Barnes, Drennen lead Aeros in Finale
September 7, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
AKRON, OH - The Aeros closed the regular-season on a high note, clobbering Erie 9-3 to polish off a four-game sweep of the SeaWolves before 8,815 fans at Canal Park Monday afternoon. Akron (89-53) now heads to playoffs with a season-high eight-game winning streak and at a season-high 36 games over .500, while the 89 wins are the second most in franchise history (the 2002 club won 93 games). Erie finished the year 71-70.
Aeros starter Scott Barnes worked around a pair of singles in a scoreless top half of the first, and the offense went right to work in the bottom half against SeaWolves starter Ramon Garcia. Jose Constanza bunted his way on and took second on an error, Josh Rodriguez followed with an RBI single and also moved to second on an error, and Matt McBride delivered a two-out RBI single to put Akron in front 2-0. The teams traded solo home runs in the second with Shawn Roof going deep for the first time in his career for Erie and John Drennen answering for the Aeros, and after the Wolves made it a one-run ballgame in the third Akron put the game out of reach in the fourth. Carlos Rivero led off with a double, went to third on Drennen's base hit, and scored on Goedert's RBI double.
Constanza made it 5-2 with an RBI single, Goedert scored on a fielding error by Roof at second base, and Carlos Santana capped the inning with a tworun homer down the left field line to make it 8-2. Santana drove in runs 96 and 97 with the blast, tying Akron's single-season RBI record set just last year by Wes Hodges. Barnes worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth by striking out Mike Bertram to end the inning, and the clubs traded solo shots again in the eighth. Chris White went deep in the top of the inning, and Drennen homered for the fourth time in three games in the bottom of the frame. Barnes (2-2) earned the win with his best start as an Aero, allowing just two runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out a season-high nine.
Garcia (4-4) didn't make it out of the fourth, getting rocked for eight runs (six earned) and 11 hits in 3.1 innings. Akron pounded out 15 hits offensively, with Constanza, McBride, and Drennen all collecting three each. Rivero finished with two hits, and Beau Mills extended his hitting streak to a season-high 10 games with a single in the third. The playoffs are next for the Aeros, as game one of the Southern Division Championship Series against the Reading Phillies is set for 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Canal Park. Josh Tomlin (14-9, 4.16 ERA), who led the league in wins this year, will start for Akron against Reading's Mike Stutes (8-8, 4.26 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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