Aeros Drop Unsightly Opener, 7-0
August 14, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
NEW BRITAIN, CT - Akron mustered a season-low one hit and committed a season-high five errors, a combination that doomed the club in a 7-0 defeat in the opener of a three-game series against New Britain. The Aeros (73-45) lost for the second straight night but remained nine games in front of Reading in the Southern Division, while the Rock Cats climbed back to .500 at 59-59 in front of 8,380 fans, the largest crowd in the history of New Britain Stadium.
Things looked promising for Akron at the beginning, as Jose Constanza drew a leadoff walk to start the first and then swiped his 33rd bag of the year only to be left stranded at second base. Aeros starter Jeanmar Gomez struggled with his command from the outset, but thanks to some outstanding defensive plays and plenty of guile was able to keep New Britain off the board in his four-inning stint. John Drennen started the good defense with a fine sliding catch in shallow right field in the bottom of the first, and Cristo Arnal capped the inning by racing in from second and bare-handing a roller for the final out. Then in the third, first baseman Beau Mills made back-to-back diving stabs at first base to rob Whit Robbins and Toby Gardenhire in the span of three pitches.
Gomez worked out of a major jam in the fourth, walking the first two hitters of the inning and uncorking a pair of wild pitches in the process as the Rock Cats put runners on the corners with no outs. Gomez got a pop-up and a strikeout however, and after walking Luke Hughes to load the bases retired Steve Singleton on a tapper up the first base line to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.
The hard work pushed up Gomez's pitch count however, and when Carlton Smith relieved him in the fifth the Rock Cats took command. Gardenhire singled with one away and Brandon Roberts drew a walk, but Smith looked like he might escape when Rene Tosoni hit a grounder to third. Lonnie Chisenhall fired to second for the second out of the inning, but Arnal's relay to first was in the dirt and skipped past Mills as Gardenhire scored the first run of the game. Wilson Ramos then kept the inning alive with a base hit to center, and Erik Lis delivered the backbreaking swing with an RBI double to left-center. The double scored Tosoni easily, and the Rock Cats gambled by sending Ramos around third as well. Carlos Rivero's relay throw to the plate then bounced past catcher Carlos Santana as Ramos slid in safely, and when Lis saw the throw go through he went for third. Smith was backing up the play and corralled Rivero's wild throw and tried to get Lis at third, but threw the ball back into left-center as Lis popped to his feet and trotted home to make it 4-0. New Britain then added three more runs in the seventh, as RBI doubles from Tosoni and Brian Dinkelman and a sacrifice fly by Hughes accounted for the final margin.
At that point, the only drama remaining was whether Akron would get a hit. It took the Aeros until the top of the eighth, but with one away Arnal smoked a clean single back up the middle to prevent history.
Deolis Guerra (5-2) was dominant in the victory, recording nine strikeouts in six no-hit innings. Smith (4-2) suffered the loss. Dutchman Loek Van Mil, who at 7'1" is the tallest player in professional baseball, made his Double-A debut and allowed Arnal's hit.
Game two in this three-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. Saturday, with Akron's Connor Graham (0-1, 4.38 ERA) taking on Matt Fox (7-8, 3.89 ERA). The game broadcast begins at 6:50 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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