Playoff Race in Full Throttle

With 46 games regular season games remaining this season, the Curve find themselves 54-39, and two games out of first place behind the ever so persistent, Akron Aeros
However, with two games remaining in their current three-game series, by Wednesday, the Curve could find themselves tied atop the Eastern League Southern Division

“It’s a comfortable spot to be in” pitcher Landon Jacobsen told the Altoona Mirror after Sunday’s 4-3 win over Erie

The Curve have bounced between first and second place all season, finding themselves atop the league for much of the first-half of the season
Fittingly, as playoff time nears, the same team that has defeated the Curve in two postseason series, including last year’s E.L. Divisional Series, is the only team between the Curve and a first-place finish

“This is what you play for - the first-place and second-place team playing and one game separates the two” manager Tim Leiper said of this week’s series with Akron

The Curve are currently in Akron and in the middle of a three-game set
Although the Curve dropped game one last night, they sit just a mere two games back, with two games left to play
Altoona 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

With the Curve winning five of the last seven meetings, Altoona and Akron have split the eighteen meetings between the two clubs this season
The teams will play a total of twenty-four games during the 2006 season with each club playing twelve games in the opposing ballpark
Akron has won seven of the ten contests played at Canal Park
All-time in regular season play, Akron holds an 81-77 advantage over the Curve

Shuttin' Em Down

Curve reliever Franklin Perez remains just one shutout inning away from tying the franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings (20-1/3), set by Chris Spurling during the 2002 season
Perez tossed a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday against Erie to notch his first save of the season and extend his team season-high scoreless streak to 19-1/3 innings
The right-hander joined the Curve on June 11th after signing as a minor league free agent

Role Change

RHP Matt Peterson was moved to the bullpen last week after going 5-6 with a 5.84 ERA in seventeen starts
The 24-year-old made his first relief appearance Thursday, tossing a scoreless ninth inning against Erie
Quote of the Week
"I've just got to go out there and make good pitches, keep the ball down and go from there" Peterson told the Altoona Mirror
"I don't have any doubt in my stuff, it's just I've got to get the guys out, and I think this might be a better role for me"

The Result
Aeros - 2 runs to 1
----------Ten innings

The Curve - Year-to-Date
54 won and 40 lost

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing - Rightfield
Batting - #4
----------Replaced at the start of the bottom of the ninth innings
----------Defensive substitution
----------The score was tied at one run each

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

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
Ball - inside
Ball - fast ball - upstairs
Called strike
Ball - outside
Ball - low
Walk
Out at second base on a double play hit by the next Curve batter

Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Ball
The count was "2balls-1strike" - not broadcasted - doing an interview
Called strike
"There's a ground ball hit towards the Aeros' second-baseman, and he bobbles the ball but he is able to gather it and throw to first base to get Roneberg by a couple of steps"
Ground out to second base - 4 to 3
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Foul ball - half swing roller foul
Ball
Swing and a miss
Ball - slider - down and away
Ball - slider - downstairs
"That is hit sharply towards third base ...... but the fielder dives to his left to gather the ball and his throw to first base is in time for the final out of the innings ...... that was a great play and he robs Roneberg of a hit"
Ground out to third base - 6 to 3
Fourth at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Ball - downstairs
Called strike
Called strike - "and Roneberg watches another one on the outside corner"
Ball - "Wow!!! ...... that must have just missed!!! ...... Roneberg has a very good batting eye and he was prepared to take that pitch which was a bit upstairs"
"Brett goes the opposite way with this hit but it's another nice play by the Aeros' third-baseman who is able to throw out Roneberg for the final out of the innings"
Ground out to third base - 6 to 3

Heard during the game

(#01) As Brett came in for his first at-bat, the commentator mentioned - "Brett Roneberg steps in now, and his batting average has dipped down to .279 before the start of tonight's game"

Email from Brett

Game Reports

The Akron Aeros extended their Southern Division lead to three full games over Altoona, defeating the Curve 2-1 in extra innings on Tuesday night at Canal Park

Brandon Chaves had three of the Curve’s six hits in the game, as the Curve have scored just two runs in two games against the Aeros this series

Reliever Brandon Knight allowed a run for just the eighth time in thirty-six appearances this season, surrendering the game-winning run extra innings

Trevor Crowe walked to begin the tenth frame and after stealing second base was replaced by pinch runner Pat Osborn
Ryan Goleski plated Osborn with an RBI double to left field to win the game for the Aeros

Knight was the third pitcher used by Altoona, throwing the final 1-1/3 innings, and was handed his fifth loss of the season

Curve starter Wardell Starling, in his third appearance against the Aeros, pitched six innings, allowing just one run on five hits

Jim Ed Warden was the winning pitcher for the Aeros, picking up the final two outs of the game

Akron opened up the scoring on the second home run in as many nights by All-Star Kevin Kouzmanoff

The first-place Aeros would have at least one runner on base in six of their first seven at-bats, but would not plate a run until Kouzmanoff drilled his twelfth round-tripper of the season to lead off the fourth

Akron would strand a total of eight runners in the game

The Curve scored a single run in the top of the sixth inning to pull even with the Aeros
Nyjer Morgan led off the frame with a bunt single down the third base line and moved himself into scoring position after a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by the pitcher
Morgan would advance to third base on the second bunt single of the inning, this one by Brian Bixler and score when Vic Buttler rolled into the 6-4-3 double play

The two teams resume their series Wednesday night in Akron at 7.05pm
Jason Roach will start for the Curve against Nick Pesco for the Aeros

Ryan Goleski's walk-off RBI double in the tenth inning lifted Akron to a 2-1 victory over visiting Altoona on Tuesday

The 24-year-old left fielder delivered a line drive to left field off reliever Brandon Knight (1-5), plating pinch runner Pat Osborn
Trevor Crowe walked to lead off the bottom half and stole second, but left the game with an injured foot

The extra-inning dramatics made a winner of reliever Jim Ed Warden (2-1), who retired two batters and allowed two hits in the tenth

Kevin Kouzmanoff blasted a solo homer in the fourth, his third in as many games and his team-leading twelfth of the season for the first-place Aeros (57-37)

But Nyjer Morgan responded with the tying run in the sixth for the Curve (54-40) when Vic Buttler grounded into a double play

Starter Adam Miller went seven innings, blanking the Curve through the first five

Tony Sipp struck out four over 2-1/3 perfect innings of relief

Brandon Chaves collected three of Altoona's six hits

Brandon Knight has been all but untouchable when the Curve have entrusted him with a late-inning lead this season
The problem seems to be when he pitches with the score tied

Knight surrendered a walk-off RBI double in the tenth inning as Altoona fell to Akron, 2-1, at Canal Park on Tuesday night

The Curve closer has now allowed four walk-off hits this season, including three in a span of twelve days in June

Altoona fell to 3-7 in extra-inning games and has lost six of its last seven such contests

Just like in his three other walk-off losses, Knight (1-5) pitched a scoreless ninth inning before running into trouble in the tenth
Knight walked Aeros leadoff hitter Trevor Crowe to open the frame
Crowe then swiped second for his third stolen base of the game and ninth in just seven games since he joined Akron
Crowe injured his ankle on the slide, however, and had to be carried off the field
Pat Osborn replaced Crowe on the basepaths, and one out later, scored the winning run on Ryan Goleski’s double to left-center

Jim Ed Warden (2-1) earned the win in relief for Akron

The late-inning drama overshadowed a terrific pitchers’ duel between Curve starter Wardell Starling and his Akron counterpart, Adam Miller, the Indians’ top pitching prospect

Starling lasted six innings, allowing one run on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts
The only damage the Aeros inflicted on the right-hander came on Kevin Kouzmanoff’s solo homer in the fourth inning

Miller, facing Altoona for the sixth time this season, tossed seven innings and gave up just an unearned run on four hits and two walks

The Curve tied the game against Miller in the sixth inning without getting a ball out of the infield
Nyjer Morgan and Brian Bixler led off with consecutive bunt singles, with Morgan subsequently scoring on Vic Buttler’s double-play grounder

Kevin Kouzmanoff seemed to have at least one hit in each of the first few games he played after being out for three weeks with a hamstring injury
But the Aeros third baseman, who had a .415 average earlier this season, still didn't quite have his hot bat back

Two weeks after returning from the disabled list, Kouzmanoff seems to be back to his dominating form

Kouzmanoff's lead-off home run in the fourth inning, coupled with Ryan Goleski's RBI-single in the tenth inning, led the Aeros to a 2-1 victory over Altoona on Tuesday night at Canal Park

Despite the big win that pushed Akron's lead over the Curve in the Eastern League Southern Division to three games, there wasn't much celebrating going on in the Aeros' locker room

Center fielder Trevor Crowe's left ankle was being tended to in the trainer's room, after the Tribe's No. 1 pick (14th overall) in the 2005 draft was carried off the field after sliding awkwardly into second on a stolen base
Crowe led off the tenth with a walk, stole second base and was replaced by pinch-runner Pat Osborn, who scored the winning run on Goleski's clutch hit

"It's no fun when a guy of that caliber goes down'' said Aeros manager Tim Bogar
"Initially, it seemed worse, the way he reacted and what he said out there
But right now, it just appears to be an ankle sprain
How bad of one we won't begin to know until tomorrow''

Kouzmanoff put the Aeros on the board in the fourth inning with a leadoff home run - his third homer in as many days and one that increased his hitting streak to six games

"When I first came back, I was trying to do too much'' said Kouzmanoff, who was 2-for-4 Tuesday
"I was getting outside of myself
But the more I'm seeing live pitching again, I'm able to see the off-speed stuff better and lay off''

That's some good news for the Aeros, who've won the first two games of this three-game series against the rival Curve
The spark Kouzmanoff's bat has provided the last two games is just what Bogar has been looking for

"We'll have to play better to stick around in this thing'' Bogar said recently
"And I know we can
This team is more than capable of reeling off ten in a row
Their job right now is to believe it''

Two down, eight to go

Where they stand
The Aeros lead the Eastern League in batting average (.272), hits (859), stolen bases (120) and at-bats (3,162) and they are second in runs scored (429)