Scrappers Lose; Aeros Set To Open

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are facing adversity for the first time this season. The Scrappers, who rolled to a division title in the regular season and swept their first-round playoff series, fell to Staten Island, 3-0, in Game 1 of the best-of-three New York-Penn League championship series. The Scrappers will return home to Eastwood Field for Game 2, and if a Game 3 is needed.

In the Class AA Eastern League, the Akron Aeros will open the best-of-five championship series on the road against Connecticut tonight.

The Scrappers had the best record in their history at 49-27 during the regular season, leading the league in both batting and pitching. The offense did not come through Monday night, however, as Mahoning Valley went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base overall.

Jason Kipnis, Casey Frawley and Jesus Brito, who all finished with .300-plus batting averages during the season, went a combined 0-for-10 with five strikeouts.

Ben Carlson was 3-for-4 with two doubles and Jordan Henry 2-for-4 to account for most of the Scrappers' offense.

Scrappers starter Brett Brach allowed two runs on five hits and one walk over four innings, striking out three. During the regular season, the right-hander went 5-2 with a 2.19 ERA in a team-high 78 innings.

Vidal Nuno, 5-0 with a 2.05 ERA during the regular season, fanned two and gave up two hits over two scoreless innings of relief.

Jeremy Johnson worked a scoreless two-thirds of an inning, Nick Kirk yielded a solo homer in one inning of work and Tyler Sturdevant struck out the only batter he faced.

The first two runs scored on sacrifice flies, in the first and second innings. Staten Island totaled nine hits.

Mahoning Valley has continued to pitch well in its three playoff games, posting a 1.73 ERA and getting 26 strikeouts in 26 innings. The offense has sputtered, however, batting only .198. Carlson has gone 4-for-7 (.571) and Kipnis has hit .300 (3-for-10) with two homers and three RBI.

Tonight, Scrappers manager Travis Fryman will send right-hander Marty Popham (6-1, 2.76 ERA) to the mound in the must-win situation in Game 2. Mahoning Valley is seeking its first title since 2004.

Also tonight, right-hander Josh Tomlin (14-9, 4.16 ERA) will start for the Akron Aeros, who won the Southern Division of the Eastern League by 14 games with an 89-53 record, then eliminated Reading in three straight games in the first round.

The Connecticut Defenders won the Northern Division with an 83-59 record, then defeated New Britain in four games.

Akron batted .345 in its opening-round win. Lonnie Chisenhall went 7-for-11 (.636) with four runs; Jerad Head hit .417 (5-for-12) with four doubles and eight RBI; John Drennen also went 5-for-12 and had a homer, four runs and two RBI; while Josh Rodriguez batted .333 (5-for-15) with four RBI.

Tomlin, right-hander Jeanmar Gomez and lefty Eric Berger all posted wins as starters in the first round.

Akron is in the finals for the fifth consecutive season. The Aeros won it all in 2005, then lost to Portland in 2006 and to Trenton the past two years.