EL1 Akron RubberDucks

Aeros Snap Losing Streak with 6-4 Win

Published on July 17, 2009 under Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release


AKRON, OH - Carlos Santana belted a tie-breaking two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning and the Aeros ended their season-high six-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the Bowie Baysox in front of 7,465 fans on Fireworks Friday at Canal Park. It was just the second win in ten contests for Akron (57-36), while Bowie fell to 52-41.

There were some early fireworks in this one, as the first three Aeros reached base against Baysox starter Radhames Liz. Jose Constanza led off with a base hit, and back-to-back errors loaded the bases to start the game. Liz then bounced a pitch past catcher Guillermo Rodriguez for a run-scoring wild pitch, and Beau Mills delivered the big blow with a two-run double to give the Aeros the 3-0 edge. Bowie responded in the next frame however, as Daniel Figueroa's two-out RBI single cut the lead to 3-1.

Both starting pitchers settled down from there as Liz got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the second and went on to retire the final nine men he faced and Akron starter Ryan Edell faced the minimum nine hitters in the third through fifth innings. The clubs traded runs in the sixth with Akron's Cristo Arnal placing a gutsy two-out, RBI bunt single up the first base line to make it 4-2, but Bowie knocked Edell from the game in the seventh.

Guillermo Rodriguez opened the inning with a base hit, and Figueroa's sacrifice bunt attempt died in the first base grass for a single. Joe Nowicki, who is from Milwaukee, then put another bunt up the third base line that Jared Goedert threw away, allowing Rodriguez to score and moving Figueroa to third. The Aeros brought on Steven Wright out of the bullpen, but Jonathan Tucker's line drive deflected off his glove for an RBI groundout to tie the game at 4-4.

The tie would not last for long though, as a one-out walk to Nick Weglarz set the stage for Santana, who came to the plate having struck out in each of his first three at-bats. He made sure the night would be memorable for a different reason however, belting a fastball from Bowie reliever John Mariotti for a two-run homer to right-center, providing the final margin of the night.

Wright (7-0) earned the win in relief of Edell, providing three scoreless innings and allowing just one hit and one walk while Mariotti (2-8) took the loss. Mills finished 2-4 with his team-leading 22nd double and a pair of RBI, Constanza had another walk along with a hit giving him 11 walks in his past six games, and Santana's two-run home run gave him 60 runs batted in for the season, one over Weglarz for the team-high and fourth in the Eastern League.

The Baysox and the Aeros face-off again Saturday night at Canal Park starting at 7:05 p.m., and the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive Matt LaPorta bobble heads courtesy of Distillata. Akron's Jeanmar Gomez (6-3, 3.21 ERA) will look to feed off his perfect outing in the All-Star Game Wednesday night in Trenton against Ryohei Tanaka (0-0, 0.39 ERA) of Bowie. 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.




Eastern League Stories from July 17, 2009


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