Aeros Notes
August 30, 2008 - Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
Game #140 - Road Game #70 - Saturday, August 30, 2008 - 7:05 P.M.
Akron Aeros (78-61) at Erie SeaWolves (67-72)
Cleveland Indians Detroit Tigers
Today's Starters: Akron - RHP Frank Herrmann (10-6, 4.01 ERA)
Erie - RHP Josh Rainwater (10-6, 3.93 ERA)
Upcoming Probables:
Sunday: AKR RHP J.D. Martin (11-3, 2.55 ERA) at ERI RHP Guillermo Moscoso (2-1, 2.83 ERA)
Monday: AKR RHP Kevin Dixon (8-11, 4.56 ERA) at ERI LHP Danny Christensen (7-9, 4.13 ERA)
Tuesday: OFF DAY
Wednesday (SDCS Game 1): AKR TBA at BOW TBA
The Book on Frank Herrmann...
- High Strikeouts - 8, set 8/10 at Trenton - Most Hits Allowed - 12, set 5/18 at Reading
- Longest Outing - 7.1 IP set 8/10 at TRE and 8/21 at CT - Most Walks Allowed - 3 (set four times), last 8/5 at ALT
- Shortest Outing - 2.1 IP, set 5/18 at Reading - HR Allowed (Season) - 9
- Has rolled off five straight quality starts, going 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA and 27 strikeouts against eight walks
- Has not allowed more than three runs in a game since June 30th (a span of seven starts)
Throws a four-seam fastball between 88-92 mph, as well as a two-seamer, slider and change
Aeros are 12-10 when Herrmann starts
Last time out: Earned the WIN in a 4-2 victory at Connecticut 8/21 (7.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K)
UAEROS REGULAR SEASON BREAKDOWN ('08)
CURRENT STREAK...................................................... W1 LONGEST WINNING STREAK............................... 10 (6/4 - 6/14)
LAST 5 GAMES............................................................. 3-2 LONGEST LOSING STREAK.................................. 4 (8/15 - 8/19) LAST 10 GAMES........................................................... 5-5 BEST RECORD....................................................... 61-35 (July 14th)
HOME RECORD............................................................ 39-31 WORST RECORD................................................... 8-13 (April 25th)
ROAD RECORD............................................................ 39-30 SEASON vs. ERIE.......................................................................... 11-9
Aerodynamics...
Three of a Kind...The Aeros got three early runs last night and then let the pitching and defense go to work, holding off an Erie club that had won seven of its previous eight games by a final count of 3-1 at Jerry Uht Park. All-Star 3B Wes Hodges opened the scoring just six pitches into the game, slamming a two-run homer to left-center off SeaWolves starter Luis Marte in the top of the first for a quick 2-0 advantage. It was the 17th home run of the year for Hodges and raised his RBI total to 93 on the season, just three shy of Chan Perry's single-season record of 96 set in 1997. LF Matt LaPorta followed Hodges and delivered a big fly of his own, a no-doubt blast to left that ricocheted off the convention center behind the ballpark. Akron would manage just 10 base runners over the final eight innings (with only two getting past first base and neither getting past second), but the damage had already been done.
The Wright Stuff...The primary reason three runs were enough for the Aeros came in the form of starter Steven Wright, who limited the Wolves to just six singles in six innings and made numerous big pitches when Erie did have runners on against him. Wright found himself in immediate trouble in the bottom of the first, as a walk, two singles, and a hit batter led to a run and loaded the bases with only one out. Wright recovered to strikeout Santo de Leon however, and then got Pedro Cotto to bounce to first to end the inning. Wright then used inning-ending double plays to get out of jams in the second and fourth innings, and got the final three outs in the fifth on just four pitches after hitting Shawn Roof to start the inning. The native of Moreno Valley, CA also tied his season-high with seven strikeouts and walked only one hitter, delivering his fourth quality start of the season and second in as many outings. He also improved to a perfect 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA in his sixth road start, compared to 0-3 with a 5.62 ERA in eight starts at home.
That's How I Spell Relief...LHP Tony Sipp and closer Randy Newsom combined to record the final nine outs last night, with Sipp turning in a dominant two-inning outing and Newsom working his first perfect inning since June 13th (a span of 18 appearances and 14.2 innings). Sipp struck out five hitters in his two innings, and has an ERA of 1.00 in his last dozen appearances, allowing just two earned runs in 18 innings while striking out 28 and issuing only five walks in that span.
Still Streaking...1B Matt Whitney extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games last night, singling to lead off the sixth. He is now in a seven-way tie for the fourth-longest streak for an Aeros hitter this season. Not only is this a career-long streak for Whitney, it's the first time he's ever had a double-digit hitting streak: His previous high was a nine-game run to start last season from April 5th-16th with Lake County. Whitney is hitting .400 (16-40) over this current streak.
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Eastern League Stories from August 30, 2008
- Tabata's big hit wins it for Altoona in 11th - Altoona Curve
- Aeros Score Final Six Runs, Nip Erie 7-5 - Hodges Sets RBI Record in Victory - Akron RubberDucks
- Senators Split Twinbill with Bowie - Harrisburg Senators
- Martinez Homers, But New Britain Wins - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Trenton walks off again with 4-3 over Connecticut - Trenton Thunder
- 'Wolves Drop Two Straight - Erie SeaWolves
- Defenders Fall 4-3 - Connecticut Defenders
- Baysox, Senators Trade Pair - Chesapeake Baysox
- Rock Cats blank Binghamton, 7-0 - New Britain Rock Cats
- Aeros Notes - Akron RubberDucks
- Gothreaux works five scoreless innings in 7-0 loss to Portland - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- 'Dogs win their second straight over the 'Cats - Portland Sea Dogs
- Prolonged poor planning halts Altoona Curve's salute to procrastination - Altoona Curve
- Jackson activated from disabled list - Trenton Thunder
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