The Result
Aeros - 12 runs to 5

The Curve - Year-to-Date
74 won and 60 lost

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing - Designated hitter
Batting - #4

At the end of the Game
2 hits from 4 at-bats - 2 x singles, 1 x run scored, 1 x strike out

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - two down
Called strike
Ball - fast ball - outside
Ball - outside
Ball - fast ball high
"That ball is bounced towards the Aeros' first-baseman and he is able to knock it down and flip on to the pitcher covering the base for the final out of the innings"
Ground out to first base - 3 to 1
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Foul ball - back
Ball
Called strike
"Brett hits that pitch sharply out into rightfield for his first hit of the game"
Single to rightfield
Advanced to second base on an infield hit plus error
Scored on a hit
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Ball
Called strike - on the outside corner
"That ball is lined twisting into leftfield ...... and Roneberg goes the other way for his second hit of the game"
Single to leftfield
Left stranded at the end of the innings
Fourth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runners at second and third base - one down (and see the note below in the "Heard during the Game" section)
Foul ball - down the left side
Called strike - on the outside corner
Foul ball - "Roneberg reaches out and is able to foul this off down the first base side"
Foul ball - curve ball - foul tip at the plate
Ball - outside
Foul ball - "Roneberg had a late swing at that pitch but managed to get a piece of it and stay alive"
"Here comes the '1ball-2strike' pitch and Roneberg swings and misses"
Strike out

Heard during the Game

(#01) As Brett came in for his first at-bat, the commentator mentioned - "Brett comes in to tonight's game with a batting average of 0.303 which is third best in the Eastern League in that category ...... he is also fifth in the League in on-base-percentage with a mark of 0.378"

(#02) During Brett's first at-bat, the commentator said - "Brett would be the Curve's most consistant player this year ...... I cannot remember a prolonged slump during the season ......, and that is why I think he would have to be the favourite to be selected as the Curve's Most Valuable Player"

(#03) The commentator continued - "Brett has had a terrific past month ...... over his last twenty-nine games he is batting 37-from-97 for an average of 0.381 ...... he has also driven in twenty-one runs in his last twenty-one games"

(#04) Following Brett's hit in his second at-bat, the commentator said - "Brett is continuing with his hot hitting ...... the only thing that has slowed him up this year has been his recent ankle injury, which is still a bit tender"

(#05) Brett's fourth at-bat was in the bottom of the seventh innings with runners at second and third base with one down and the Curve were trailing ten runs to four - the commentator said - "My co-commentator mentioned earlier that Brett would be the favourite for the team's Most Valuable Player, and you wouldn't get too many arguements about that ...... and one of the reasons is his batting in situations like this ...... he hasn't hit a home run since 29th July, but he is batting 0.342 with runners in scoring position and a whopping 0.545 with the bases loaded ...... you get the feeling that this at-bat could go a long way in determining the final outcome of this game"
Unfortunately, Brett struck out!!! - and so did the following batter!!! - innings over, with two runners stranded!!!

Email from Brett

Game Reports

The road to the Curve’s first Eastern League Championship will once again go through Akron, OH

The Aeros assured themselves home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs by capturing their second straight Southern Division Crown on Tuesday, beating the Curve, 12-5

After falling behind 5-0 in Monday’s game at Blair County Ballpark, the Aeros turned the tables on the Curve and darted out to its own five-run advantage on Tuesday

Brad Snyder began what was a night to remember for him with a three-run homer in his very first at-bat to put Akron out in front 3-0 after one inning
Snyder would go on to collect three more hits, including another homer and a double to finish the game 4-for-4 with four runs scored, five RBI and just a triple short of hitting for the cycle

Trailing by five runs in the bottom of the fourth, Altoona began to chip away with two runs, thanks to a bases-clearing triple by Brandon Chaves that scored Brett Roneberg and Ray Sadler

However, the Aeros would pull away with five runs in the top of the fifth and chase starter Mike Connolly from the game
Chris Hernandez came on in relief and after issuing an intentional walk to Brian Barton to load the bases, gave up three straight base hits that put the Curve behind by eight runs

Connolly finished the game with seven runs allowed on eight hits and four walks in 5-1/3 innings pitched
It was the third straight loss for Connolly, as the left-hander has dropped five of six decisions since returning to Altoona from Indianapolis (AAA)

Despite only scoring five runs, the Curve bats weren’t exactly silenced
Altoona piled up twelve hits, one shy of Akron’s total, and had four players with multi-hit efforts

Brian Bixler led the way offensively, finishing the game 4-for-5 with a run scored

Andrew McCutchen extended his on-base streak to fifteen consecutive games with a two-run homer in the fifth inning
The 19-year old has now reached base safely in every game he has played in since joining the Curve two weeks ago

The two runs that scored on McCutchen’s home run were the only earned runs given up by Akron starter Sean Smith, who earned his tenth victory of the year with five strong innings
The right-hander surrendered four runs on seven hits and didn’t walk a batter while fanning four

Following the game, Akron’s players and coaches celebrated winning the division championship in Curve’s media room, one year and one day since beating the Curve to win the 2005 Southern Division title

The series will continue Wednesday night with Wardell Starling toeing the rubber for Altoona against Jensen Lewis

Brad Snyder homered twice and drove in five runs as Akron clinched the Eastern League Southern Division Title Tuesday with a 12-5 victory over Altoona

Snyder slammed a three-run blast in the first inning and a two-run shot in the ninth
The 24-year-old right fielder went 4-for-4, falling a triple shy of the cycle, with four RBIs
He also was a perfect 4-for-4 on Sunday against Trenton

The playoff berth is the fourth in five seasons for the league-leading Aeros (83-53)

With 2006 Eastern League Manager of the Year Tim Bogar at the helm this year, Akron will vie for its second straight league crown
The Aeros took three of four from Portland in 2005 and swept New Haven to win the championship in 2003

Wyatt Toregas, who had four hits, and Brandon Pinckney plated a combined five

Toregas sparked a five-run fifth with an RBI single
Pinckney, who was promoted from Class A Advanced Kinston on Monday, followed with a two-run double, and Eider Torres, who just came off the disabled list, added a run-scoring single ahead of Trevor Crowe's sacrifice fly

Akron starter Sean Smith (10-5) registered the win after giving up four runs - two earned - on seven hits with four strikeouts

Bubbie Buzachero tossed two scoreless innings of relief, and Travis Foley pitched around a run and a pair of hits over the final two frames

Brandon Chaves delivered a two-run triple in the fourth to bring the Curve (74-60) within 5-2

Andrew McCutchen belted a two-run homer in the fifth, and Brant Ust lifted a sacrifice fly in the eighth

Altoona starter Michael Connolly (7-8) surrendered seven runs on eight hits over 4-1/3 innings, fanning four and walking four

For once, Akron’s Brad Snyder enjoyed life as a minor leaguer on the road
‘‘It’s nice the bus takes us back to the hotel’’ he said
‘‘I don’t have to drive anywhere, so I can drink as much as I want
We enjoyed spraying the champagne on ourselves, but we’re ready to start drinking it now‘‘

Akron earned the champagne celebration by clinching its third Southern Division title in four years Tuesday night, beating the Curve, 12-5, at Blair County Ballpark

The 4,363 fans on hand watched the Aeros enjoy a subdued celebration on the field following the final out
A few minutes later, Akron’s players popped open the champagne in the media room at BCB
Then they took the party into the clubhouse, where they danced to ‘‘I Think We’re Alone Now’’ by former pop sensation Tiffany and Guns N’ Rose’s ‘‘Sweet Child of Mine‘‘

Snyder played a key role in the Aeros’ clinching victory Tuesday, finishing 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double and five RBI's
‘‘I’ve struggled all season’’ Snyder said
‘‘But the last week or so, things are coming around, which is nice, especially late in the season, going into the playoffs‘‘

The Curve’s magic number to reach the playoffs remains at two, and they can clinch their berth as early as Wednesday

Snyder, Eider Torres and Ryan Mulhern all started for Akron in last year’s division clincher in Altoona, which occurred on Aug. 28
Today, 366 days later, the three celebrated again at BCB

Akron manager Tim Bogar, ejected in the third inning, watched the majority of his team’s big night from the television feeds in the Aeros’ clubhouse
He was ejected for arguing a call, one that initially went Akron’s way but was overturned

‘‘The players kept coming back and giving me messages’’ said Bogar, whose ejection was just his second of the year
‘‘Luckily, the game wasn’t a nailbiter
That made it a little more enjoyable‘‘

At the other end of Blair County Ballpark, the Curve players caught the end of the Pirates game and relaxed on the lounge chairs and sofas, absent any resentment of Akron celebrating on their home turf

‘‘It’s not frustrating’’ said shortstop Brian Bixler, who went 4-for-5
‘‘They get to celebrate on the field, but that’s just baseball
It’s no big deal‘‘

Manager Tim Leiper and the rest of the team anxiously await the Curve’s opportunity to clinch
That can happen Wednesday with one of two scenarios
The Curve winning and Reading splitting a doubleheader with New Britain, or the Rock Cats sweeping the R-Phils

‘‘Am I anxious? Yeah’’ Leiper said
‘‘Honestly, who’s going to remember the division champion?
The EL crown is the thing they give the rings for‘‘

Akron extended Curve starter Mike Connolly’s string of bad starts in the month of August
His final line for the month was 30-1/3 innings, 29 runs - 26 earned - and 13 walks

‘‘Concerned?’’ Leiper said
‘‘No. For his psyche, you want to see good stuff happen for him‘‘

Which there wasn’t much of Tuesday night, when Connolly’s final line was 4-1/3 innings, eight hits, seven runs, four walks and four strikeouts

Connolly (7-8) allowed three quick runs following a bizarre sequence in the bottom of the first
Mulhern’s infield popup swirled around in the wind with runners on first and second
First baseman Brant Ust lost the ball in the wind, and Trevor Crowe advanced to third when the ball dropped
Connolly and the rest of the infield tossed the ball around, tagging Crowe and then Ryan Goleski, the runner on first, in search of an out
Neither appeal was successful

Ust started just his third game of the year at first base, largely due to injuries shuffling the Curve’s alignment
Brett Roneberg is recovering from a sore ankle and didn’t play in the field, while Simon Pond was needed in leftfield because Nyjer Morgan is out with a leg injury

Snyder drilled Connolly’s first pitch after the appeals over the right-field fence for a three-run homer

The start was just the opposite of what happened Monday night, when the Curve pounced on Akron for five runs in the first two innings of a 5-3 win

Akron starter Sean Smith (10-5) benefited from his team’s offense, which added five runs in the fifth inning
All told, the Aeros registered thirteen hits and drew seven walks from the Curve pitching staff

‘‘Knock on wood - you get in the playoffs, and it starts all over’’ Leiper said
‘‘Hopefully we come out Wednesday and take care of what we need to do, and there’s a good chance we’ll be in the playoffs‘‘