The Result
Curve - 4 runs to 1

The Playoffs
Curve - 1 won and 2 lost
Aeros - 2 won and 1 lost

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing - Leftfield
Batting - #4
----------Replaced by a pinch runner after his hit in his fourth at-bat in the bottom of the eighth innings

At the end of the Game
2 hits from 4 at-bats - single, home run, 1 x run-driven-in, 1 x run scored, 1 x strike out

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
"That ball is hit sharply hit but straight at the Aeros first-baseman who collects the ball and takes it to the bag himself for the first out of the innings ...... Brett did not leave the box after that hit ...... and he may have re-injured his ankle ...... but he is walking back to the dugout by himself ...... and carrying the handle of the bat as he broke it on that hit!!! ...... we will know more if Roneberg comes out to play the field for the top of the third innings"
Ground out to first base - PO3
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runners at first base - two down
Swing and a miss - change up
Ball
Foul ball - down the left side
Foul ball - into the dugout on the first base side
"Roneberg checks his swing on that pitch ...... and the Aeros appeal!!! ...... and the third base umpire says 'Yes, he went'!!! ...... Brett is standing in the box with a surprised look and Tim Leiper, who is in the third base coaching box, is having a few words with the umpire ...... but Roneberg is out and the innings is over"
Strike out
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
Ball - high
Ball - downstairs
Ball - way outside
Called strike ......and then ......

"And Brett tags that one!!!"
"It is deep into rightfield!!!"
"This ball has got a chance!!!"
"The fielder is going back ...... and back!!!"
"But he can give it up because that ball is out of here!!!"
"Brett hit that to the deepest part of the ballpark in right-centrefield"
"The Curve now have a three runs to one lead here in the bottom of the sixth innings"
HOME RUN - 1 x RBI - 1 x R
Fourth at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
Ball
Ball - low and inside
Ball
Called strike
Called strike - "and Brett took a couple of steps towards first base thinking that was ball-four and a walk"
"There's a hit passed the diving shortstop and into leftfield ...... and Brett has his second hit of the night ...... and the Curve have the lead off runner on base here in the bottom of the eighth innings"
Single to leftfield
Replaced by a pinch runner

Heard during the Game

(#01) During Brett's third at-bat, the commentator mentioned - "Brett had a tremendous finish to the regular season ...... in his final thirty-four games, he went 42-from-114 for an average of 0.368 over that time"
He also said - "Brett finished the season with a batting average of 0.303 and that was second best in the entire Eastern League"
After the third straight ball during this at-bat, the commentator continued - "The count is now '3balls-0strikes' and Brett would be doing his best to be a lead off base runner with the Curve only having a one run lead ...... he finished the regular season with a 0.379 on-base-percentage, which was fifth best in the Eastern League"
......and then he hit a home run!!!

Playoff Statistics "Series-to-Date"
Games/Innings played
-------------------#1 - complete game
-------------------#2 - 5.5 innings
-------------------#3 - 8 innings
------12 x plate appearances
------12 x at-bats
------5 x hits
------------3 x single
------------1 x double
------------1 x home run
------3 x runs-driven-in
------3 x runs scored
------2 x strike out
------1 x fly outs
------4 x ground outs
Batting average - 0.417
Slugging average - 0.750
On base percentage - 0.417

Email from Brett

Reference Brett's first at-bat above
Click here to go to the game report for Saturday 9th September 2006
It includes comments from the Curve Manager Tim Leiper plus an email from Brett

Hi, well that game was a little better, wasn't it!
Still got a little close at the end there - but we held on and we have a good chance again today too I think
Yesterday in my first at-bat you heard me go down
I broke my bat and the barrel hit me in the back of the head
Everyone said they had never seen that before
I hit me so hard I had blurry vision for a few mins and I got so dizzy I almost threw up in the dugout!!
I was about to be taken out of the game but I said I am okay
But I was dizzy for about twenty minutes before everything got better
I was okay toward the end of the game as you may have heard cause I did pretty well!!
I am fine now by the way - no headache anymore!!

Game Reports

The Altoona Curve were able to hold the Akron Aeros’ offense in check during Game Three of the teams’ Eastern League Divisional Playoff Series on Friday night at Blair County Ballpark, winning 4-1

The Curve had surrendered twenty-four runs in the first two games and needed a victory to stave off elimination

Landon Jacobsen pitched masterfully, allowing just one run on six hits in six innings for the victory
Jacobsen was consistently ahead in the count against the Akron hitters and won for the eleventh time in Blair County Ballpark in 2006

The Curve gave Jacobsen an early lead with a two-run homer by Ray Sadler in the second inning
It was the largest lead the Curve has had in the series and first time they had been out in front since the second inning of Game One

Altoona would respond to an Aeros’ run in the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run by Brett Roneberg in the bottom half of the frame
The left fielder finished the game 2-for-4, one of three Curve players with two hits

Sean Smith started for Akron and allowed three runs on three hits in 5-1/3 innings to take the loss

The Aeros threatened several times in the ballgame, including a leadoff triple in the seventh inning by Brad Snyder that chased Jacobsen from the game
Reliever Jorge Vasquez came out of the bullpen and kept the Aeros from scoring when the first batter he faced grounded into a fielder’s choice that retired Snyder with a great tag by catcher Milver Reyes at home plate

Akron’s last chance came in the top of the ninth inning, when they loaded the bases against the Curve’s Brandon Knight but couldn’t cut into the Curve’s three-run lead
Knight would recover to pitch his way out of the jam, and earn his first save of the post-season

The Curve put at least one runner on base in all but two of their at-bats and tallied an insurance run in the eighth inning to provide some more breathing room
Roneberg led off the frame with a single and was replaced on the base paths by Pedro Powell who went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Simon Pond and stole third base
Neil Walker then punched a single to left field to plate Powell and send the nearly 5,000 fans at the game into a frenzy

The victory forces a Game Four at Blair County Ballpark on Saturday night at 7.05pm
Wardell Starling starts for Altoona against Jensen Lewis for the Aeros

The game will be followed by a spectacular fireworks show and Kids Run the Bases presented by Health America

Landon Jacobsen pitched into the seventh inning as Altoona beat visiting Akron, 4-1, on Friday to stave off elimination in their Eastern League first-round series

The Aeros combined for twenty-four runs in winning the first two games at home, but Jacobsen (1-0) held them to one run on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts

"In the first two games, we were falling behind guys and they were able to hit some fastballs" Jacobsen said
"I was able to get ahead of them and mix in some offspeed pitches and keep them off-balance"

In five regular-season starts against Akron, the 27-year-old right-hander went 3-2 with a 2.98 ERA
"I've seen these guys all season long" he said
"I was locating my sinker down in the zone
When I can do that, I'm going to have success"

The Curve grabbed a 2-0 lead on Ray Sadler's two-run blast in the second

"Anytime you can get a cushion early in the game, it helps you" Jacobsen said
"I just had to throw strikes
I knew I could give up a run or two without losing it"

Akron made it 2-1 on Brandon Pinckney's RBI single in the sixth

Brett Roneberg answered with a solo blast in the bottom of the frame, and Neil Walker added an RBI single in the eighth for Altoona

Jacobsen left after giving up a leadoff triple to Brad Snyder in the seventh
Jorge Vasquez got out of the inning unscathed as Snyder was thrown out at home on Pat Osborn's grounder

Vasquez also pitched around a triple in the eighth

The Aeros threatened again in the ninth
After Brandon Knight fanned two batters, Shaun Larkin singled and Brian Barton and Jared Sandberg walked to load the bases
But Trevor Crowe grounded out as Knight notched the save
Crowe went 3-for-5 with a run scored

Akron starter Sean Smith (0-1) was charged with three runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts over 5-1/3 innings

Altoona hosts Game Four at 7.05pm on Saturday

The Curve should be thankful hurler Landon Jacobsen isn’t the superstitious kind
For the second time in less than a week, a bank of lights above the left field stands at Blair County Ballpark went out early in a game
The last time it happened, Altoona went on to get swept in a doubleheader by Bowie on Sunday

“As soon as it happened, I just walked off the field” Jacobsen said
“I just put my jacket on, kept warm, that’s all I did
Tried to stayed loose - there’s not much you can do right there”

Jacobsen turned in an outstanding pitching performance just when Altoona needed it the most
The big right-hander helped the Curve stave off elimination in the EL Divisional Series, tossing six strong innings to lead the Curve to a 4-1 win against Akron before 4,508 fans on Friday night

“We knew tonight Jake was going to us in the game - Jake was going to come out and throw strikes” Curve manager Tim Leiper said
“With our backs to the wall, this guy wanted it
He knew what was at stake, and to come out and pitch like that just shows what kind of a guy he is”

The game resumed in the top of the third inning after the lights going out caused an eighteen minute delay

Jacobsen (1-0) cruised as soon as he returned to the mound, retiring nine of the next ten batters
Jacobsen mixed up his pitches all night, baffling the Aeros with an assortment of sinkers, curveballs and changeups
He finished with a line of one run allowed on six hits and a walk in six-plus innings
He struck out two

“The game plan going into the game was,” Jacobsen said, “first time through the lineup, try not to show them too much, just keep my sinker over the middle and see what happens, and mix in my curveball and changeup early on in the count second time through the lineup”

Jacobsen appeared to labor in the sixth inning, as he started missing the strike zone and fell behind each batter he faced
Trevor Crowe led off the frame by lining a full-count single to left field
The speedy leadoff hitter then stole second base and trotted easily to third on an error by Curve catcher Milver Reyes
He then scored on a Brandon Pinckney single to cut Altoona’s lead to 2-1
Jacobsen wiggled out of trouble by inducing a flyout and a double-play groundout respectively from the next two hitters
He pumped his fist as he ran of the field

“I was pretty pumped right there” he said
“It was a 2-1 game at that point
To get out of that inning, keep it right there to one run, it was huge for me”

Curve 'MVP' Brett Roneberg padded their lead with a leadoff homer in the bottom half of the frame

The Curve added an insurance run in the eighth inning with an RBI single by Neil Walker

Altoona closer Brandon Knight made it interesting in the ninth inning, withstanding a last-gasp Aeros rally for his first save of the postseason
Knight struck out his first two batters before loading the bases on a single and two walks to bring the go-ahead run to the plate
Knight squirmed out of the mess by getting Crowe to hit a fielder’s choice grounder to Curve shortstop Brian Bixler

“Getting into the stretch probably had a lot to do with it - I was rolling really well in the windup” Knight said
“I just happened to make a mechanical difference in that spot, and it carried over for a little while”

Akron starter Sean Smith (0-1) took the loss with three runs allowed in 5-1/3 innings
He allowed five hits and three walks, while striking out four

Altoona jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, its first lead since the second inning of Game One
Simon Pond ignited the rally by cracking a single to right-cente
Ray Sadler then rifled a line drive that zipped just over the left field wall into the bleachers

“It always feels good to get a good start” Sadler said
“First AB, I was just trying to hit it hard
It ended up going out of the park
Just feels good, you know
It seems like once you get started like that, everybody’s behind you
Hopefully, we’ll come out and do the same thing tomorrow”

Landon Jacobsen isn’t automatic when he pitches at Blair County Ballpark
He’s pretty darn close, though

Down 0-2 and one game from elimination in their Eastern League Southern Division playoffs with Akron, the Curve called on Jacobsen to keep them alive Friday night, and he did
Jake put together six solid innings and benefited from Ray Sadler and Brett Roneberg home runs as Altoona knocked off the Aeros 4-1

The Curve lost the first two games in Akron, giving up twelve runs on successive nights

The Curve jumped out 2-0 last night, then endured an eighteen minute delay when the power went out on the bank of lights at third base

‘‘That’s only a problem when you make it a problem, and Jake handled it well’’ manager Tim Leiper said of the delay
‘‘He kept himself ready, and went out and put up a zero the next inning when the game resumed’’

Leiper was confident that Jacobsen would do the job
After all, he finished second in the EL with fourteen wins and fifth with a 3.21 ERA
Perhaps, more importantly, Jacobsen posted a 10-3 record and 2.59 ERA in fifteen starts at BCB

‘‘The bottom line is we’ve got to pitch ahead, and if we happen to fall behind, we’ve got to throw quality pitches to get back in the zone, and Jake did all of that tonight’’ Leiper said

Leiper said the Curve had hoped to get a split in Akron, and have Jacobsen on the mound Friday
That didn’t happen, but the manager said his big right-hander knew what was at stake, and performed well

‘‘We had to win, and I want the ball anytime - it doesn’t matter if we’re up 2-0 or down 0-2’’ Jacobsen said
‘‘I want to pitch and give ourselves a chance to win
‘‘That was a big one tonight and hopefully we’ll get another one tomorrow
We’ve just got to go one at a time’’

Jacobsen said he wasn’t aware of his statistics at BCB
‘‘I don’t know what they are, but I know I’ve pitched well here’’ he said
‘‘At times, it can be a pitcher-friendly park
It’s been a good ride here’’

Jacobsen gave way to Jorge Vasquez in the seventh, and Vasquez pitched two scoreless frames, both times getting out of trouble with runners at third base

Brandon Knight, who led the EL with twenty-seven saves, made it interesting in the ninth after striking out the first two batters
A base hit and two walks loaded the bases before Knight got the last out on a grounder to short

‘‘Vasquez did a good job, and we obviously want to get to our bullpen’’ Leiper said
‘‘We want our starting pitching to get us to those guys down there, and we were able to do that tonight’’

Knight was able to make light of the nail-biting ninth inning
‘‘I wanted to give the few Akron fans something to cheer about’’ Knight said, with a smile

Despite being down 0-2, Knight said he didn’t approach Friday’s game any differently than any other
‘‘You’re trying to win every game’’ he said
‘‘I don’t think there’s any added pressure
You still have to throw the ball over the plate, and get guys out
As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t change anything’’

Knight, who pitched parts of two seasons in the big leagues with the Yankees, gave a lot of credit to Jacobsen for last night’s win
‘‘Landon Jacobsen’’ Knight said matter-of-factly when asked the difference between Friday’s win and the two losses at Akron
"He did a heckuva job
He doesn’t get nervous, or feel any pressure
He does what he does’’

Wardell Starling will try to get the Curve even Saturday, and he’s excited about the opportunity
‘‘I’ve been looking forward to pitching in the playoffs since last year’’ said Starling, who noted he missed out last season when Lynchburg lost two straight games
‘‘I’ve been itching to pitch in the playoffs
It should be very exciting’’

Altoona (Double-A, 75-65) won, 4-1, at home against Akron (Indians) in the third of a five-game playoff series

Left fielder Brett Roneberg went 2 for 4 with a solo home run, and center fielder Ray Sadler went 1 for 4 with a two-run shot

Landon Jacobsen (1-0) pitched six innings and allowed just one run on six hits

The Curve will host Game Four of the series at 705pm Saturday at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona

With the Altoona Curve facing the same elimination situation it did a year ago, the team got another ``lights-out'' performance to extend its season

The Curve rode two home runs and a strong outing by Landon Jacobsen to beat the Aeros 4-1 in Game Three of their Eastern League playoff series Friday night

The Curve survived a ninth-inning scare and an eighteen minute delay to fix a light tower to force a Game Four in the best-of-five series at Blair County Ballpark

In a similar 0-2 hole last year, Tom Gorzelanny resuscitated the team with a thirteen strikeout performance that sparked two home wins and sent the series back to Akron for a pivotal Game Five
He was nowhere near Altoona to help Friday, however
He's now on the fifteen day disabled list with the Pittsburgh Pirates

And even though the lights went out, it wasn't on the Curve's season

Minutes after Ray Sadler hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning to give Altoona an early lead, a fuse blew in the bank of lights beyond the third-base line
Team officials had to wait for bulbs to cool before the lights could be powered back up

By the time the teams were allowed to take the field again, Jacobsen seemed unfazed, promptly sitting the Aeros' side down in order and going on to a solid six-plus innings for the win

Aeros pitcher Sean Smith had a longer wait, and the delay seemed to affect him
When he got back on the mound, he walked two batters before getting out of the jam with a called third strike to Brett Roneberg

``I won't use the delay as an excuse'' Aeros manager Tim Bogar said
``He had as many pitches as he needed to warm up''

The Aeros reduced the deficit in half on Brandon Pinckney's RBI single in the sixth inning
Trevor Crowe, who led the offense with a 3-for-5 effort, led off with a single, stole second base and took third on a throwing error by catcher Milver Reyes

But the distance made up was short-lived

Smith gave up his second home run of the game to Roneberg in the bottom of the sixth to put the Curve back up by two runs

``I left a change-up up a little to Sadler, and it broke right into his swing plane'' Smith said
``With Roneberg, I was down in the count 3-1
I was still trying to make a quality pitch but left it out over the plate''

Reid Santos allowed an insurance run in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Neil Walker

After pounding the Curve for twenty-four runs on twenty-five hits in the first two games of the series, Jacobsen teamed with reliever Jorge Vasquez and closer Brandon Knight to hold the Aeros to a run on eight hits

Knight had to work out of a self-induced jam before earning the save
After quickly striking out Brad Snyder and Pat Osborn to start the ninth inning, Shaun Larkin lined a single through the middle
Pinch hitters Brian Barton and Jared Sandberg worked walks to load the bases
Crowe grounded into a force at second base to quell the rally

Stumbling to the finish
The Curve entered Friday's action having lost a season-high six consecutive games - all since clinching the runner-up spot in the Southern Division against the Aeros last week
Overall, the team had gone 5-13 in its past eighteen games

Up next
Game Four on Saturday will match Aeros right-hander Jensen Lewis (1-2, 3.89 ERA) against Curve right-hander Wardell Starling (6-5, 2.80 ERA)