Aeros Notes
Published on September 9, 2008 under Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
Playoff Game #5 - Home Game #3 - Tuesday, September 9, 2008 - 7:05 P.M.
Akron Aeros (80-62, 3-1) vs. Trenton Thunder (86-54, 3-0)
Cleveland Indians New York Yankees
Best-of-Five Series Tied 0-0
Today's Starters: Akron - RHP Kevin Dixon (Fist playoff start, 9-11, 4.41 ERA in regular season)
Trenton - RHP Eric Hacker (1-0, 1.59 ERA in playoffs, 7-4, 2.76 ERA in regular season)
Upcoming Probables:
Wednesday (ELCS Game 2): RHP J.D. Martin (0-1, 5.40 ERA) vs. TRE RHP Christian Garcia (First playoff start)
Thursday: OFF DAY
Friday (ELCS Game 3): LHP Ryan Edell (1-0, 1.23 ERA) at TRE RHP George Kontos (First playoff start)
Saturday if nec. (ELCS Game 4): RHP Frank Herrmann (1-0, 1.29 ERA) at TRE RHP Jeff Marquez (0-0, 5.40 ERA)
The Book on Kevin Dixon...
1B- High Strikeouts - 9, set 5/30 vs. Bowie - Most Hits Allowed - 9, set 4/30 vs. Erie
- Longest Outing - 8.0 IP, set 5/20 vs. ALT & 8/13 vs. CT - Most Walks Allowed - 5, set 4/19 at Bowie
- Shortest Outing - 2.1 IP, set 4/24 vs. Harrisburg - HR Allowed (Season) - 17
Closed the regular season with back-to-back quality starts, including his first win in six weeks on the final day of the season
- Led the Aeros with 113 strikeouts and tied for fourth in the Eastern League with 157.0 innings pitched
Throws a four-seam fastball between 87-92 mph, as well as a sinker (two-seamer), changeup, slider and splitter
Aeros were 14-12 when Dixon started in the regular season
Last time out: Earned the WIN in a 4-1 victory at Erie 9/1 (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 1 HB, 1 WP)
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............................................................ 41-31 SEASON vs. TRENTON................................................................. 3-4
Aerodynamics...
A Dish Best Served Cold...The Aeros will get their chance for revenge against the Thunder in game one of the Eastern League Championship Series tonight, facing off against the club that bounced Akron in the final round a year ago. The locales were reversed last year, as Trenton claimed the first two games at home by a grand total of three runs before the Aeros returned to Canal Park and took game three. The Thunder took the title in game four though, getting to Akron starter Bobby Brownlie for six runs in 3.1 innings en route to a 10-5 triumph. This is just the third rematch in the championship round in the last 30 years, following rematches in both 2005-06 and 1996-97. Akron defeated Portland in 2005 before losing the following year, while Harrisburg won both matchups with the Sea Dogs in 1996 and 1997. Prior to that series, you'd have to go back two full decades to 1976 and 1977, when West Haven swept Trois Rivieres for the title both times.
How Did I Get Here?...Akron got here as the Southern Division wild card entrant and defeated the Bowie Baysox 3-1 in the first round, while Trenton won the Northern Division (with the best record in the Eastern League) and swept the Portland Sea Dogs 3-1. LF Matt LaPorta paced the Akron offense in the win over Bowie, hitting .462 (6-13) with three homers, five RBI, five runs scored and a .588 on-base percentage. 2B Josh Rodriguez also played a key role, as the former Rice University standout batted .353 (6-17) from the leadoff spot with a pair of triples and five runs scored. For the Thunder, OF Colin Curtis hit an even .500 (6-12) in the series against Portland, and leads the Eastern League in post-season batting average entering play tonight. C P.J. Pilittere hit .400 (4-10) with a .500 OBP in the first round.
Chicks Dig It...One difference that immediately stands out between these two clubs is run production. Both Akron and Trenton hit just .215 as a club in the first round, but the Aeros scored 20 runs and hit seven homers while the Thunder scored only 11 runs and hit just one home run (although Akron did play one more game). Both teams hit .268 in the regular season, but while Akron belted 114 homers to Trenton's league-low 65, the Aeros outscored the Thunder by just 12 runs.
Hafner on the Mend...The Aeros will be without the services of DH Travis Hafner in this series, as the slugger who destroyed Bowie pitching in games three and four of the first round (two homers, seven RBI) was activated from the 60-day disabled list and is currently in Baltimore with the parent club.
Roster Moves...The Aeros made a pair of roster moves today, activating reliever Scott Roehl from the inactive list and receiving RHP Josh Tomlin from Class A Kinston.
Eastern League Stories from September 9, 2008
- Trenton Takes Game One Over Akron 3-1 - Trenton Thunder
- Thunder Claim Game One 3-1, Lead Series 1-0 - Akron RubberDucks
- Aeros Notes - Akron RubberDucks
- Granite State Baseball Dinner Coming November 22, 2008 - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- John Kruk headlines Thursday's event to benefit United Way - Reading Fightin Phils
- Claggett Activated From Disabled List - Trenton Thunder
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