Results tagged ‘ Zach Putnam ’

Aerodynamics Game #94: 07/18/10

GAME #94 ? SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2010 ? 1:35 P.M. 

HOME GAME #48 ? CANAL PARK ? AKRON, OH

AKRON AEROS (48-45) AT ERIE SEAWOLVES (38-56) 
CLEVELAND INDIANS          DETROIT TIGERS
AERODYNAMICS… 

? The Comeback… Akron’s hot streak continued Saturday night as the team scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a narrow 6-5 victory over the visiting Erie SeaWolves. The early part of the game was a pitcher’s duel between Aeros lefty Eric Berger and SeaWolves southpaw Charlie Furbush but Erie then struck first for three runs in the fifth on two RBI singles and a run-scoring passed ball. Akron right fielder Matt McBride promptly cut the deficit to 3-2 with a two-run double before Cesar Nicolas of the SeaWolves followed with a two-run homer in the sixth. Aeros slugger Jerad Head then responded with a solo shot in the bottom half of that inning and still trailing 5-3, the Aeros rallied in the bottom of the seventh against Furbush and Erie reliever Zach Simons. Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall started with back-to-back doubles, first baseman Beau Mills tied the game with an RBI single and catcher Miguel Perez delivered the game-winner to score Mills on a two-out lining single to left. Reliever Bryan Price (4-2) earned the win, Simons (2-4) took the loss and closer Zach Putnam earned his third save of the season. 

? Priceline… Erie’s offense finally woke up Saturday at Canal Park, but Price was solid as he faced the minimum with four strikeouts and one hit allowed in two shutout innings. The outing by the 23-year-old right-hander was yet another impressive one at home this season, as he is now 3-1 with a 0.82 ERA and a .210 batting average against in 22.0 innings pitched in Akron. 
? Daily Double… The second baseman Kipnis and the third baseman Chisenhall led the Akron offense Saturday night in the team’s third straight victory over the last-place SeaWolves. The young duo that make up the second and third batters in the Aeros lineup finished a combined 4-for-8 with a walk, three runs scored and two doubles last night. Kipnis is now batting .309 in 31 games in Double-A and has a combined batting average .304 this season including 54 contests with Class A Kinston. Meanwhile, the Eastern League All-Star and XM All-Star Futures Game participant Chisenhall also recorded his 40th RBI, third on the team. 
? Movin’ On Up… After recording the save Saturday, Putnam earned his first-ever promotion to the Class AAA Columbus Clippers and the Aeros received RHP Rob Bryson from Class A Kinston. Putnam has spent the past 14 months with the Aeros ever since his May 2009 nod from the K-Tribe while Bryson will join the team after going 2-1 with one save and a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings in the Carolina League. He was acquired by the Indians in the June 2008 C.C. Sabathia trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. 
? Jolly July… The Aeros are now three games over .500 for the first time since mid-April and have been red-hot in many different categories. The offense has 16 extra-base hits in the past three contests, catchers Damaso Espino and Perez have combined to throw out 45.3% of 53 base stealers since May 21st and the team is out-scoring opponents by 40 runs in the 15 games in July. 
AEROS STAT OF THE DAY: 
The Akron Aeros pitching staff now has 17 strikeouts against zero walks in the past two games, and has only allowed 55 free passes with 172 total strikeouts in 19 contests since June 27th.

Recap 07/17: Aeros Rally Late Saturday to Defeat Erie 6-5

AKRON,
OH – The Aeros stormed back to win again Saturday night, striking for three
runs in the decisive seventh inning to claim a 6-5 victory over the Erie
SeaWolves. Akron’s bats pounded the Erie pitching again and finished with 12
hits including four doubles and Jerad Head’s seventh home run of the season in
front of 3,264 fans at Canal Park. The third straight win over the SeaWolves
(38-56) coupled with Bowie’s loss moved the Aeros (48-45) only 1.5 games behind
the second-place wild card spot in the Western Division.

Lefty
starting pitchers Eric Berger and Erie’s Charlie Furbush engaged in an early pitcher’s
duel that held both teams scoreless through the first four innings. The
SeaWolves then struck first in the top of the fifth as a double by Rawley
Bishop ignited a big inning. The designated hitter later scored on a passed
ball while both Michael Bertram and Andy Dirks collected RBI singles to give
the visitors a 3-0 advantage.

Akron
then began a back-and-forth battle and cut the deficit to only 3-2 in the
bottom half of the fifth. Cleveland Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera doubled
to left, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall continued the rally with a one-out single
and red-hot right fielder Matt McBride followed with a clutch two-run double
right down the left field line.  

Berger
stayed in the game for the sixth inning and ran into trouble with two outs.
Designated hitter Cesar Nicolas delivered the blow with his seventh home run off
the Miller Lite sign in right-center, bringing the Erie lead back to three runs
at 5-2.

The
left fielder Head promptly returned the favor in the bottom of the frame with his
homer to left-center, preceding the game-winning rally that started against
Furbush.

Second
baseman Jason Kipnis and Chisenhall began the seventh inning with back-to-back
doubles that then brought in right-handed reliever Zach Simons. He immediately
retired Matt McBride on a fly out, but first baseman Beau Mills tied the game
at 5-5 with a clutch single to right. Shortstop Carlos Rivero drew a walk, and with
two outs in the frame, catcher Miguel Perez provided the RBI on a single to left
to score Mills as the throw home was cut off to end the inning by catching
Rivero between second and third.

Reliever
Bryan Price (4-2) earned the victory for the Aeros as he struck out four
batters in two shutout innings in relief of Berger. Simons (2-4) blew the save
opportunity and took the loss, allowing the final run of the contest. New Akron
closer Zach Putnam then shut the door in the ninth for his third save of the
season.

Kipnis,
Chisenhall and Perez all finished with two hits on the night as the home team
now has 35 base hits and 20 runs scored in the first three games of this series
against Erie. McBride’s two RBI double brought his season total to 54 runs
batted in, ranking first on the squad, third in the Indians organization and seventh
in the Eastern League.

The
Aeros will look to earn their first four-game series sweep of the year in
tomorrow’s finale at 1:35 p.m. at Canal Park. Fans can save $28 on Sunday family
packs of four hot dogs, four sodas and four bags of chips for only $48. Lefty
Scott Barnes (4-8, 5.08 ERA) makes the start for Akron against SeaWolves right-hander
Thad Weber (6-9, 3.93 ERA). Sunday afternoon’s radio broadcast begins at 12:50
p.m. on Fox Sports 1350 AM and at www.akronaeros.com.
For more information, please call the Aeros at (330) 253-5151.

Aerodynamics Game #92: 07/16/10

GAME #92 ? FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2010 ? 7:05 P.M. 

HOME GAME #46 ? CANAL PARK ? AKRON, OH

AKRON AEROS (46-45) AT ERIE SEAWOLVES (38-54) 
CLEVELAND INDIANS          DETROIT TIGERS
AERODYNAMICS… 

? Thirsty Thursday Triumph… The Aeros began the second half of the Eastern League schedule Thursday night with a 6-1 victory over the Erie SeaWolves at Canal Park. A crowd of 2,774 fans in downtown Akron witnessed the host offense take an early 2-0 lead thanks to six hits in the first two innings. The Wolves then scored their only run on a Justin Henry sacrifice fly in the third inning against Aeros starter Kelvin De La Cruz. Three straight singles by Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall and Matt McBride began the bottom of the fifth as the team scored two more runs while back-to-back doubles by Beau Mills and Jerad Head created the four-run advantage in the seventh. McBride then capped the night with his team-leading 14th home run of the season in the eighth, giving De La Cruz (2-5) the win with the quality start while Erie starter Anthony Shawler (1-1) took the loss. 

? Kelvin Scale… Thursday night’s performance was the first victory by De La Cruz in precisely two months, dating back to May 15th in his second start in an Akron uniform this season. The 6’5″ left-hander surrendered four hits and two walks in six innings, allowing the lone run while striking out five. The Dominican Republic native had a 6.70 ERA and a 1.98 WHIP over the course of his most recent 10 starts while averaging four and one-third innings per contest. He will turn 22 years old on August 1st and after missing most of last season with a left elbow ligament strain, the Indians placed him on the 40-man roster in November. 
? Welcome Back… Cleveland Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera began his rehab stint with the Aeros Thursday night and finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. He also made a pair of nice defensive plays early in the game before leaving in favor of pinch-hitter Carlos Rivero in the bottom of the seventh inning. Cabrera played two games earlier this week with short-season Class A Mahoning Valley and is currently recovering from a fractured left forearm that he suffered on May 17th in Tampa Bay. 
? A Mighty Wind… The Aeros bullpen sealed the victory Thursday by dominating the Erie offense after De La Cruz. Akron relievers Shane Lindsay, Chen-Chang Lee and Zach Putnam provided a perfect three innings with five strikeouts, continuing a very impressive stretch as 10 bullpen pitchers have combined for a 2.54 ERA in the past 56 contests since May 15th. 
? Infield Fly… The five Aeros infielders combined to bat .444 (8-for-18) with three doubles, four runs scored and two walks Thursday night. Chisenhall, Cabrera, Kipnis and Mills all had solid outings while Rivero grounded out to second in his only at-bat. 
? Déjà Vu… Tonight’s contest will be the sixth of eight straight meetings between the Akron Aeros and the Erie SeaWolves. Akron has won seven of 11 so far this season and the two teams will play a total of 22 games against each other overall. The Aeros have a 2.18 ERA as a team while limiting the Wolves to a .199 batting average as Erie has now lost 38 of their past 53 contests. 
AEROS STAT OF THE NIGHT: 
The Akron Aeros have a 2.01 ERA over the course of 13 games played in the month of July, improving their team ERA to 4.09 for the season, sixth-best in the 12-team Eastern League.

Recap 07/15: De La Cruz Leads Aeros to 6-1 Win over Erie

AKRON,
OH – Aeros lefty Kelvin De La Cruz earned his first win in exactly two months
Thursday night as Akron defeated the visiting Erie SeaWolves by the final score
of 6-1. The 6’5″ starter allowed just one run in six innings for his second
career Double-A quality start while Cleveland Indians star Asdrubal Cabrera
paced the Aeros offense on his rehab assignment. A crowd of 2,774 fans at Canal
Park witnessed Akron (46-45) claim victory over the SeaWolves (38-54) for the
seventh time in 11 chances this season.

Cabrera
helped the Aeros take the early lead by doubling to start the bottom of the
first and Jason Kipnis promptly followed with a single. Third baseman Lonnie
Chisenhall then collected the third straight hit with an RBI single to center
and Akron struck again in the second. Right fielder Jerad Head singled and
Jordan Henry later scored Head from second with two outs on a soft flying
single to center to give the hosts a 2-0 advantage.

Erie
responded in the third inning as center fielder Justin Henry, the brother of
Akron’s Jordan, scored catcher Andy Bouchie on a sacrifice fly. That out then
marked a stretch of eight consecutive batters retired by the red-hot De La
Cruz.

The
Aeros then pounced for two more runs against new Wolves reliever Josh Rainwater
in the fifth. Rainwater, in his first Double-A appearance of the season,
allowed three straight singles to load the bases and Head drew a one-out bases
loaded walk. The hosts then took a commanding 4-1 lead on a fielder’s choice by
left fielder Tim Fedroff.

Lefty
Ramon Garcia replaced Rainwater in the sixth and ran into trouble in the bottom
of the seventh. Beau Mills and Head recorded back-to-back lead off doubles
while designated hitter Matt McBride sealed the victory with a solo home run in
the eighth. 

De La Cruz (2-5) struck out five batters against
four walks and two hits in the contest, snapping a stretch of 10 straight starts
without a victory since May 15th. He finished the sixth inning for
just the second time in his Akron career, tying a record he set in his 2010
debut with the team back on May 8th. Erie starter Anthony Shawler
(1-1) took the loss in his four frames and a combination of Shane Lindsay,
Chen-Chang Lee and Zach Putnam out of Aeros bullpen retired all nine hitters in
the final three innings with five strikeouts.

Akron collected 13 hits total as the shortstop Cabrera
finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored before giving way to
pinch-hitter Carlos Rivero in the bottom of the seventh. Four other batters had
multi-hit performances led by two singles and two walks from Chisenhall, two
RBI by Head and the team-leading 14th home run by McBride.

This
home stand continues on another Fireworks Friday at Canal Park with a 7:05 p.m.
first pitch tomorrow. Time Warner Cable presents the fireworks spectacular and
it is a FRITOS® Family Friday
where fans can take advantage of a 10% discount at the Infield Outfitters team
store. It is a battle of Eastern League All-Stars as right-hander Paolo Espino
(8-3, 4.02 ERA) makes the start for the Aeros against Erie’s Brooks Brown (7-5,
3.77 ERA). Friday’s radio broadcast
begins at 6:50 p.m. on Fox Sports 1350 AM and at www.akronaeros.com.
For more information, please call the Aeros at (330) 253-5151.

—AEROS—

Recap 07/10: White Blanks Wolves, Aeros Win Again 4-0

ERIE,
PA – Aeros starter Alex White continued his mastery of the Eastern League
Saturday night with six scoreless innings to lead Akron to a 4-0 win over the host
Erie SeaWolves. White and a pair of Aeros relievers combined to hold Erie to
just five hits and two walks overall in front of the 4,546 fans at Jerry Uht
Park, marking the seventh shutout for the team. Designated hitter and first
baseman Matt McBride hit another home run in the contest as well as an odd
lineup switch occurred in the fourth straight victory for Akron (45-43) while the
loss dropped the reeling Wolves to 36-53.

White
stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning and an odd lineup
mistake hurt the Aeros offense in the second. The lineup mistake caused McBride
to move from designated hitter to first base in the bottom half of the frame and
brought White to the plate for the first time ever as the number five hitter in
place of Beau Mills.

Despite
the unfortunate lineup, Akron struck first in the third inning against Erie
lefty starter Duane Below. Catcher Miguel Perez reached base on a throwing
error and after two outs, second baseman Jason Kipnis doubled to right for the
first run. Left fielder John Drennen then capped the frame and gave the Aeros a
2-0 lead with an RBI single to left.

The
SeaWolves failed to have more than one runner reach base in any inning between
the first and the ninth, leaving room for the Akron attack. McBride led the
sixth against Below with a solo homer to left before White drew his second
walk. Third baseman Cristo Arnal later notched the final run of the contest
with a run-scoring single to center field.

White
(4-4) earned the win with his fourth straight quality start, his eighth feat in
just 10 appearances in Double-A. He struck out seven against just four hits and
a walk, lowering his ERA to 1.53 with the Aeros this year. Below (3-8) took the
loss while Akron relievers Omar Aguilar and Zach Putnam finished the shutout with
three more scoreless frames.

McBride’s
solo home run was his team-leading 12th of the season, placing him
third among minor leaguers in the Indians organization and his 48 RBI now ranks
fourth. Kipnis improved his batting average to .298 with a pair of doubles on
the night and right fielder Jerad Head finished 2-for-4 with a two-bagger as
well.

Akron
hopes to win a fifth straight contest at 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Jerry Uht Park in
Erie. The Aeros have won nine of their last 12 contests with two games left before
the Eastern League All-Star Break and Akron lefty Scott Barnes (4-8, 5.42 ERA)
makes the start against southpaw Charles Furbush (1-0, 2.57 ERA) of the
SeaWolves. Join Jim Clark for Sunday afternoon’s radio broadcast beginning at
12:50 p.m. on Fox Sports 1350 AM and at www.akronaeros.com.
For more information, please call the Aeros at (330) 253-5151.

—AEROS—

Aerodynamics Game #87: 07/09/10

GAME #87 ? FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2010 ? 7:05 P.M. 

ROAD GAME #43 ? JERRY UHT PARK ? ERIE, PA 

AKRON AEROS (43-43) AT ERIE SEAWOLVES (36-51) 
CLEVELAND INDIANS          DETROIT TIGERS
AERODYNAMICS… 
? Rubber City Rollercoaster… Akron’s bullpen was dominant and a Carlos Rivero walk-off grounder gave the Aeros a 4-3 win in 10 innings over the Trenton Thunder Thursday at Canal Park. A leadoff homer by Trenton’s Luis Nunez started the game but Akron scored three in the second highlighted by RBI hits from left fielder Tim Fedroff and center fielder Jordan Henry. Another Thunder solo homer cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth and before a run-scoring wild pitch by reliever Connor Graham tied the score in the seventh. T
renton’s Kevin Whelan then allowed three straight one-out walks in the 10th before Rivero grounded to second but the throw home was late, scoring Espino for the winning run. Aeros relievers allowed just two base runners total in 6.2 innings pitched as Zach Putnam (4-1) earned the win with two perfect frames while Whelan (1-2) took the loss for Trenton. 

? Prince Price… Bryan Price relieved starter Kelvin De La Cruz for the Aeros in the fourth inning Thursday, forcing a crucial inning-ending double play. A product of Rice University, Price finished with 2.2 perfect innings pitched with four strikeouts, giving him a 0.90 ERA in 11 relief appearances spanning 20 innings at Canal Park this season. 

? Wolverine Wonder… Putnam then followed Graham Thursday against the Thunder and delivered one of his most impressive outings of the year. He struck out the first five Trenton batters he faced before a groundout ended the top of the 10th inning, as the University of Michigan product now has a 2.40 ERA with 12 strikeouts against two walks in 15 frames as a reliever. 

? Thrice is Nice… Akron only scored in two different innings Thursday night but Fedroff had himself yet another productive night. The 23-year-old extended his hitting streak to eight straight games by collecting three singles, a run scored and an RBI. He is now batting .500 (16-32) over these eight contests with six runs scored to raise his batting average for the season by 27 points. The Cleveland Indians selected Fedroff in the seventh round of the June 2008 Draft out of the University of North Carolina. 

? Extra, Extra, Read All About It… Akron’s win Thursday night was the team’s first extra inning victory of the season in five chances. The Aeros previously lost a pair of contests in 10 innings, once in the 11th and another in the second game of a doubleheader that eventually went nine frames. Last night’s walk-off victory also marked the first run scored by Akron past the ninth inning of any game in over 10 months dating back to a 5-4 victory on September 5th, 2009 against the Erie SeaWolves. 

? Erie Blues… Speaking of Erie, the Aeros begin a four-game weekend series with their closest Eastern League rival starting tonight. The last-place SeaWolves enter the series having lost 35 of their last 48 contests but winners of four straight and these two teams will actually face off eight straight times, solely separated by the two-day Eastern League All-Star Break. 

AEROS STAT OF THE NIGHT: 
The Akron Aeros bullpen now has a 2.51 ERA with 45 strikeouts in eight games in July, walking only nine and holding opponents to a .178 batting average in 32.1 innings pitched.

Recap 07/08: Bullpen Leads Aeros to 4-3 Win in 10 Innings

AKRON,
OH – The Aeros bullpen delivered another dominant performance Thursday night at
Canal Park, helping Akron capture a series victory with a 4-3 win in 10 innings
against the Trenton Thunder. Three different Aeros relievers combined to allow
just one hit and one walk in 6.2 innings pitched in front the 2,506 fans in
attendance, as shortstop Carlos Rivero plated Lonnie Chisenhall for the
walk-off run in the bottom of the 10th. Akron (43-43) is now 1.5
games behind the wild card spot in the Eastern League’s Western Division after
winning three out of four games against the Thunder (52-34).

Trenton
shortstop Luis Nunez started the first inning against Aeros starter Kelvin De
la Cruz with a leadoff home run into the canal in left field. De La Cruz
stranded a runner on third base to end the frame and the hosts responded quickly
in the bottom of the second.

First
baseman Beau Mills began the rally with a single to right field, Rivero drew a
walk, a wild pitch advanced both runners and Mills scored on an RBI groundout
by Damaso Espino. Tim Fedroff then gave Akron a 2-1 advantage with a seeing-eye
single to right and Jordan Henry ended the outburst a run-scoring double down
the right field.

The
lefty De La Cruz allowed another solo homer in the third to Thunder first
baseman Marcos Vechionacci and struggled with his control in the fourth. He
walked the bases loaded with just one out and left the game in favor of
reliever Bryan Price, who avoided further damage by forcing an inning-ending
4-6-3 double play.

Price
retired all seven batters he faced and Connor Graham entered the game for the
Aeros in the top of the seventh inning. Nunez greeted him with a stand-up
triple past a diving Henry in center, and a two-out wild pitch tied the score
at 3-3.

The
Thunder stranded a runner on third in the eighth and Akron finally ended the
contest in the 10th. Jason Kipnis started with a fly out and then
reliever Kevin Whelan walked three straight to load the bases. Rivero chopped a
slow grounder to Justin Snyder at second base and his throw home was just late
as Chisenhall scored the game-winning run.

Reliever
Zach Putnam (4-1) earned the win for Akron and struck out his first five
opponents to highlight two perfect innings while Whelan (1-2) took the loss. De
La Cruz allowed six hits and four walks in just 3.1 innings pitched but did not
factor into the decision because of the efforts of the three-headed relieving
corps. Price, Graham and Putnam combined for 10 strikeouts and allowed only two
base runners the rest of the way.

Fedroff
was the offensive leader on the night for the hosts as he finished 3-for-4 with
a run scored and an RBI. Three double plays, including two via a strikeout and
caught stealing, hurt the rallies for the Aeros and the team was just 2-for-12
with men in scoring position.

Akron
hits the road Friday morning for the beginning of a four-game wraparound series
against a nearby rival, the Erie SeaWolves. Eastern League All-Star Paolo
Espino (7-3, 4.16 ERA) returns to the starting rotation for Akron in the opener
against Erie lefty Ramon Garcia (0-4, 4.91 ERA). Join Jim Clark for Friday’s radio
broadcast from Jerry Uht Stadium in Erie beginning at 6:50 p.m. on Fox Sports
1350 AM and at www.akronaeros.com. For
more information, please call the Akron Aeros 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—

Recap 06/26: Binghamton Bats Explode in 11-6 Win

AKRON,
OH – The Binghamton Mets offense hammered the Aeros pitching staff again
Saturday night, winning by the final score of 11-6 at Canal Park. Each team
collected 14 hits in front of the 4,324 fans in attendance, but the B-Mets
capitalized on monster nights from first baseman Nick Evans and right fielder
Raul Reyes. Akron (36-38) has now lost eight of their past 12 contests to fall
2.5 games behind the Bowie Baysox for second place in the Western Division
while the streaking Mets (38-36) have won eight of 10.

The
night started off well for the Aeros as the team had a monster bottom of the
first inning against Binghamton starter Mark Cohoon. It was the Double-A debut
for the young lefty and he made a crucial mistake in allowing a two-out Matt
McBride RBI double to left-center. Right fielder John Drennen followed with a
run-scoring single and shortly after, designated hitter Jerad Head gave the
hosts the quick 3-0 lead with a liner to left.

Akron
starter Scott Barnes could not maintain the advantage as the Mets attacked in
the top of the third. Reyes smacked a one-out two-run homer to right while a
Jason Kipnis error at second prolonged the frame. Binghamton collected six hits
quickly and after the rally was finally over, the three-run edge turned into a
6-3 deficit for the Aeros.

Reyes
began the fourth inning with his second home run of the night and the team then
added two more runs against Barnes in the fifth. The Mets extended the lead to
10-3 in the next inning on a solo shot by Evans, his team-leading 13th
homer of the season.

Cohoon
cruised until the sixth where he faced trouble with one out in the frame as Drennen,
shortstop Josh Rodriguez and Head loaded the bases with three consecutive
singles. Tim Fedroff then struck out looking for Cohoon’s first strikeout of
the game, but catcher Damaso Espino followed with a huge two-run single to right
field.

The
comeback would fall short as Binghamton added a run in the eighth on an RBI
single by Marshall Hubbard against reliever Zach Putnam. The Aeros then
provided the final margin thanks to another clutch two-out run-scoring hit by
Espino later that inning.

Cohoon
(1-0) earned the win despite conceding five runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings
pitched while the lefty Barnes (3-7) took the loss. He permitted eight hits,
four walks and two home runs in just four innings total as the nine runs (five
earned) he allowed were the most by an Akron pitcher this season. Relievers
Connor Graham and Putnam each allowed a run in two frames and Steven Wright delivered
a shutout ninth.

Five
different Aeros finished with multi-hit performances led by the impressive
outings from Head and Espino. Head was a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, a
run scored and an RBI while Espino was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Meanwhile,
Binghamton is now averaging 7.2 runs and 10.9 hits in the 13 meetings between
these teams on the year.

The
Mets look for the three-game weekend sweep of the Aeros Sunday afternoon with a
1:35 p.m. first pitch. It is a busy day at Canal Park highlighted by the
National Pro Football Hall of Fame Day, featuring former Detroit Lion Lem
Barney. Sunday is also Orbit’s Birthday Bash, presented by ACME Bakeries, and
many of Orbit’s favorite local mascot friends will be on hand for the game.
Akron lefty Kelvin De La Cruz (1-4, 5.61 ERA) makes the start in the home stand
finale against Binghamton’s Jenrry Mejia (0-0, 3.86 ERA). Sunday’s game
broadcast begins at 1:20 p.m. on Fox Sports 1350 AM and at www.akronaeros.com. For more information,
please call the Aeros at (330) 253-5151.

—AEROS—

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