Game Recaps 8/29: Packer strong again in Akron win

Matt Packer (Photo: Lianna Holub)

Five-run first leads Packer, Aeros to win

The Akron Aeros brought nine men to the plate and scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning to erase a three-run deficit as they went on to win game one of a four-game series against the Reading Phillies 6-4 Monday at Canal Park.

Left-handed pitcher Matt Packer recorded the win for Akron tossing eight plus innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits, walking two and striking out four. Right-handed pitcher Cory Burns got out of a jam in the top of the ninth inning to earn his league best 34th save of 2011.

Right-hander Joseph Esposito allowed all five runs in the top of the first inning and suffered the loss for Reading retiring just three batters, giving up six hits and striking out one while walking none.

The R-Phils (68-67) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a Matt Rizzotti RBI ground out and a Derrick Mitchell two-RBI single.

After the three-run first inning, Packer retired 18 straight batters from the second inning through the seventh and allowed just one more run.

The Aeros (69-66) answered in the bottom of the frame. Jordan Henry and Cristo Arnal opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Juan Diaz tripled them home to cut the Reading lead to 3-2. Chun Chen followed with an RBI single to tie the game 3-3. Following a Michel Hernandez single and a Kyle Bellows ground out, Raul Padron rapped a two RBI single to right field to break the tie and give the Aeros a 5-3 lead.

Padron doubled home Bellows in his next at bat in the bottom of the third inning to increase the lead to 6-3.

Reading scored a run in the top of the ninth inning, but Burns shut the door to give Akron the win.

The Aeros and R-Phils will continue their four-game series on Tuesday. Akron will give the ball to right-handed pitcher Brett Brach, who is 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA in 2011. He will face fellow right-hander Austin Hyatt, who is 11-6 with a 3.87 ERA this season. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

Columbus hammers Louisville 11-2

The Clippers sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning and cruised to an 11-2 win over the Louisville Bats.

In Sunday's victory over the Bats, the Clippers scored six runs in the second inning. They continued hammering the Louisville pitching staff, following that up with an eight run outburst in the first Monday.

Nick Johnson and Beau Mills hit RBI singles in the inning to drive in the first two. Paul Phillips then drove in a run by grounding into a force out. Ben Copeland hit an RBI triple, Tim Fedroff drove in one with a single and Jared Goedert doubled home one to cap off the eight run inning.

Luis Valbuena's RBI single in the fifth and Phillips - who drove in one and came around to score on a wild pitch in the sixth - added the other three Clippers runs.

Starter Mitch Talbot hardly needed 11 runs of support. He went seven innings, struck out six and allowed two runs to pick up his third win of the year. Talbot's counterpart - Daryl Thompson - went only 0.2 innings, surrendering up five earned runs on seven hits to fall to 3-3 on the year.

Matt Langwell and Eric Berger combined to go two scoreless innings in relief of Talbot.

After the Clippers took two at Huntington Park, the teams meet again for a two-game set at Slugger Field in Louisville starting Tuesday at 7:05. Joe Martinez (8-7, 3.94) and Matt Maloney (6-1, 3.19) are the scheduled starters.

K-Tribe lets one slip away in 3-2 loss

The Kinston Indians fell victim to late home runs in Monday's 3-2 loss in Lynchburg, VA.

One second inning run was all Kinston starting pitcher Francisco Jimenez allowed. After seeing five base runners reach against him in the first two innings, Jimenez became untouchable, setting down the last 13 batters he faced in order. Jimenez departed with a one run lead, finishing without a decision.

Kinston's 2-1 advantage was erased in the seventh. Barrett Kleinknect and Geraldo Rodriguez hit back-to-back home runs to start the relief appearance of Kyle Landis. Landis settled in, giving up just one other hit in his two inning relief performance. Landis picked up the loss, his second of the year.

Kinston is scheduled to begin its final home stand of the season Tuesday night against the Frederick Keys. The series will run Tuesday through Friday, all contests to start at 6:30 pm.

Hawks walk off with 2-1 win

Dale Dickerson hit Roberto Ortiz with a pitch, with the bases loaded, in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending South Bend to a 2-1 win over Lake County. The Captains dropped their eighth straight game.

Lake County took a 1-0 lead on a Kevin Fontanez sacrifice fly to centerfield scoring Brian Heere in the fourth inning.

The Hawks tied the game in the fifth on Ender Inciarte’s fielder’s choice hit to short scoring Jhoan Pimentel.

Eury De La Rosa (1-0) picked up the win working a perfect ninth inning, striking out one. Dale Dickerson (2-3) took the loss, allowing a run on two hits, just a third of an inning. Mike Goodnight settled for a no-decision allowing a run on three hits, walking two and striking out five, in five innings of work.

Lake County wraps up the road trip against South Bend at The Cove on Tuesday night at 6:30PM. The Captains start RHP Felix Sterling (2-3) against RHP JR Bradley (5-15) for the Silver Hawks.

Scrappers lose heartbreaker in 14 innings, 4-3

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers suffered a crippling loss in extra innings on Monday night when they lost to Williamsport 4-3 in 14 innings. The loss hurts not only because there is less than a week left in the season, but also because Williamsport is the team directly ahead of them in the wildcard race. They are now 2.5 games behind Williamsport with six days remaining in the season.

Robert Nixon got the start and went five solid innings allowing two runs on seven hits, two walks and had three strikeouts. From there the bullpen combination of Josh McKeon, Drew Rucinski, Enosil Tejeda, and Tony Dischler combined to shut down Williamsport over eight innings of work allowing just one run on three hits, two walks, and had eight strikeouts. Will Krasne came on in the 14th inning and served up the winning run and was pinned with the loss.

At the plate the Scrappers struggled all night as they managed just five hits over 14 innings, though did draw seven walks. No one had a multi-hit game or a good game in particular, but infielder KC Serna hit what was at the time a big solo home run with one out in the ninth inning to tie the game at three and send it into extra.

The two teams square off again tonight at 7:05 p.m. before shifting the series back Mahoning Valley. It is easy to say that these next three games against Williamsport are all must wins if the Scrappers envision making the playoffs.

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