The Result
Aeros - 10 runs
to 4
The Curve - Year-to-Date
44 wins and 44
losses
Brett's Position and
the Batting Order
Did Not Play
Playing
Batting - #
Brett's at-bats
First plate appearance
Second plate appearance
Third plate appearance
Fourth plate appearance
At the end of the Game
0 hit from 0 at-bats
Heard during the game
Email from Brett
Game Reports
The Akron Aeros easily dispatched the Curve,
10-4, to snap a five-game losing streak in the series opener of
a four-game series from Blair County Ballpark on Thursday night
Josh Shortslef (2-9) was again lightly supported as he lost for
the ninth time this season, allowing six earned runs over 5-2/3
innings of work
Shortslef received three runs or less of support for the tenth
time in his 17th start of the year
The Aeros wasted little time jumping to the lead
Trevor Crowe led off the ballgame with a single and scored to
give Akron a 1-0 lead two batters later on a Michael Aubrey single
That score held until a controversial home run in the fith put
Akron on top, 3-0
After Shortslef walked Chris Gimenez to start the inning, David
Wallace lofted a ball out of the park down the left field line
It was ruled as a home run and the play ultimately led to the
ejection of Curve manager Tim Leiper
Things got worse for Altoona and Shortslef in the sixth
After retiring Brian Barton to start the inning, Shortslef permitted
back-to-back hits to Aubrey and Ryan Goleski to put runners on
the corners with one out
Rodney Choy Foo followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to
make it a 4-0 game
Shortslef was relieved by Wardell Starling after Gimenez followed
with a double, but both runners scored on a two-run single for
Argenis Reyes to put the Aeros ahead, 6-0
Chuck Lofgren was again solid for the Aeros and beat the Curve
for the third time this season
Lofgren (9-5) worked six innings to earn his ninth win of the
season
The only blemish on Lofgren's evening was supplied by Jason Bowers
in the sixth inning
With two aboard and two outs, Bowers crunched a Lofgren fastball
for a home run to left field to cut the lead to 6-3
The Aeros got those runs back in the eighth inning off of Starling
Reyes doubled home the first run and Brandon Pinckney delivered
a two-run double to give the Aeros a 9-3 lead
Pinckney's double was off of Romulo Sanchez, but all three of
the runs were charged to Starling
Sanchez permitted the final run of the evening in the ninth
The Curve also scored an insignificant run in the ninth inning
as Adam Boeve singled home Dave Parrish to cap the evening's scoring
The Curve will attempt to pull even in Friday night's game two
First pitch is set for 7.05pm as RHP Dewon Brazelton (2-1, 2.08)
will make the start for Altoona against RHP Jake Dittler for Akron
One manager at Blair County Ballpark welcomed
the Eastern League’s two-day all-star break, while another
wondered what impact the hiatus had on his squad’s routine
Akron topped the Curve, 10-4, Tuesday night before 5,084 fans
at BCB to begin the second half of the season
That two-day break for Akron manager Tim Bogar’s squad?
‘‘Everybody was pretty beat’’ he said
‘‘We couldn’t have asked for a better time for
two days off’’
The Aeros had been on a five-game skid, including a sweep at home
at the hands of Erie
An 11-game road trip preceded that series
‘‘We were tired’’ Bogar said
‘‘We were beat up
We had some bumps and bruises
Guys weren’t really playing up to their capabilities the
past week’’
Altoona skipper Tim Leiper was relieved to get that first game
after the break under the team’s belt
‘‘In baseball, you’re so used to the routine’’
he said
‘‘You play every single day
When you don’t play for a couple days, it feels like you’ve
never ever played before’’
Akron didn’t arrive at BCB until shortly after 5.15pm
The Aeros filed into the visitor’s clubhouse and bagged batting
practice, opting to stretch instead
‘‘We needed those two days off just to relax and do
nothing but get your body back underneath us’’ Aeros
shortstop Brandon Pinckney said
‘‘That two days helped us pretty good’’
Altoona infielder Jason Bowers, who hit a three-run homer to account
for one of the few Curve highlights, relished the time off but
admitted to some rust
‘‘It’s always good for a player to have a couple
days off, but coming back you might feel like you’re out
of sync a little bit’’ he said
Curve starter Josh Shortslef, based on his line, had his worst
start of the season
He allowed a season-worst six runs in 5-2/3 innings, but a disputed
call in the fifth inning inflated those numbers
Akron’s David Wallace turned on Shortslef’s offering
for what was ruled a two-run homer down the left field line
Fans on the concourse signaled a foul ball, but the umpiring crew
granted the Aeros a 3-0 lead
Leiper was out of the dugout and ready to argue the call before
Wallace touched third base
‘‘If the law of physics needs to apply to that home
run, there’s no possible way it’s a fair ball’’
Leiper said
Shortslef’s ERA jumped to 4.29, as Akron scored three more
times off the lefty in the sixth inning
Two of those runners scored on Argenis Reyes’ two-hopper
past Curve shortstop Brandon Chaves up the middle of the infield
for a 6-0 lead
‘‘He actually threw a lot better than his line would
probably indicate’’ Leiper said of his starter
‘‘He also gave up two runs on a ball that was clearly
foul’’
Akron poured on three more runs in the eighth
Pinckney’s two-run double in that inning staked the Aeros
to a 9-3 lead
Pinckney spent the end of the 2004 and 2006 seasons with Akron,
giving him a perspective of the rivalry between the two squads
The Curve have been eliminated from the playoffs by Akron in three
of the past four seasons
‘‘It’s always a good series between us’’
Pinckney said
‘‘We always seem to play our best baseball against each
other, so it makes the series fun’’
So, too, does Bogar beating Leiper
The two spent time together in the Mets’ organization as
players and remain close friends
‘‘I’ll take every win I can over him’’
Bogar laughed
Akron starter Chuck Lofgren (9-5) allowed three runs in six innings
for the win
He has started three games against Altoona and come away with
a victory each time
The Curve saw a bases-loaded threat disappear in the third inning,
as Steven Pearce popped up and Akron third baseman Chris Gimenez
made a diving stop to end the inning
Jason Delaney appeared to bounce the ball through the infield,
but Gimenez’s effort likely prevented two runs from scoring
Akron held a 1-0 lead at the time
‘‘You take your lumps’’ Leiper said
‘‘That’s a good team we’re playing
It’s a four game series, and you don’t worry about the
loss’’