‘Consistent’ Aeros erupt against Curve

Over the 11 seasons the Curve have been a member of the Eastern League, the Akron Aeros have been an outfit that the entire league would likely hope to emulate.

Although the Aeros' parent major league team, the Cleveland Indians, have had their share of lows and highs, the Tribe's AA Akron affiliate has maintained a solid standard of consistent success.

Akron boasts a league-best 84-53 record this season, and with the league's Southern Division title in their back pockets, a return to the league championship series - where Akron lost to Trenton a year ago - might appear imminent.

Second-year Akron manager Mike Sarbaugh has reaped the harvest from the Aeros' success, earning the Eastern League's Manger of the Year award for the 2009 season.

Akron has had its share of success against the Curve this season. The Aeros improved their record against Altoona this year to 16-7 by blasting open a tight game with a four-run seventh inning Wednesday night for a 9-6 victory before a paid attendance of 3,827 at Blair County Ballpark.

"They've been consistent all year long,'' Sarbaugh said of his Akron team, which this year became the first squad in the Eastern League's 86-year history to record five straight seasons of at least 80 wins. "They're real good workers, a great group of guys who come ready to play every day.''

First-year Curve manager Matt Walbeck has taken note of Akron's consistency.

"They're a good team, and they've played well all the way from the beginning of the season until now,'' Walbeck said of the Aeros. "They have a way of getting the clutch hit or the big play when they need to get it. [Against Akron], you have to be on top of your game. You can't afford to make any mistakes.''

While Akron will enter the league's Southern Division playoffs next week, the Curve will wrap the home portion of their 2009 season tonight with a 6:35 p.m. game against the Aeros at Blair County Ballpark.

Altoona, which dropped to 60-77 with Wednesday's loss, will finish last in the Southern Division this year. The Curve won just 27 of their first 78 games this season, and couldn't dig themselves out of that hole despite a 33-26 second half.

Akron mounted a 16-hit attack Wednesday, highlighted by a four-run seventh inning against two Curve relievers that helped the Aeros break a 4-4 tie and take a comfortable 8-4 lead.

Most of the damage was done against the Curve's first reliever, Jared Hughes, who had entered the game in the sixth. Hughes walked center fielder Jose Constanza to start the seventh, and Constanza stole second. Second baseman Josh Rodriquez - who had four hits - smashed a single off Hughes' glove, moving Constanza to third, from where he scored the go-ahead run on first baseman Beau Mills' fielders choice.

Mills had grounded weakly to Curve third baseman Ray Chang, who charged and threw home. Constanza scored, and Chang's errant throw on the play allowed Rodriquez to reach third. Rodriquez scored on Matt McBride's double to left. Mike Dubee was summoned from the bullpen to relieve Hughes, and gave up Carlos Rivero's two-run single to left that scored both Mills and McBride from third and second, respectively, to complete the rally.

Akron's four-run seventh was a backbreaker for the Curve, who got two RBIs from shortstop Brian Friday and a sixth-straight multiple-hit game from outfielder Jonel Pacheco. Pacheco had two singles, scored once, and drove in a run.

"We didn't give up tonight,'' Walbeck said. "We kept hitting. They just played better than we did.''

It's hard to believe that the Curve's 11th home season will go into the books tonight. The team closes its season with a four-game series on the road against Binghamton this weekend.

"It seems like it's gone by awfully fast,'' Walbeck said. "This has been a grind for us.''

Key player: Shortstop Carlos Rivero was 3-for-5 at the plate for Akron with a two-run single and RBI double.

Key play: Akron broke the game open with four runs in the seventh inning, sparked by Matt McBride's RBI double and Rivero's two-run single.

Key stat: Second baseman Josh Rodriquez had four singles for Akron, scored two runs, and drove in another.

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