Aeros slipped to 75-60. Harrisburg also won Sunday, meaning Akron’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot remained at three.

The offense had a tough time right from the start for the Aeros, as Josh Rodriguez tripled on the second pitch of the game yet was left stranded at third base. New Britain then tallied twice in the second off starter Kevin Dixon, as three straight singles to open the frame led to the first run and Matt Tolbert’s RBI groundout made it 2-0.

Wes Hodges got Akron on the board in the sixth with a solo home run, his second of the series and 16th of the year. The Cats responded in the bottom of the inning however, as Danny Valencia hooked a solo shot just inside the left field foul pole to push the margin back to two runs at 3-1.

The Aeros made things interesting in the ninth as Brandon Chaves’ RBI bloop single down the right field line scored Nathan Panther and advanced pinch-runner Brandon Pinckney to third with two outs, but reliever Jose Mijares made a great play on Rodriguez’s liner up the middle for the final out.

Jay Rainville (9-9) earned the win with six excellent innings, allowing just one run while striking out a season-high 11. Dixon (8-11) took the loss despite turning in his team-leading 15th quality start of the year. He held New Britain to three runs in seven innings. Mijares earned the save, his first of the year. Chaves led the offense with a 3-4 performance, while Rodriguez and Hodges had two hits each.

The Aeros are off Monday before starting their final homestand of the regular season Tuesday, opening a three-game set with the Altoona Curve on Schools of the Year Night presented by the Ohio Lottery. J.D. Martin (10-3, 2.64 ERA) will go for the Aeros against Altoona’s Derek Hankins (1-10, 4.88 ERA). The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

CAPTAINS BLANK CLAWS 3-0

(Eastlake, OH) – Karexon Sanchez doubled home two runs in the seventh inning and the Captains pitching staff threw their first shutout of the second half as the Lake County Captains defeated the Lakewood BlueClaws 3-0 on Sunday. The Captains took the last three games of the five game series.

The Captains took the lead in the fifth inning against BlueClaws starter Mike Cisco when Juan Valdes reached on a two base error and then scored on a single by Ron Rivas and the Captains led 1-0. The Captains scored twice in the seventh inning off of Claws reliever when Sanchez hit his second double of the game.

Montero (4-6) got the win pitching five scoreless innings on three hits, walking one and striking out six. Dallas Cawiezell came on in the sixth inning and threw scoreless innings. John Gaub followed Cawiezell in the eighth inning and threw two scoreless innings to pick up his second save of the year. Cisco took the loss and his record fell to 2-1.

The Captains host the Hagerstown Suns for a three game series starting on Monday. These are the last three regular season games to be played at Classic Park In 2008. The Captains will send RHP Chris Archer (4-8, 4.47) to the mound to face the Suns LHP Tom Milone (0-2, 2.00). Game time is 1:05 PM. All Captains games can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

SPIKES TAKE DOWN SCRAPPERS 10-5

Sunday night saw the Scrappers debut of Indians fifth round draft pick (Michigan) Zachary Putnam. Putnam pitched an inning and a third gave up one hit while walking two and striking out one.

The Spikes were the first to score in Sunday’s game in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Kyle Morgan, making it 1-0 Spikes after four. The Spikes then added three runs in the sixth on a three run home run by Andy Vasquez.

It took till the sixth before the Scrappers collected their first hit and it came with two outs. Cord Phelps singled; Tim Fedroff then followed with a single as did Lonnnie Chisenhall driving in his forty-second run of the season and after six it was 4-1 Spikes.

In the seventh the Spikes continued to show their power when Ciro Rosero hit a two out two run home run making it 6-1 Spikes. In the bottom of the seventh the Scrappers exploded for four runs keyed by a two RBI single by Phelps and a sacrifice fly by Fedroff and after seven it was 6-5 Spikes.

The Spikes responded in the top of the eighth scoring three runs on a two run home run by Vasquez and a RBI single by Jouse Peley and after eight full it was now 9-5 Spikes.

In the ninth the Spikes added a solo run on a RBI single by Butch Biela and we went to the bottom of the ninth 10-5 Spikes. In the Scrappers ninth Zach Booker led off with a single, Walter Diaz then flew out to center for out number one, Isaias Velasquez then struck out for out number two, and then Phelps grounded out to end the game.

In Other Games...

- Buffalo lost 2-0. LHP Scott Lewis was the tough luck loser throwing a complete games and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, 0 walks and had 8 strikeouts. OF Trevor Crowe went 1-for-4 with a 3B. 1B Jordan Brown with 0-for-4.

- Kinston and the GCL Indians each had scheduled off days.

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