Newsom's luck continues even with blown saves

If it's better to be lucky than good, than Randy Newsom is the poster child for the old adage.

Forget about the Aeros closer's league-high tying 15 saves. The way things have gone lately, Newsom can't even mess up a save without getting something positive out if it.

After notching 13 consecutive saves to open the season, Newsom has blown two of his last four opportunities.

Yet instead of exiting the game frustrated each time, Newsom has left with an ear-to-ear smile after earning the win in both games to improve to 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA in 24 appearances.

Newsom's first blown save came on May 26th, when he was handed a 3-2 lead in the ninth but allowed visiting Erie to tie the score. But in the bottom of the inning, a Nate Panther double into the right field corner scored Chris Gimenez to hand the Aeros a 4-3 win.

After a pair of saves in Harrisburg earlier in the week, the Aeros were back at Canal Park Saturday when Newsom was handed a 4-3 lead in the ninth before visiting Bowie knotted the score. But with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, Aeros newcomer Bronson Sardinha drove in the winning run and once again Newsom was listed as the game's winner.

Newsom's streak of luck began on April 26 when he entered a game against Harrisburg in top of 10th of a 1-1 tie game. Newsom held the Senators pat, and in the bottom of the frame Matt Whitney's two-out RBI-double handed Newsom his first win to set Newsom's lucky trend.

"I know there's been some struggles recently, but Randy's been incredible for us,'' Aeros manager Mike Sarbaugh said. "I can't say enough about what he does for us to close the door at the end of games.''