The Result
Aeros - 7 runs to 1

The Curve - Year-to-Date
54 won and 39 lost

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing - Designated hitter
Batting - #4
----------Ejected from the game in the top of the sixth innings

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

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at second base - two down
Called strike - on the outside corner
Swing and a miss - "that was a good fast ball and Roneberg was a bit behind it"
Foul ball - "Brett chased that one but managed to foul it off"
Ball - fast ball - high and outside
Balk by the pitcher - runner awarded to third base
"Brett tags that one deep into the outfield but the centrefielder is able to get there and he makes the running catch for the final out of the innings"
Fly out to centrefield - F8
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
The count was "1ball-1strike" - not broadcasted
Foul ball
Ball - outside
Foul ball - tapper near the plate
"That ball is popped up on the diamond and the Aeros' second-baseman is under it and he makes the catch"
Infield fly out to second base - F4
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Ball - inside
Ball - low
Foul ball
Foul ball
Ball - up in the zone
"And Roneberg chases a ball that was out of the zone and swings and misses ...... and I don't think Roneberg realises that he has been rung up as he is walking down to first base, and he thinks that he held up on the swing ...... but they appealed to the third base umpire and he said he went around ...... and Roneberg is not happy, and he is having to be restrained ...... and he is yelling across the diamond ...... and now the first base umpire has thrown him out of the game ...... I don't know why Roneberg got upset at the first base umpire as it was the other umpire that made the call ...... anyway, he will be taking an early shower and the Curve will have to find another designated hitter"
Strike out - and ejected from the game

Heard during the game

(#01) As Brett came in for his first at-bat, the commentator said - "And now Brett Roneberg steps to the plate ...... and he is coming off a very quiet series against the SeaWolves ...... he went 2-for-15 in those four games, with a couple of singles, one run driven in, and he struck out four times"

Email from Brett

Well, I will say that I was thrown out of the game and I have no idea why
I was jogging to first base because I did not swing and then I looked at the third base umpire and raised my arms in disgust and he throws me out
I didn't even say anything!!
Then I did and the first base umpire came over and threw me out again!!
By then I was upset!!
Just seems like everything is a battle right now
My last two at-bats last night were great as was the first one today
The last two days have been the best I have felt in a long time
But now my average is the lowest in a long, long time - trust me I know!!
I am working a lot to try and fix it
I am talking to Joe Aversa a lot and getting advice and things to try and they help - but I didn't get anywhere!!
I am also worried about the 'DH' role
I would love to play the field but I don't think it's going to be anytime soon
Honestly I think my playing time will be there at 'DH' and limited during the National League games considering Simon Pond is doing well
I am not going to ask him as if he wanted me to play the field he had the perfect chance
When Pond broke his finger during the All Star Game and if he wanted me to play the field I would have against Erie
I don't like it but I have to make sure I hit!!
And I will hit!!
Thanks for the advice on the 'leaning over' when hitting
I am working on it to, plus I know I am sliding a little forward during the games
All my drill work is great and I just have to take that to the game
Most importantly I need to get my mind right!!
I am not going to play the field so I have to deal with down time on the bench
I just need to stay back and hit!!
I will finish strong!!!!

Thanks for your notes
I will try to remember all the good things I have done - even just over this season
Listen for a 'good one' tonight!!

Game Reports

Akron third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff continued his bid to become the first Eastern League player since 1922 to hit .400 in a season by delivering a fifth-inning grand slam, which lifted the Aeros to a 7-1 win over the Curve in the opener of a key three-game series Monday night at Canal Park in Akron

The loss denied the Curve (54-39) a tie for first place in the E.L. South as Akron (56-37) increased its lead in the division to two full games

Kouzmanoff, who entered Monday's contest with an amazing .419 average, made his only hit of the night count, as he cleared the bases with an opposite field blast off Curve starter Mike Connolly to give the Aeros an insurmountable 6-1 advantage

Connolly (6-4) was lifted after allowing his second home run of the game and was tagged with the loss
The left-hander, who was making just his second start since returning to Altoona from Triple-A Indianapolis, allowed six runs on eight hits in 4-2/3 innings

Akron starter and former Indians' first round pick Dan Denham kept the Curve's bats quiet, allowing just one unearned run on two hits in six innings of work to improve his record to 5-1 on the season

Altoona managed just four singles in the contest and the lone run was produced on an RBI groundout by Milver Reyes in the top of the fifth, drawing the Curve within one run at 2-1

The Curve will look to even the three-game series at Akron Tuesday night with right-hander Wardell Starling (2-1, 3.47) on the mound against the Indians' top-rated minor league pitching prospect, Adam Miller (9-5, 3.56)

First pitch is set for 7.05pm

The Curve could only hold Kevin Kouzmanoff in check for so long
Kouzmanoff launched a fifth-inning grand slam to propel Akron past Altoona, 7-1, at Canal Park on Monday night

The Aeros opened up a two-game cushion over the Curve atop the standings, as the teams continued their year-long tussle for Southern Division supremacy

Altoona starter Mike Connolly entered the fifth inning trailing, 2-1, and ran into trouble as he allowed the first two batters to reach base on a walk and bunt single
Connolly had a chance to escape the inning unscathed after he induced harmless flyouts from the next two batters, but Ryan Goleski walked to load the bases
Kouzmanoff, hitless in two at-bats at that point, followed with a drive over the right-center field wall to give Akron a 6-1 lead
That was his only hit of the game

The slugger sports an eye-popping .415 average, although he has not yet accumulated enough at-bats to qualify for the league batting title

Connolly (6-4) has struggled to regain his midseason form after returning from his stint with Triple-A Indianapolis
The 24-year-old allowed six earned runs on eight hits and two walks in 4-2/3 innings in his second start back with the Curve

Aeros starter Dan Denham (5-1) surrendered an unearned run on two hits and two walks in six innings to earn the win

Things got worse for Altoona in the sixth inning, as Brett Roneberg became the Curve’s first player to be ejected from a game this season
Roneberg checked his swing on what he thought was ball four, but he was ruled to have offered at the pitch for strike three
Roneberg, who had trotted about ten feet up the first base line, lost his temper and started barking at third base umpire Jason Klein to get ejected

Altoona managed only four hits and scored its lone run in the fifth inning on Milver Reyes’ RBI groundout

Kevin Kouzmanoff blasted a grand slam in the fifth inning and Aeros pitchers held the Curve to four hits as Akron routed visiting Altoona, 7-1, on Monday

Akron (56-37) loaded the bases in the fifth after a single by Ivan Ochoa and walks to Ryan Goleski and Wyatt Toregas
Kouzmanoff then smoked his shot over the right-center field fence

Ochoa, who went 3-for-3, put the Aeros (56-37) on the board with an RBI single

Goleski went yard with a solo shot in the fourth

Dan Denham (5-1) pitched a two-hitter over six innings, giving up one unearned run while striking out two and walking two

Travis Foley allowed one hit over two shutout innings of relief, and Juan Lara gave up a single in ninth

Milver Reyes hit a run-scoring groundout in the fifth for the only Curve run

The loss dropped Altoona (54-39) two games behind Akron in the Eastern League Southern Division

Michael Connolly (6-4) picked up the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits over 4-2/3 innings
He struck out one and walked two

The Aeros entered Monday's crucial three-game home series against division rival Altoona in desperate need of a lift

Akron entered the game clinging to a one-game lead in the Eastern League Southern Division, having seen their firm five-game hold on first place shrivel to next to nothing since the last time the two teams met at Canal Park on June 24
"It's not one single thing that's wrong right not now, it's a cesspool of stuff'' Aeros manager Tim Bogar said after a disheartening loss Sunday

Someone needed to come forward and sling the sinking squad upon his shoulders

That someone was Kevin Kouzmanoff, whose grand slam in the fifth inning broke open a one-run game and served as the spark the Aeros needed for a 7-1 victory

"We're fully aware of what these games mean'' said Kouzmanoff, who recorded his team-leading eleventh home run
"With it being neck-and-neck right now, we all need to find a way to step it up now''

Unlike Sunday's 10-8 loss in which Trevor Crowe and Ryan Goleski led the Aeros eight-run attack only to see the bullpen blow it, Akron's pitching lent a helping hand this time
Right-hander Dan Denham held the Curve to an unearned run on two hits and a pair of walks to earn the win, while Travis Foley and Juan Lara followed with three solid shutout innings of relief

Crowe extended his hitting streak to six games with a lead-off single in the first inning, and now has at least one hit in each game he's played since joining the Aeros from Class-A Kinston
"The kind of energy and passion he plays with is what this team needs to run rampant'' Bogar said

Goleski also continues to stand out offensively
His lead off home run in the fourth inning made it thirty-five of his last thirty-eight games in which he's reached base safely

Pitching woes
After going 19-4 from May 30 to June 24, the Aeros have gone cold, entering Monday with a 5-12 mark in the last seventeen games
One of the main reasons for the slide has been a struggling pitching staff
"We're just having trouble with the strike zone'' Bogar said Sunday
"You cannot continually pitch behind guys as much as we have
As a staff, I think we're a little bit on edge on the mound, sort of feeling like something bad is going to happen instead of going out and just being aggressive
The last three teams we've faced (Altoona, Reading, Trenton) are chuck full of veteran players who know how to lay off stuff"