June 2010

Recap 06/30: Aeros Defeat Squirrels 8-6 in Nail-Biter

RICHMOND,
VA – The Aeros managed to hold on for an 8-6 victory Wednesday night in
Richmond, defeating the Flying Squirrels with early offense and clutch pitching
at the very end. Akron jumped out to a large lead in the contest after scoring
seven runs during the fourth and fifth innings to earn the three-game series
victory in front of 5,133 fans at The Diamond. The win also moved the Aeros
(38-40) back into third place in the Eastern League’s Western Division while
Richmond fell to fifth place with a 37-42 record.

It
was a quiet start to the game in the intriguing pitching matchup between Akron’s
Alex White and David Mixon of the Flying Squirrels. Richmond struck first
against White in the third inning as leadoff center fielder Darren Ford plated
Ryan Lormand with a groundout.

Akron
responded swiftly in the fourth as Jordan Henry, Jason Kipnis and Lonnie
Chisenhall all singled to start a rally. Designated hitter Beau Mills later
scored Kipnis with a groundout and right fielder John Drennen singled home
Chisenhall. Tim Fedroff then followed a Mixon with a clutch two-out RBI single,
making it a 4-1 lead for the visitors.

Mixon
left the game in the fifth inning as the Aeros extended the advantage to 7-1.
Chisenhall plated Henry with a sacrifice fly while first baseman Matt McBride
delivered his second homer in as many nights, scoring Kipnis as well. Akron
finally ended their scoring for the evening in the top of the seventh on a
run-scoring base hit by Kipnis.

Richmond
retaliated to score twice in the bottom half of the seventh, both unearned,
before threatening again in the eighth. Left fielder Thomas Neal smacked a
leadoff double while Clay Timpner and Ryan Lormand each provided RBI singles.
Another run scored on a Kipnis fielding error, cutting the once seven-run lead
down to only two at 8-6.

Squirrels
reliever Andy Sisco stranded the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, giving
the hosts a renewed sense of fight for one final rally. Brandon Crawford walked
and Neal singled to start the bottom half of the frame, but reliever Omar
Aguilar battled back to force three straight outs to end the comeback attempt
and seal the victory.

White
(3-4) snapped a personal three-game losing streak in earning the win, only
allowing one earned run (three runs total) in 6.1 innings pitched. He now has a
2.27 ERA in 16 combined starts between Akron and Class A Kinston on the season
while Mixon (8-4) struggled in taking the loss and Aguilar recorded his fourth
save of the year.

Five
different Aeros batters finished with multi-hit performances overall as the
visitors collected 13 hits (12 singles) in the back-and-forth shootout. Drennen
extended his hitting streak to nine games and Kipnis was the only player on the
winning team with three hits. Meanwhile, Henry starred as he finished with
exactly two hits for the third straight night in Richmond and became the first
Akron player this year to steal two bases in one game.

The
Aeros continue their road trip Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. as the team begins a
pivotal four-game weekend series against the second-place Bowie Baysox at Price
George’s Stadium. Akron lefty Scott Barnes (3-7, 6.16 ERA) will start in the series
opener against Bowie’s Ryohei Tanaka (4-7, 4.50 ERA). Join Jim Clark for Thursday
night’s game broadcast beginning at 6:50 p.m. on Fox Sports 1350 AM and at www.akronaeros.com. For more information,
please call the Aeros team offices at (330) 253-5151.

 

—AEROS—

Aerodynamics Game #78: 06/30/10

GAME #78 ? WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 ? 7:05 P.M. 

ROAD GAME #38 ? THE DIAMOND ? RICHMOND, VA 

AKRON AEROS (37-40) VS. RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (37-41) 
CLEVELAND INDIANS                SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
AERODYNAMICS… 

? The Bullwinkle Show… The Aeros snapped a four-game losing streak in a back-and-forth contest Tuesday night in Richmond with a 4-3 victory over the Flying Squirrels. Second baseman Jason Kipnis nailed a home run in the first, Richmond tied the game against Akron starter Marty Popham in the second and the tie remained until the top of the seventh inning. Right fielder John Drennen delivered an RBI double in that frame while the hosts then moved back on top by the score of 3-2 with three hits in the bottom of that frame. In the eighth, center fielder Jordan Henry secured the game winner with a two-run single to center, scoring both Damaso Espino and Cristo Arnal. Reliever Zach Putnam (3-1) earned the win despite allowing the go-ahead runs, Squirrels starter Daryl Maday (8-5) took the loss and Akron closer Bryce Stowell recorded his seventh save. 
? Snap, Crackle and Pop… Popham was solid in his Double-A debut Tuesday night but moved back down to Class A Kinston after the spot-start. The 22-year-old native of Louisville, KY delivered only the 15th Akron quality start of the season as he permitted one run on five hits in six innings with six strikeouts. It was Popham’s 43rd career appearance in the minor leagues as the Indians originally selected him in the June 2008 Draft out of Union College (KY). He then moved back to the K-Tribe this morning as the Aeros brought back RHP Shane Lindsay, who cleared outright waivers after being designated for assignment last week. 
? Oh Henry… The offensive star in the contest Tuesday night was Akron’s Henry as he delivered the go-ahead base hit in the top of the eighth inning. He also collected his second straight two-hit performance against the Flying Squirrels and now has hit safely in three consecutive games. He turned just 22 years old earlier this month and in is batting .255 with eight walks and three stolen bases in his 14 games in the Eastern League. Upon his promotion to the Aeros, the Ole Miss product was leading the Class A Carolina League with a .438 on-base percentage and also ranked among the top six in batting average, stolen bases and walks. 
? Bryce is the Best… Stowell continued his dominant pitching with the Aeros last night as he earned the four-out save by finishing off the game with four straight strikeouts. He has now delivered 21.1 straight scoreless innings to begin his Double-A career and the California native has been one of the best relievers in all of minor league baseball. Between Kinston and Akron, he now has an unbelievable combined 0.77 ERA in 24 outings (one start) with 71 strikeouts in just 46.2 innings pitched. 
? Bye, Bye, Bye… Tonight’s contest at The Diamond marks the end of the season series between the divisional rivals from Akron and Richmond., These two teams meet only six times on the year despite both playing in the Western Division of the Eastern League, and the Aeros will look for their second consecutive 2-1 series victory with a road win. 
AEROS STAT OF THE
NIGHT

NIGHT: 

Akron Aeros starting pitchers hold a poor 1-7 record over the past 17 team games despite a 4.97 ERA with 64 strikeouts against 45 walks and 88 hits allowed in 79.2 total innings pitched.

Recap 06/29: Popham Solid in Debut as Aeros Win 4-3

RICHMOND,
VA – Right-handed starter Marty Popham delivered a quality start in his
Double-A debut as the Aeros snapped a four-game losing streak Tuesday night
with a 4-3 victory against the Richmond Flying Squirrels. A crowd of 3,688 fans
at The Diamond witnessed a solid pitching duel between Popham and Richmond ace
Daryl Maday before a wild finish to end the game. It was a crucial win for
Akron (37-40) as the team moved back into fourth place with the victory over
the now fifth-place Flying Squirrels (37-41).

Second
baseman Jason Kipnis helped the Aeros get off to a solid start in the first
with a one-out solo home run although a double play ended the inning and any
further rally.

Host
Richmond then tied the score at 1-1 against Popham in the bottom of the second
inning. Roger Kieschnick began the frame with a single, Conor Gillaspie also
nailed a base hit and catcher Jackson Williams collected the RBI with the third
hit of the frame.

Both
starters cruised after that point as the two teams combined for only two hits
over the next four innings. Akron finally re-took a narrow advantage back in
the top of the seventh, as first baseman Matt McBride singled to left. Recently
returned designated hitter Beau Mills singled again, advancing McBride to
third, while John Drennen produced a huge run-scoring double to right, giving
the visitors a 2-1 lead.

The
Squirrels retaliated in the bottom half of that inning against new Aeros
reliever Zach Putnam. A single, a double, a sacrifice bunt and then a RBI
single by Clay Timpner brought host Richmond on top for the first time in the
contest by just one run.

Akron
then captured the lead and the final runs of the night in their next
opportunity in the top of the eighth. Catcher Damaso Espino singled and Cristo
Arnal laid down a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error by Maday brought runners
to second and third base with no outs. Center fielder Jordan Henry then nailed
the game-winner with a clutch two-run single to center against Richmond relief
pitcher Jake Stevens.

Putnam
(3-1) earned the win on the night despite allowing the go-ahead runs in the
seventh inning. Maday (8-5) took the loss but was solid through the first six
innings before struggling in the seventh and eighth. Reliever Bryce Stowell
recorded his team-leading seventh save by recording the final four outs all via
strikeout and The 6’6″ Popham permitted just one run on five hits in his six
innings with six K’s against zero walks.

The
Aeros collected 10 hits on the night although Henry and McBride were the only
two batters to finish with multi-hit performances. The win was just the fifth
in 15 contests for the struggling team as the three runs and nine hits allowed
by the pitching staff were the fewest since last Thursday against the Flying
Squirrels at Canal Park.

This
three-game series between the Aeros and Richmond concludes Wednesday night at
7:05 p.m. at The Diamond. It is a crucial rubber match as Akron’s Alex White
(2-4, 1.77 ERA) takes on another dominant Flying Squirrels starter in David
Mixon (8-3, 3.07 ERA). Join Jim Clark, the long-time voice of the Akron Aeros,
for Wednesday night’s radio broadcast beginning at 6:50 p.m. on Fox Sports 1350
AM and at www.akronaeros.com. For more
information, please call the Aeros team offices at (330) 253-5151.

—AEROS—

Lonnie Chisenhall, John Drennen and Bryce Stowell Selected to Eastern League All-Star Game

AKRON,
OH – Three Akron Aeros players will participate in the 2010 Eastern League
All-Star Game in Harrisburg, PA, the league announced this afternoon. Third
baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, outfielder John Drennen and closer Bryce Stowell all
made the final rosters for the Western Division in the annual exhibition game
on July 14th. Both Chisenhall and Stowell were fan balloting
selections for the All-Star Game, hosted by the Harrisburg Senators at the
recently renovated Metro Bank Park in downtown Harrisburg.

Chisenhall,
the first round (29th overall) selection in the June 2008 Draft by
the Indians, will also be participating in the 12th annual MLB XM
All-Star Futures Game on July 11th in Anaheim, California.  . The 21-year-old missed 14 games in May with
a shoulder injury but had a solid season so far for the Aeros. On the year, the
left-handed hitting third baseman is batting .276 with six home runs and 28
RBI, ranking third on the Akron roster with 61 hits. Baseball America ranked the product of Pitt Junior College as the
third-best prospect in the Cleveland organization prior to the 2010 season.

Drennen
is having another impressive overall year in Double-A with the Aeros. He has
split his time between left field and right field and currently ranks second in
the Eastern League with five triples. He also now has a seven-game hitting
streak,  is batting .300 on the year and
has a .326 batting average in his last 49 games. Drennen will turn 24 years old
in August and the Indians originally selected him in the sandwich round (33rd
overall) in the June 2005 Draft out of Rancho Bernardo High School in San
Diego.

Stowell,
on the other hand, has been one of the most notable surprises for the Aeros
during the 2010 season. The right-handed reliever has been dominant ever since
his promotion to Double-A from Class A Kinston on May 20th. In his
12 appearances (one start) in Akron, he has yet to allow a run in 20 innings
with 26 strikeouts against only eight walks. On the year, the 20th
round selection in the June 2008 Draft out of UC-Irvine has a 0.79 ERA in 23
total outings with 67 strikeouts in just 45.1 innings pitched.

Five
different Akron players appeared in the 2009 Eastern League All-Star Game at
Waterfront Park in Trenton, NJ, and helped the Western Division earn a 5-3
victory. First baseman Beau Mills finished 1-for-4, catcher Carlos Santana, the
eventual 2009 EL MVP, was hit by a pitch and left fielder Nick Weglarz scored a
run. Reliever Carlton Smith recorded the final out of the game for the save and
2009 EL Pitcher of the Year Jeanmar Gomez delivered a perfect bottom of the
fifth inning.

Meanwhile, the Akron Aeros hope
to earn a win tonight and snap a four-game losing streak as they continue their
weeklong road trip. The Aeros play against the Richmond Flying Squirrels
tonight at The Diamond at 7:05 p.m. and Marty Popham will make his Double-A
debut for Akron against Daryl Maday (8-4, 2.22 ERA) of the Flying Squirrels. Join Jim Clark, the
long-time voice of the Akron Aeros, for Tuesday’s radio broadcast beginning at
6:50 p.m. on Fox Sports 1350 AM and at www.akronaeros.com.
For more information, please call the Aeros team offices at (330) 253-5151.

—AEROS—

Aerodynamics Game #77: 06/29/10

GAME #77 ? TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2010 ? 7:05 P.M. 

HOME

ROAD GAME #37 ? THE DIAMOND ? RICHMOND, VA 

AKRON AEROS (36-40) VS. RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (37-40) 
CLEVELAND INDIANS                SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
AERODYNAMICS… 

? Diamond Destruction… The Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Aeros Monday night at The Diamond in Richmond 7-3, continuing a rough stretch for the Akron squad. The team has now lost 10 of their last 14 games, as the Squirrels pounced for two homers and three runs in the first inning. Aeros first baseman Matt McBride smacked a solo homer to make it a 4-1 deficit in the fifth but three more Richmond scores in the seventh provided all the necessary run support. Akron sc
ored two more times later that inning, but it was too late as Felix Romero (1-1) earned the win and Paolo Espino (7-3) took the tough loss. 

? Powerful Paolo… Espino had a rough beginning Monday night in Richmond, but bounced back for a solid overall performance. The Squirrels smacked the two early homers, but the Akron starter responded by retiring each of the next 13 batters he faced. Overall, he took his first loss since May 16th by permitting four runs (three earned) on six hits with seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. The Panama native remains tied for fourth in the Eastern League with seven wins on the year with a 3.86 ERA. 
? Road Warrior… The home run by McBride Monday extended an incredible streak on the season away from Canal Park. The Aeros slugger has now reached base in all 31 of his road games this year, collecting all five of his homers with 34 hits and 10 walks. The 25-year-old native of Bethlehem, PA owns the longest consecutive road on-base streak in Double-A baseball on the year and the longest in the Eastern League, Southern League or Texas League last season was 42 games. 
? Midsummer Classic… The rosters for the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game were announced this afternoon and three Akron Aeros players made the list. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, outfielder John Drennen and closer Bryce Stowell will all participate in the contest on July 14th at Metro Bank Park in downtown Harrisburg, PA. Chisenhall, the second-best prospect in the Indians organization according to Baseball America, is batting .276 in 55 games. The left/right fielder Drennen currently has a seven-game hitting streak and has a solid .326 batting average in his past 49 games. Stowell, a right-handed reliever, has delivered an incredible 20 consecutive scoreless innings since his promotion from Class A Kinston on May 20th. 
? Hello, Goodbye… The Cleveland Indians made a series of roster moves today that affected the Akron roster. LHP Nick Hagadone was transferred to short-season Class A Mahoning Valley, RHP Marty Popham was received from Class A Kinston and IF Beau Mills was activated from the disabled list. Popham will be starting for the Aeros tonight against the Flying Squirrels while Mills returns from an intercostal strain that prevented him from participating in 16 games. Cleveland’s first-round selection in the June 2007 Draft out of Lewis & Clark State, the first baseman Mills is only batting .205 in 54 games this year. 
AEROS STAT OF THE
NIGHT

NIGHT: 

RHP Marty Popham will tonight become the 44th player to appear for the Akron Aeros in a game this season. Only 47 different people played for the Aeros during the 2009 season.

Recap 06/28: Aeros Fall Again, Lose 7-3 to Richmond

RICHMOND, VA – The Aeros lost for the 10th time in 14 games Monday night at
The Diamond in Richmond, falling by the final score of 7-3 against the Flying
Squirrels. Akron starting pitcher Paolo Espino allowed two homers in the very
first inning in front of the crowd of 3,872 fans in attendance and Richmond
struck again for three more runs in the seventh. With the loss to the Flying
Squirrels (37-40) and tonight’s victory by the Harrisburg Senators, the
struggling Aeros (36-40) now sit in fifth place in the Western Division.

The
scoring began in the bottom of the first as a Cristo Arnal committed an error
at short to start the rally. Richmond left fielder Thomas Neal then blasted a
two-run homer to left and just two pitches later, Roger Kieschnick followed
with a solo shot of his own to right.

Espino
settled down from there and held the Squirrels hitless until the sixth while Richmond
starting pitcher Felix Romero dominated the Akron bats. Neal began the top of that
sixth with a double, later scored on an RBI single by Connor Gillaspie and Akron
reliever Connor Graham stranded two runners with a strikeout to end the frame.

In
the top of the seventh inning, first baseman Matt McBride helped the Aeros
finally break through with a solo home run off Romero to cut the deficit to
only three runs at 4-1.

The
Squirrels pounced for another three scores later that frame against Graham however,
as the hosts began the inning with four consecutive singles. Kieschnick ended
the streak with a sacrifice fly, giving the hosts a six-run advantage despite
leaving the bases loaded.

Akron
plated the final two runs later that frame as an Arnal single with one out
marked the end of the night for Romero. The Aeros then greeted reliever Wilmin
Rodriguez with two more singles to load the bases while a wild pitch scored
Arnal. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall then provided the final run of the night
with a run-scoring groundout.

Romero
improved to 1-1 this year for Richmond with the solid performance, only
permitting two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. Meanwhile, Espino (7-3)
took his first loss since May 16th in the contest despite recording
seven strikeouts as he allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in 5.2
innings pitched.

It
was a rough night offensively for Akron, as the team could not catch up with
the early power of the Flying Squirrels. Right fielder John Drennen extended
his hitting streak to seven games with a single and the home run by McBride was
his fifth of the season. Unfortunately, Richmond became the fourth straight Aeros
opponent to register at least three extra-base hits and 10 hits total in the game,
marking the team’s fourth straight loss.

Akron hopes to end their losing
ways Tuesday night as this three-game series continues at 7:05 p.m. at The
Diamond. The Aeros have still yet to announce their starting pitcher for the
contest while Daryl Maday (8-4, 2.22 ERA) will start for the Flying Squirrels. Join Jim Clark, the
long-time voice of the Akron Aeros, for Tuesday’s radio broadcast beginning at
6:50 p.m. on Fox Sports 1350 AM and at www.akronaeros.com.
For more information, please call the Aeros team offices at (330) 253-5151.

—AEROS—

Aerodynamics Game #76: 06/28/10

GAME #76 ? MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2010 ? 7:05 P.M. 

HOME

ROAD GAME #36 ? THE DIAMOND ? RICHMOND, VA 

AKRON AEROS (36-39) VS. RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (36-40) 
CLEVELAND INDIANS                SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
AERODYNAMICS… 
? Sunday, Bloody Sunday… The visiting Binghamton Mets defeated the Aeros again Sunday afternoon by the score of 8-5, completing their second straight sweep at Canal Park. Akron lefty starter Kelvin De La Cruz struggled early as he permitted runs in each of the first four innings and the Mets then extended the lead to 6-0 in the sixth. The Aeros finally scored in the bottom of that sixth thanks to RBI singles from left fielder John Drennen and right fielder Jerad Head. Binghamton scored two more in the eighth on four straight hits while Akron third baseman Josh Rodriguez doubled home Drennen in the eighth. Head provided the final margin with a two-out two-run homer later that frame as the Aeros lost for the ninth time in 13 games. Mets reliever Chris Schwinden (3-5) earned the
win in relief of injured starter Jenrry Mejia while De La Cruz (1-5) took the loss and closer Manuel Alvarez recorded his second save of the series and fourth of the year despite allowing two hits in the ninth. 

? Terrific Topekan… Head was dominant offensively again Sunday afternoon, and then was honored Monday morning as the Akron Aeros Player of the Week. The 27-year-old native of Topeka, Kansas played in five of the six Akron games this past week and batted .563 (9-for-16) with three walks, three doubles, a home run, three runs scored and four RBI. He currently ranks among the offensive leaders in the Eastern League during the month of June and has a .295 batting average on the season in Double-A. Head appeared in 98 games last year for the Aeros and started this season with the Class AAA Columbus Clippers. 
? San Diego Chicken… Another hot hitter for Akron is Drennen, who collected three singles in the loss Sunday to the Mets. After starting the year on a 9-for-46 clip, the San Diego native has been absolutely dominant overall and especially at Canal Park. Since his slow start, he is now batting .326 in his past 48 games dating back to April 25th and he has a .336 batting average at home this season. The Indians originally selected the now-24-year-old in the supplemental first round of the June 2005 Draft. 
? Good Riddance… Sunday’s contest marked the 14th and final meeting of the season between Binghamton and the now-reeling Aeros. Akron starting pitchers are certainly thankful for the end of the series, as they struggled mightily against the B-Mets offense all season. Starters posted a 6.61 ERA and a .316 opposing batting average in these 14 games against the Mets while in the 61 other contests this year, they have posted a much more reasonable 4.71 ERA and a .249 batting average against. 
? Rocky and Bullwinkle… The Aeros begin their weeklong Western Division road trip tonight against the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Akron won two out of three against the Squirrels last week at Canal Park and after these three games against at The Diamond, the team will play a crucial four-game series against the second place team in the division, the Bowie Baysox. 
AEROS STAT OF THE NIGHT: 
Akron Aeros pitchers surrendered 36 hits and 14 extra-base hits to the Binghamton Mets in the past three games, the most allowed by the team in any three-game series this season.
Someone’s home is the house or flat where they live.

Jerad Head Wins Aeros Player of the Week (06/28)

AKRON,
OH – The Akron Aeros announced Monday morning that outfielder Jerad Head is the
recipient of the second-ever Aeros Player of the Week Award. He earned the
honor in recognition of his efforts during the week from June 21st
through June 27th when Akron played six games at Canal Park against
the Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Binghamton Mets. It was yet another rough
week for the Aeros overall, but Head starred offensively as his slugging
numbers continue to explode in the month of June.

Head
led Akron as he batted .563 (9-for-16) in five games played with three doubles,
a home run and four RBI this week. He also scored three runs and walked three
times, as he smacked his fifth home run of the year during Sunday’s loss to the
Binghamton Mets. The 27-year-old appeared in three games as the designated
hitter and two games at right field while collecting multiple hits in the three
weekend losses to the B-Mets.

He
is a native of Topeka, Kansas and is among the Eastern League leaders in
several offensive categories recently. Head is now batting .388 (19-for-49) in
his past 14 contests dating back to June 10th with an solid .474
on-base percentage and an unreal .755 slugging percentage. He also leads all
qualified Aeros in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and
doubles during the month of June.

The
Cleveland Indians signed Head in 2005 as an undrafted free agent from Washburn
University (KS). He began his professional career in 2006 with the short-season
Class A Burling Indians and then spent the majority of the next two seasons
with the Class A Kinston Indians. With the Aeros in 2009, he appeared at seven
different positions in the field (all but shortstop and catcher) and batted
.282 in 98 games. Head started the 2010 season on the disabled list with the
Class AAA Columbus Clippers. He missed 12 games total and then participated in
just six contests up until his return to Akron on May 22nd.

The Akron Aeros will
award their Player of the Week honor to an individual player every Monday for
the rest of the season. In the case of a Monday closure of the team offices,
the Aeros will announce the award Tuesday morning. Akron second baseman Jason
Kipnis won the first-ever award last week and this is a separate honor from the
Eastern League Player-Pitcher of the Week Awards, which went to Reading’s Matt
Rizzotti and Bowie’s Zach Britton respectively, this week.

The Aeros look to get back in the
winning column tonight as they hit the road for the start of a seven-game road
trip. The Richmond Flying Squirrels host Akron first at The Diamond in
Richmond, Virginia Monday at 7:05 p.m. for the first game of a three-game
series. Consistent right-hander Paolo Espino (7-2, 3.79 ERA) makes his second
start since re-joining the Aeros rotation last week against Richmond’s Felix
Romero (0-1, 4.75 ERA) Join Jim Clark, the long-time voice of the Akron Aeros,
for Monday’s radio broadcast beginning at 6:50 p.m. on Fox Sports 1350 AM and
at www.akronaeros.com. For more
information, please call the Aeros team offices at (330) 253-5151.

—AEROS—

Recap 06/27: B-Mets Sweep Aeros with 8-5 Victory

AKRON,
OH – Binghamton completed their second straight three-game road sweep of the
Aeros at Canal Park Sunday, winning 8-5 in a marathon shootout. The Mets struck
early and often against Akron starter Kelvin De La Cruz to take a six-run lead,
but the Aeros retaliated late to make things interesting. The injury bug struck
two more Binghamton players in the 3-hour and 21-minute contest, the fifth game
of at least 3:10 between these two teams this season. Akron (36-39) now sits
3.5 games behind Bowie for second place in the Western Division while the
red-hot B-Mets are 39-36.

It
was a rough start for De La Cruz against the hot-hitting Mets in the top of the
first inning. The 6’5″ lefty struck out the first two batters of the game but
allowed a full-count single to Nick Evans before a tough walk to Josh Satin.
Designated hitter D.J. Wabick followed with a bouncing base hit over first
baseman Matt McBride into right field for a two-run triple.

A
two-base pickoff error by De La Cruz was the story in the second and shortstop
Luis Hernandez gave the visitors a 3-0 lead with a two-out RBI single. Mets starting
pitcher Jenrry Mejia left the game in the second with precautionary right
shoulder stiffness while his teammates promptly smacked solo homers to give his
team a 5-0 advantage.

Binghamton
left fielder Brahiam Maldonado left with another injury in the sixth right
before the visitors scored their sixth run thanks to a John Drennen error in
left field. The Aeros finally initiated their offense in the bottom of that
sixth as Drennen and Jerad Head each collected two-out RBI singles to cut the
deficit to only four runs.

The
Mets extended the lead back to six because of four straight hits to lead off
the eighth inning against Akron reliever Omar Aguilar.  The hosts attacked again with two outs in the
eighth on a run-scoring double by third baseman Josh Rodriguez and a two-run
homer by Jerad Head. Jordan Henry and Jason Kipnis each singled to start the bottom
of the ninth inning, but reliever Manuel Alvarez retired the next three batters
to end the game.

Schwinden
(3-5) earned the victory and was solid through five innings pitched in relief
of Mejia, only allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits. De La Cruz struggled
again as he the loss to fall to 1-5 on the year with Akron, permitting five
runs (four earned), five hits and three walks in 3.2 innings. New Binghamton closer
Alvarez then recorded his fourth save of the season despite the rocky bottom of
the ninth.

Kipnis
and Drennen each finished 3-for-5 with three singles on the afternoon to
continue their impressive hitting ways. Rodriguez collected another two hits as
well while the right fielder Head stayed hot with his fifth Double-A home run
of the season.

The Aeros look to re-capture
their winning ways from earlier this month as they hit the road for the start
of a seven-game road trip. The fun starts at The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia
Monday at 7:05 p.m. where Akron visits the Richmond Flying Squirrels for the
first and only time this season. Paolo Espino (7-2, 3.79 ERA) makes his second
start since re-joining the Aeros rotation last week against Richmond’s Felix
Romero (0-1, 4.75 ERA) Join Jim Clark, the long-time voice of the Akron Aeros,
for Monday’s radio broadcast beginning at 6:50 p.m. on Fox Sports 1350 AM and
at www.akronaeros.com. For more
information, please call the Aeros team offices at (330) 253-5151.

—AEROS—

Aerodynamics Game #75: 06/27/10

GAME #75 ? SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010 ? 1:35 P.M. 

HOME GAME #40 ? CANAL PARK ? AKRON, OH 
AKRON AEROS (36-38) VS. BINGHAMTON METS (38-36) 
CLEVELAND INDIANS         NEW YORK METS 
AERODYNAMICS… 
? Saturday Shootout… The Binghamton Mets dominated the Aeros pitching staff again Saturday night at Canal Park, taking game two of this three-game series by the final score of 11-6. Both Akron and the B-Mets collected 14 hits overall, but three Binghamton home runs were the difference. Akron started the scoring for the night with three runs in the first on RBI base hits from Matt McBride, John Drennen and Jerad Head. Binghamton then pounced against Akron lefty starter Scott Barnes for six crucial runs in the top of the third due to a two-run homer by Raul Reyes and a costly Jason Kipnis error. The Mets quickly extended the lead to 10-3 in the top of the sixth while both squads continued pouring on the offensive production in the final innings to provide for the final margin. Mark Cohoon (1-0) earned the win in his Double-A debut although he allowed five runs on 11 hits while Barnes (3-7) took the loss in permitting the most runs (nine, although only five earned runs) by an Aeros pitcher this season. 
? Headline News… Head was the offensive star for Akron Saturday in the loss to the Mets. He collected a hit in all four of his plate appearances, tying a 2010-team high with most hits in a single game. He doubled twice along with scoring a run and recording his 13th RBI of the year, to continue a hot streak for the designated hitter. The 27-year-old native of Topeka, KS has been an offensive leader for Akron in June and is now batting .370 (17-46) since June 10th with nine extra-base hits and 11 runs scored. Cleveland originally signed Head as an undrafted free agent out of Washburn University (KS) in 2005. 
? Panamanian Power… Catcher Damaso Espino also had a productive performance Saturday evening as he had his third three-hit game of the season. The offensive numbers from the backstop position have been a pleasant surprise recently for the Aeros mostly because of Espino’s impressive hitting. He now has a .319 batting average in 36 games played this season and is batting an incredible .390 (16-71) against left-handed pitchers. He turned 27 years old last month and is a native of Panama City, Panama. 
? Binghamton Beatdown… The Mets offense continued their 2010 dominance of the Aeros Saturday with three doubles along with the three home runs and 14 hits overall. Binghamton is second in the Eastern League with 74 home runs this season, ranks third with a .267 batting average and now is batting .300 with an average of 7.2 runs and 10.9 hits in their 13 games against Akron. First baseman Nick Evans has been one of the leaders as he has seven doubles, three home runs and 15 runs scored in 10 games. 
? Deep South… Akron’s weeklong home stand concludes this afternoon at Canal Park against the Mets. Following the contest Sunday, the Aeros will start the eight-hour bus ride to Richmond, Virginia for the first time ever for a three-game set with the Flying Squirrels. Akron then heads to Bowie for a crucial four-game series against the Baysox before returning home July 5th. 
AEROS STAT OF THE NIGHT:
The Akron Aeros hold a 28-10 (.737 win percentage) record this season when scoring at least four runs, and are 25-6 (.807) overall when holding their opponents to three runs or less.
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