Aeros and Curve Trade Shutouts in Split
June 6, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
ALTOONA, PA - Akron and Altoona split a doubleheader at Blair County Ballpark before 4,281 fans Saturday night, swapping shutouts in the process. The Aeros took game one 1-0 in nine innings before the Curve returned the favor with a 3-0 triumph in the nightcap.
Jake Westbrook looked excellent in his rehab start in game one, allowing just a hit and a walk and needing only 39 of his allotted 50 pitches to get through three innings. Altoona's Brad Lincoln went seven innings however, holding Akron to just three singles and a walk as the game remained scoreless entering extra innings. Jeff Sues relieved Lincoln in the eighth and kept the Aeros off the board, but in the ninth he made a mistake on a 1-2 fastball and Carlos Santana crushed a solo home run to right. It was Santana's 10th of the year and all the offense Akron would need, as Vinnie Pestano locked it down with a perfect ninth for his league-leading 13th save.
Erik Stiller (3-3) earned the win for Akron, tossing a perfect eighth and striking out a pair. Sues (1-3) suffered the loss, his second against the Aeros. Pestano's save was his first since May 19th. Santana finished 2-4 to pace the offense, and it was Akron's fifth shutout of the year.
In game two it was Altoona that used the long ball to get a win, as Aeros starter Josh Judy walked Jeff Corsaletti with one away in the bottom of the second and hit Jamie Romak with two down to keep the inning alive for Miguel Perez. Sure enough, Perez hammered a 1-0 offering over the fence in left-center to make it 3-0, providing the final margin.
Former Aero Sean Smith (2-1) dazzled in the nightcap, going the distance for his second career shutout (his first was in an Akron uniform on May 14th, 2006 against Harrisburg). Smith allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out a season-high seven. Judy (0-2) took the loss, with Perez's home run the only hit against him in three frames. Brian Grening followed Judy and impressed in his Akron debut, delivering three shutout innings and notching three strikeouts.
The Aeros will at long last wrap-up their 11-game, 10-day, three-city road trip with the finale of this four-game series at 6:05 p.m. Sunday. Left-hander Ryan Edell (1-0, 2.81 ERA) will go for Akron with Yoslan Herrera (3-0, 4.13 ERA) taking the hill for Altoona. The game broadcast begins at 5:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com. For more information, please call the Aeros at (330) 253-5151.
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