Moncrief, Tejeda Navigate Curve For Akron Road Win, 4-3
August 4, 2013 - Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
Altoona, Pa. -- The road can be a tough place by the time August arrives on the baseball calendar. The Akron Aeros were feeling the dog days, entering the weekend riding a five-game losing streak and quickly losing ground in the Eastern League playoff race.
If things turnaround this season for the Aeros, Sunday's 4-3 win and Saturday night's win over Altoona at People's Natural Gas Field may be two of the most important "curves" navigated, both with lost leads turned into late-inning victories.
Carlos Moncrief drove the team to victory on Sunday with his 2-for-4, 3 RBI performance that included a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh inning and a two-run triple in the top of the fifth inning.
Aeros starter Toru Murata did his part, despite things getting off to an unusual start when he was called for back-to-back balks by third base umpire Brian DeBrauwere. Akron manager Edwin Rodriguez was ejected for arguing the balks. However, Murata (5-5) got Akron killer Alex Dickerson to pop out to third to avoid trouble.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the fifth vs. Altoona starter Nick Kingham (5.0 IP, 2 ER) when Moncrief's triple to right to scored Francisco Lindor and Cedric Hunter, who each reached on a single.
The lead was short-lived as the Curve rallied to tie the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Adalberto Santos doubled to left, scoring Andy Vasquez and Drew Maggi who led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
Lindor and Hunter again set the table for Moncrief in the top of the seventh. Lindor led off the inning with a walk and Hunter doubled to left field to put runners on second base and third base. Jesus Aguilar failed to advance the runners with a ground out to third base, but Moncrief singled to left scoring Lindor and Hunter came in when the next batter, Tyler Holt, grounded out to second to put Akron up 4-2.
Hunter finished 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored and Lindor went 1-for-3 with two runs scored to raise his Double-A average to .319.
Murata (6.1 IP, 3 ER) ran into trouble in the seventh. He allowed a leadoff hit to Justin Hunter who reached second after Charlie Cutler's flyout on Mel Rojas' bunt single. Vasquez then singled to left field to score Hunter and make it a 4-3 game with two runners on base and one out.
In came Enosil Tejeda who hit Maggi with a pitch to load the bases. However, a rare 3-2-3 double play turned by Aguilar and catcher Jake Lowery off the bat of Alen Hanson saved the game.
Tejeda threw a scoreless eighth inning and Jose Flores fanned two of his three hitters faced in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his 12th save and secure Murata's first win since July 19.
The Aeros finished 2-4 on road trip, but gained a game on Harrisburg and now sit 5.5 out of first place and five games out of the wild card with 27 games left.
The Aeros are off tomorrow and return to Canal Park for a three-game series vs. New Britain Rock Cats starting Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. LHP Matt Packer (10-6, 2.64) is scheduled to start for Akron, while the Rock Cats will send RHP D.J. Baxendale (4-4, 5.80) to the mound. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1350 AM, and online at www.sportsradio1350.com. For more information, please call the Aeros at 330-253-5151. Follow the team on Twitter @akronaeros or on Facebook at facebook.com/theakronaeros.
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