Late Erie Rally Dooms Aeros, Division Lead Drops to 4 1/2
July 5, 2012 - Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
Erie, PA - Erie designated hitter Rawley Bishop singled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning Thursday night, leading the SeaWolves to a see-saw, 8-6 victory over the Akron Aeros at Jerry Uht Park.
Bishop, who was 3-4, with two runs scored on the night, led off the eighth inning with the score tied at 6-6. He singled off Aeros reliever Bryan Price, stole second and then came home when Price committed a throwing error on a bunt by Brandon Douglas. Douglas later scored on a ground-out by Jamie Johnson to give Erie an 8-6 lead.
Hard-throwing closer Bruce Rondon came on in the ninth and held the Aeros scoreless for his fourth save against the Aeros and seventh save overall. Rondon made a winner of Ryan Robowski (1-0) who worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the SeaWolves.
The Aeros (50-36) trailed 3-0 through four, but came alive with two runs each in the fifth and sixth, the latter two coming on a two-run homer by Adam Abraham, his seventh of the year, to give the Aeros a 4-3 lead.
The SeaWolves (41-43) scored three more in the sixth, knocking starter T.J. House from the game after 5 1/3. They tacked on a run against reliever Loek van Mil to grab a 6-4 lead. That lead was short-lived as Akron's Chun Chen cracked a two-run shot in the seventh to knot the score at 6-6. It was Chen's third homer of the year and came off SeaWolves righty Jared Gayhart.
Neither starter fared well in the game. House was rocked for eight hits and five runs over 5 1/3, while Erie's all-star righthander James Avery had similar results, giving up nine hits and four runs over six frames.
Nick Weglarz, Thomas Neal and Tyler Holt all had two hits apiece for Akron. For Holt, it was his Double-A debut. He hit leadoff and collected his first hit on a bint single in the fifth inning. He later singled into left.
The teams have split the first two games of the series with the rubber match tomorrow. Erie holds the advantage in the season series, 10-6.
Second-place Harrisburg defeated Bowie by an identical 8-6 final on Thursday, and now has pulled to within 4 1/2 games of the Aeros, who led the division by 9 1/2 games as recently as June 24th.
The Aeros and SeaWolves will meet in game three of the series on Friday evening at 7:05. LHP Giovanni Soto (5-5, 3.98) will start for the Aeros, and LHP Ramon Garcia (6-7, 3.84) will pitch for Erie. All Aeros games are broadcast on Fox Sports 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com. For more information, please call the Aeros at 330-253-5151.
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