The Result
Aeros - 2 runs to 0

The Curve - Year-to-Date
33 won and 21 lost

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing - First base
Batting - #4

At the end of the Game
0 hit from 3 at-bats - 1 x strike out

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
Called strike - on the outside corner
Ball - inside
"That breaking ball is poked down to the shortstop who makes the throw across the diamond for the out"
Ground out to shortstop - 6 to 3
Second at-bat - but not an at-bat!!!
Lefthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - two down
Ball
Swing and a miss
Ball - slider - outside
Ball - slider - outside
Called strike - and from what the commentator said, Brett thought this pitch was 'ball-4' and he started to walk towards first base - because he did this, the runner at first base started towards second base - the Aeros catcher threw to the fielder who tagged out the runner for the final out of the innings!!! - in the commentators words, the players can't be the umpire, and have to wait for the official calls!!! - with this called strike, the count on Brett was '3balls-2strikes' and he would now lead off the next Curve innings
Second at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
Called strike
Ball - outside
Foul ball - down the leftfield line
Ball
Swing and a miss
Strike out
Third at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Ball - breaking ball - low
"That is driven into leftfield and the fielder has got to hurry but he gets there and takes the catch near the warning track so it ends up as just a long out"
Fly out to leftfield - F7

Heard during the game

(#01) The Aeros were batting in the bottom of the second innings - the bases were empty and it was two down - the next batter drove the ball towards first base, and here is what the commentator said - "That ball is well hit but Roneberg goes onto his knees and makes a backhand play and throws the ball to the pitcher covering first base for the final out of the innings ...... that was a really nice play by Brett"

Email from Brett

Game Reports

The pitchers took center stage in a 2-0 win for the Akron Aeros over the Curve at Canal Park on Thursday night

Starters Shane Youman for Altoona and Rafael Perez for Akron combined to pitch twelve shutout innings and allow just two hits

The victory completed a three-game sweep and pulled the Aeros to within just 1/2 game of Altoona in the Southern Division standings

Perez earned his fourth win of the season, twirling a magnificent complete game shutout to give the Aeros their ninth win in twelve games
The left-hander allowed just two hits and three walks and struck out five on the night, facing just two more than the minimum in his victory

Akron broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with an unearned run off of reliever Chris Hernandez (3-2)

Ivan Ochoa scored both runs for the Aeros, including an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to provide the final margin of victory

Youman began the contest for Altoona on the mound in a spot start, and was lifted after three no-hit innings

The Curve would use a total of four pitchers on the night, and Hernandez would get the loss, allowing an unearned run on no hits and two strikeouts in 1-1/3 innings

Ochoa put Akron on top when he scored on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Eider Torres
Torres’ bunt was fielded by catcher Milver Reyes who attempted to throw Ochoa out at third base
The throw went wide of the bag and into left field and Ochoa came home to score what stood up to be the game-winning run

Neither team would record a base hit until the fourth inning, and Altoona did not earn a base knock until the top of the sixth

The Curve had the potential tying run at the plate with one out in the ninth inning, but Vic Buttler flied into a double play to end the game
With Javier Guzman at first, Buttler’s deep drive was caught on the warning track in centerfield and Guzman, who had already rounded second thinking the ball would drop in for a hit, was doubled off at first

Brant Ust and Milver Reyes’ singles would be the only hits of the night for the Curve, who managed just five baserunners all game

The Curve return home on Friday, June 2 to take on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in a three-game set at Blair County Ballpark
A pair of lefties will square off in the series opener with Eastern League Pitcher of the Week Mike Connolly (5-3) starting for Altoona against Kurt Isenberg (1-6)

Rafael Perez pitched a complete-game two-hitter to lead Akron over visiting Altoona, 2-0, Thursday

Perez (4-5) struck out five and walked three in his first shutout of the season for the Aeros (32-21)
Ten days after limiting Reading to one hit over eight scoreless innings, he lowered his ERA to 2.98
Perez didn't allow a base runner until issuing a fourth-inning walk

Brant Ust registered Altoona's first hit with one out in the sixth

In the Akron sixth, Eider Torres laid down a sacrifice bunt with Ivan Ochoa on second base
Catcher Milver Reyes made an errant throw to third

The Aeros tacked on their second run on an RBI single by Ryan Mulhern to score Ochoa in the eighth

Akron's Brad Snyder went 0-for-2, ending his eleven game hitting streak

Chris Hernandez (3-2) picked up the loss after allowing the unearned run

Starter Shane Youman pitched three hitless innings for Altoona (33-21)

Altoona pitchers combined to hold Akron to just three hits in the loss

The Curve’s comfortable lead over Akron in the standings disappeared in just three days

The Aeros got a dominating pitching performance from Rafael Perez and completed a three-game sweep of Altoona with a 2-0 win Thursday night at Canal Park

The Curve remain in first place in the Southern Division but saw Akron slice their lead from 3-1/2 games to half a game with the series sweep

Perez (4-5) fired a two-hit shutout, baffling Altoona’s hitters from the outset
The left-hander carried a no-hitter for 5-1/3 innings and finished with five strikeouts and three walks

Brant Ust broke up Perez’s no-hit bid with a one-out single to right in the sixth, and Milver Reyes followed with another hit to right
Neither team had scored at that point, and the Curve appeared on the verge of breaking through against Perez
Then the best hitter in the minor leagues showed he can flash the leather, too
Akron third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, who leads all of baseball with a .424 average, snared a line drive backhanded from Javier Guzman that could have given Altoona a 2-0 lead had it gone into the left-field corner
Perez got out of the inning on a groundout by Vic Buttler and cruised the rest of the way for the shutout

Akron used that defensive stand as a springboard to taking the lead
Curve reliever Chris Hernandez (3-2) walked the first two hitters he faced in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Aeros cashed in on an error to take a 1-0 edge
Altoona catcher Reyes threw wildly to third base on a sacrifice bunt attempt, allowing Ivan Ochoa to score

The Aeros added an insurance run in the eighth inning when Ryan Mulhern singled home Ochoa

Akron continues to be the Curve’s nemesis, winning five straight games against Altoona
The Aeros have needed all those wins to stay close in the Southern Division against a Curve squad that has dominated almost every other team