The Akron Aeros are down to two remaining home games at Canal Park. Thursday night will be the last chance to see the Aeros before the end their season on a four-game road trip to Harrisburg.

Grady Sizemore begins his second rehab start (right knee contusion/hernia) f the season tonight at Canal Park.

Cleveland Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore (right Knee contusion) will begin a rehab assignment 7:05 pm Wednesday at CanalPark.

Sizemore has been on the disabled list since July 18. In 2011, Sizemore is hitting .237 with 10 home runs, 21 doubles, one triple, 29 RBI, 17 walks and 75 strikeouts in 61 games with the Indians.

The Akron Aeros are down to three remaining home games at Canal Park and are trying to make the best of the situation, winning three of their last four games.

It’s left open the slight possibility they could still be a playoff team, although they’ll need a lot of help from Richmond and Bowie. The Aeros are 3.5 games behind second-place Bowie (72-62) and three games behind third-place Richmond (72-63).

With the host Aeros and visiting Richmond battling each other in an attempt to climb back into the Eastern League playoff picture, there was an added importance put on the outcome of Sunday’s contest at Canal Park.

But even with their 5-2 victory, the Aeros postseason hopes are fading.

AEROS SNAPSHOT

Flying Squirrels 3, Aeros 2 - in 10 innings.

Game No. 133:  Aeros (67-65) versus Flying Squirrels (70-62)

Lineups:

Aeros RHP and closer Cory Burns was named to the Eastern League postseason All-Star Team Thursday.

Burns’ postseason selection is the second of his career, having also been selected to the Carolina League postseason All-Star Team last season while pitching for High Class-A Kinston.

Box score

Key situation: Johnny Monell’s two-run double with the bases loaded in the sixth inning lifted Richmond past Akron.

The Akron Aeros begin its final homestand of the season tonight, starting a four-game set 7:05 p.m. tonight against the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants Double A).

The Aeros will follow the series with four games against Reading before ending its season with four games on the road at Harrisburg.

Harrisburg Senators outfielder Bryce Harper, last year's No.1 pick in the MLB draft and top rated prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America, had to be helped off the field by Senators manager Tony Beasley tonight and was removed from the game in the eighth inning at Canal Park in Akron.

Harper reached base on a walk and tried to advance to third base on a double by Archie Gilbert. After rounding second, Harper pulled up about halfway to third base and limped his way the rest of the way to the third. He did not put weight on his right leg as he was helped off.

The Akron Aeros look to win the rubber match of a three-game series against the Harrisburg Senators. 7:05 p.m. tonight at Canal Park.

Here are the starting lineups….

Senators 5, Aeros 3

Key situation: Leonard Davis hit a two-run home run to center field and Tyler Moore lined a solo home run to left-center field in the fifth inning Wednesday to lead the visiting Harrisburg Senators to a 5-3 victory over the Aeros at Canal Park in front of 3,811 fans.

The first 73 games of the 2011 season did not go exactly the way Aeros third baseman Kyle Bellows wanted them to.

Bellows struggled at bat in his inaugural season in Double-A baseball, but his defense remained steady.

Aeros 4, Senators 3

Key situation: John Drennen hit an RBI single to left-center field in the bottom of the 12^th inning that scored Ben Copeland in an Aeros 4-3 victory Tuesday over the Harrisburg Senators at Canal Park in front of 5,872 fans. Copeland singled and advanced to second on a Chun Chen sacrifice bunt.

Akron witnessed “The Chosen One” play basketball firsthand for several years.

Tuesday night, fans in attendance at Canal Park got the opportunity to see “Baseball’s Chosen One” for the first time in person.

The Aeros will play 71 home games, beginning with the home opener scheduled for Thursday, April 12 at 7:05 p.m. to kick off the 2012 season.

 The Aeros will begin next year on the road with a road trip beginning in Binghamton and continuing on to Altoona, before the team returns home with an opening four-game series against the Trenton Thunder.

The question has been swirling for weeks: Are the Aeros being sold?
But Greg Agganis, the team’s chief executive officer, said there’s only a half truth to the recent rumors.

“People have approached us to buy the team,” Agganis said via email. “But as of now, we are still operating the club and have not made any decisions as of yet.”

RHP Austin Adams was honored as the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the period of Aug. 1-7.

 The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder made two appearances for the Aeros last week, going 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.

There's always the chance that the Akron Aeros moniker could win out.

But after two months of downsizing name idea lists, there curently are four other names on the table as the Aeros front office continues to whittle the list of names for the team in the club's fan "rebranding" contest.