Sea Dogs Bats Hit Snooze Button in 3-0 Loss

Jeremy Hazelbaker started the bottom of the first inning by striking out. Nine innings later he ended the game by striking out. In between Akron pitchers picked up 13 more strikeouts for a total of 15, as the Aeros beat the Sea Dogs 3-0 in a slow-paced game at Hadlock.

Brock Huntzinger had one of his better outings of the season, but a high pitch count kept him from completing 6 innings. After giving up a lead off single to Jordan Henry, Huntzinger retired the next 9 batters before giving up a solo home run to Ben Copeland in the fourth. He got of a jam in the fifth, getting Karexon Sanchez to fly out to center after giving up his only 2 walks of the game. He got two quick outs in the sixth before giving up back to back infield singles to end his outing. Huntzinger gave up only 4 hits, the solo home run and 3 infield singles.

The Sea Dogs got runners to 3rd in both the first and third innings, but both rallies were ended by strikeouts thrown by Paolo Espino. Espino set the standard for Akron pitchers in the game, giving up no runs on 4 hits, with 7 strikeouts and just 1 walk. All 4 Akron pitchers struck out at least 2 batters.

The Aeros would score again in the seventh, as John Drennen hit a 2-out solo home run off of Josh Fields. It was Drennen's 4th home run of the season, and the first one given up by Fields since being traded to the Red Sox organization.

The third Akron run was not so conventional, to say the least. Cesar Cabral walked the first two batters in the top of the ninth. After Sanchez struck out, Henry dropped a bunt down the 3rd base line. Sea Dogs catcher Dan Butler got to the ball, saw no play at 3rd, so he fired towards 2nd, and promptly pegged Cabral in the head from point blank. The ball flew into shallow left, allowing pinch-runner Donnie Webb to score. Luckily Cabral was okay, but it was a not-so-bright moment in a game filled with such moments for the Sea Dogs.

Cory Burns came on to pitch the ninth for the Aeros, and wrapped 2 strikeouts around a Butler groundout. Burns now has 31 saves on the year in 33 opportunities.

Espino is now 6-0 on the year, and his ERA sits at 2.44.

Huntzinger dropped to 5-10, but could have had a much more positive outing if he had any sort of run support.

In a sad statistic for offensively futility, every Sea Dogs batter struck out in the game.

The Aeros will say goodbye to Portland for the season with tomorrow's series finale. Game time is set for for noon, with Portland's Chris Balcolm-Miller facing off against Akron's T.J. McFarland.