The Result
Aeros - 5 to 4

Sea Dogs - Year-to-Date
38 wins - 44 losses

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing rightfield
Batting #3

At the end of the Game
0 hit from 4 at-bats - 1 x walk, 1 x strike out

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Called strike - fast ball - on the outside corner
Ball - curve ball - "a little bit high"
Called strike - curve ball - "and that one dropped in there"
"A 'sinking-line-drive' into leftfield which was caught at ankle height by the fielder coming in ...... blistered into leftfield"
Out F7
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Called strike
Foul ball
Foul ball - down the first base line
Ball - "in the dirt at Roneberg's feet"
Ball - fast ball - high
Ground ball towards the Aeros first-baseman who fielded and threw to the pitcher covering the base
Out 3-to-1
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runners at first and second base - one down
Ball - low
Ball - fast ball - low
Ball - fast ball - low
Ball - high
Walk
Went to third base on a hit
Left stranded at the end of the inning
Fourth at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Called strike
Ball - off-speed breaking pitch - low
A "little looper" into shallow rightfield and the fielder came in to make the catch
Out F9
Fifth at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
THE BASES ARE LOADED!!!
ONE DOWN!!!
BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH INNING!!! - SEA DOGS TRAILING 5 RUNS TO 4
THE TYING RUN AT THIRD BASE - THE GO-AHEAD RUN AT SECOND BASE!!!
Check swing on a breaking pitch - but went around!!!
Another check swing on another breaking pitch - and again was rung up by the umpire!!!
Swing&miss - at another breaking ball!!!
Strike out

Heard during the game
N/A

Email from Brett
Yes, it was exciting.
But that guy got me and Bailey pretty good!!!
Bastard!!!!!!
And it "just sucks" when I hit two balls really hard and then get no hits!!!
But will be back at them today.

Game Reports
High hopes fall flat and Dogs' streak ends

They have been Portland's clutch hitters, not to mention the team's RBI leaders.

So when Brett Roneberg came to bat in the eighth inning with Jeff Bailey standing in the on-deck circle, the Hadlock Field crowd of 6,664 had reason to anticipate some late-inning drama Saturday night.

Though trailing Akron 5-4, the Sea Dogs had the bases loaded with one out.

But reliever Carl Sadler, with a fastball clocked in the mid-90s, struck out both Roneberg and Bailey, and the Aeros ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory.

"We had runners in scoring position and the meat of the order coming up," Sea Dogs Manager Ron Johnson said.
"That makes the outing of Sadler that much more impressive.
"We battled. We put ourselves in position, but they did a real nice job."

Portland (38-43) saw its winning streak end at three as knuckleball pitcher Charlie Zink (1-7) dropped another decision.

Zink kept the Sea Dogs in the game, pitching out of jams in the third and fourth innings.
He ended up allowing five hits and four runs over 5-2/3 innings, with two strikeouts and four walks.

The batting hero for Akron was its No. 9 hitter Nate Grindell, who has 46 RBI despite hitting only .249.
Grindell went 3 for 3, with all three singles scoring runs.

His mom and dad were happy.
"My parents (Jim and Debbie) are in town from Dallas," Grindell said.
"They wanted to see this part of the country. I got to play in front of them, and I did good."

After Scott Youngbauer tripled home two runs in the second inning, Grindell knocked him in with a grounder down the third-base line that John Hattig could only stop, making it 3-0.

When Ryan Cameron relieved Zink in the sixth, the game was tied 3-3 with runners on first and third and one out.

Grindell greeted Cameron with a soft liner to center for another RBI single.

"It is such a difference (in pitchers)," Grindell said of Zink leaving the game.
"You go back to your normal mode of hitting. I didn't hit the ball hard, but I put it in play."

In the eighth, Corey Smith doubled off Cameron and with two outs, Grindell singled him in for the eventual winning run.

The Sea Dogs erased a 3-0 deficit with a run in the second, Bailey scoring on a wild pitch after reaching on a single, and two in the fifth on Bailey's two-run double.

Down 5-3 in the eighth, Portland loaded the bases with one out on two walks sandwiched around Mike O'Keefe's pinch-hit double.
That brought in Sadler, a left-hander who has pitched in 42 games for the Cleveland Indians the past two years.
Mike Lockwood hit a grounder off Sadler, and second baseman Joe Inglett bobbled the ball while hurrying for a double play, allowing a run to score and leaving the bases loaded.

Roneberg, who hit a key three-run triple in Friday's win, came up and went down quickly.

In stepped Bailey, who hit a game-ending home run on Thursday.
He fouled off three consecutive pitches with the count 1-2, then tried to check his swing on the next pitch but was called out.

NOTES
Although today's game is a sellout, a limited number of tickets returned by season-ticket holders will be on sale starting at 9 a.m.

Eastern League Game Summary - Akron at Portland

Nate Grindell's RBI single in the top of the eighth inning was the difference in the Akron Aeros' 5-4 win over the Portland Sea Dogs on Saturday night.

The Aeros jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second on a two-run triple off the bat of Scott Youngbauer, followed by a run-scoring single by Grindell.

Portland got on the board in the bottom half of the second when Jeff Bailey scored on a wild pitch.

The Sea Dogs tied the game in the fifth on Bailey's two-run double.

Grindell broke the tie in the sixth when he poked an RBI single to center, then knocked home some insurance in the eighth when he plated Scott Pratt on another base hit.
The designated hitter finished the game 3-for-3 with a walk and three RBI.

Portland threatened in the bottom of the eighth by loading the bases with one out, but managed just one run in the inning.

Oscar Alvarez tossed one and 2/3rd innings of scoreless relief and picked up the win to improve his record to 6-1.

Carl Sadler converted his third save of the season.

Charlie Zink (1-7) was touched for four runs on five hits in five and 1/3rd innings and suffered the loss.

The series wraps up Sunday at 6:00 PM (ET).

ANOTHER SEA DOG RALLY FALLS JUST SHORT
Portland Strands 12 Runners, Falls to Akron, 5-4

Nate Grindell drove in three runs with a trio of run-scoring singles, lifting the Akron Aeros to a 5-4 win over the Portland Sea Dogs before 6,464 fans at Hadlock Field Saturday night.

Jeff Bailey kept his recent hot streak going, going 2-for-4 with a two-run double and a run scored.
Bailey has reached base at least twice in eight straight games, reaching in 18 of 34 plate appearances.

Oscar Alvarez (6-1) earned the win with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Carl Sadler pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning and retired the side in order in the ninth frame for his third save.

Charlie Zink (1-7) suffered the loss, walking four and allowing five hits and four runs in 5.1 innings.

Grindell's sixth inning single drove in the tie-breaking run and his two-out single in the eighth inning against reliever Ryan Cameron scored a key insurance run, making the score 5-3.

Portland scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a hit, two walks and a fielding error.
But with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Sadler fanned Brett Roneberg and Bailey to end the threat.

The Sea Dogs stranded 12 runners in the loss - seven in scoring position and four at third base.

Portland wraps up the homestand with a Fourth of July sellout on Sunday night.