Game Recap 7/29: Aeros Rally Late

Aeros Rally, Walk Off in 6-5 Win Over Reading

The Aeros tied the score in the eighth inning before winning in the ninth, defeating the visiting Reading Phillies 6-5 in front of a rowdy Canal Park crowd Thursday night. Catcher Miguel Perez scored first baseman Beau Mills with the walk-off sacrifice fly to left field, providing the dramatic victory for Akron’s 3,838 Thirsty Thursday fans. The win improved the third-place Aeros to 55-48 this season, only 4.5 games behind the division-leading Altoona Curve, while the Phillies fell to 51-52 with the loss.

Cleveland Indians closer Kerry Wood started the game on his rehab assignment, quickly retiring all three batters he faced in the top of the first inning. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall then provided a one-out RBI triple in the bottom half of the inning to plate center fielder Jordan Henry and give Akron an early 1-0 advantage.

The Phillies responded with four unearned runs against usual Aeros starting pitcher Alex White in the second. A throwing error by shortstop Carlos Rivero scored the first run, an RBI bunt single and a two-run triple presented a three-run deficit for the host team.

Reading’s lead was short-lived as second baseman Jason Kipnis lined a two-run triple to right in the fourth inning and Chisenhall followed with a groundout to tie the score at 4-4.

Flande and White battled in the ensuing frames while the latter permitted the visiting team to retake the lead in the seventh. Harold Garcia collected an RBI single to right but reliever Nick Hagadone escaped a bases loaded jam to prevent any further damage.

The comeback then began the in the eighth inning as Perez again started with a single. Newcomer Lucas Montero drew a walk, Henry laid down a sacrifice bunt and Kipnis walked before Chisenhall tied the game with a clutch sacrifice fly to center.

Mills initiated the final rally in the ninth against reliever James Anderson with a leadoff double and advanced to third on a Rivero groundout. Anderson intentionally walked John Drennen to face Perez, who ended the game with his sac fly before the Akron bench mobbed him near home plate to celebrate the series-opening victory.

Closer Omar Aguilar (2-3) earned the victory for the Aeros with a perfect ninth inning, striking out one batter. Anderson (0-3) took the loss in allowing the deciding tally while fellow Reading reliever Matt German blew the save in the eighth. Wood threw only eight pitches in his rehab outing and White followed with 5.1 innings pitched, permitting five runs (one earned) on seven hits with a career-high eight strikeouts.

Chisenhall led the Akron offense as he finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and one of three combined triples tonight. Mills and Perez each had two hits and Montero was 0-for-2 but drew a pair of walks after earning the promotion from Class A Kinston earlier in the day.

Clippers slug their way past Bisons, 11-8

Josh Rodriguez homered twice, and the Clippers hit five as a team before hanging on to top Buffalo, 11-8, in another slugfest Thursday night at Huntington Park. The home team scored in seven of their eight innings at the plate.

Columbus hit four solo home runs in the first three innings, including back-to-back shots in the first inning from Michael Brantley and Rodriguez. Lou Marson went deep in the second and Matt McBride hit one in the third, in his Triple-A debut.

Buffalo clawed back, however, scoring twice in the third inning themselves and getting two solo home runs of their own in the fifth to knot the game at four.

The tie was short-lived, though, as the Clippers broke the game open with a three-run fifth. Jordan Brown drove in one run with a single and McBride plated two more with a double down the third-base line. Rodriguez' second homer, a two-run blast in the sixth, gave Columbus a 9-4 lead.

Justin Turner hit his second solo shot of the game in the seventh, but Lou Marson's second RBI of the night, this one on a bases-loaded single, increased the lead back to five runs.

That run would prove to be valuable, as things got interesting in the Buffalo eighth. With two men aboard, Jose Constanza lost a ball in the lights, resulting in a run-scoring double. The next batter grounded to the pitcher's mound, but reliever Shane Lindsay's errant throw to first base allowed two more Bisons to score.

Lindsay would get through the inning with no more damage, the Clippers would add another insurance run on a Brown single in the bottom of that inning and Columbus earned their 66th win of the season.

In total, eight home runs were hit on the night. Starter David Huff, who allowed three of them, worked seven innings to improve to 6-0 as a Clipper. He struck out six, while scattering nine hits. Josh Judy worked the ninth for his first save.

The Indians Pitch Their League Leading Ninth Shutout

The K-Tribe started their three game away series in style, blanking the Blue Rocks 2-0 Thursday night in Wilmington, Delaware.

Kinston's starting pitcher T.J. House was dominant, giving up just two hits (both singles) in six innings of work. House (4-8) walked two and struck out four, notching his second straight win.

The Indians gave House a bit of run support in the top of the third inning when Jeremie Tice led off with a long home run to left field. It was his second home run in a K-Tribe uniform and eleventh overall this season. The home run came off of Wilmington starter Will Smith, who was making his Carolina League debut (trade with Angels). Smith (0-1) went seven innings, giving up one run on six hits.

Tyler Sturdevant took over for House in the bottom of the seventh inning with Kinston up 1-0. Sturdevant got some great defensive help from Abner Abreu. After a one out single by Salvador Perez, Rey Navarro followed with a ground out to first base to advance the runner. With two-outs, Rene Oriental then delivered a single to shallow right field that Abreu scooped up and threw to the plate. The one-hop throw was in plenty of time to get Perez and preserve the 1-0 lead. Sturdevant picked up his second hold in an Indians uniform, giving up three hits in two innings.

Kinston would get a big insurance run in the top of the ninth when Chun Chen started the frame with a single, advanced to second base on an error and scored on two wild pitches. Chen and Tice each had two hits for Kinston. Cory Burns then came in and got his Carolina League leading 18th save of the season.

Captains Fall in 12 Innings

Corey Jones drove home the go ahead run in the top of the twelfth inning and Wade Gaynor knocked in an insurance run as the West Michigan Whitecaps defeated the Lake County Captains 3-1 in extra innings on Thursday. The Captains have lost four straight games for the first time this season and are now 5-4 in extra inning games.

The Captains got the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Adam Abraham doubled home Casey Frawley to give the Captains a 1-0 lead. The Whitecaps got a run in the top of the fifth inning when Robert Brantly doubled home Avisail Garcia to tie the game at 1-1.

Captains starter Matt Packer did not get a decision pitching seven innings and allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven. Preston Guilmet came on in the eighth inning and threw two scoreless innings allowing one hit, walking two and striking two. Jose Flores (0-1) followed Guilmet and took the loss going 2.1 innings and allowing two runs on two hits, walking one and striking out three.

Whitecaps starter Patrick Cooper took a no decision working five innings allowing one run on four hits, walking two and striking out four. Shawn Teufel (1-1) got the win working the final two innings.

Scrappers split doubleheader with Jammers

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers split tonight's doubleheader with the Jamestown Jammers at Diethrick Park winning game one 4-2 and losing game two 3-0.

Game one was a suspended game from Wednesday night and Casey Gaynor got the win for the Scrappers pitching four scoreless innings of relief.

Adam Veres was saddled with the loss for the Jammers.

Kevin Fontanez led the way offensively for the Scrappers in game one going 1-5 with a two-run home run and three RBI.

In game two, Jordan Cooper got the loss for the Scrappers pitching four innings and giving up three runs on six hits.

Saul Gonzalez got the win for the Jammers pitching five shutout innings. Jordan Conley picked up his sixth save for Jamestown.

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