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Mother Nature doesn't cooperate in Reading; celebration on hold
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Sunday, Aug 30, 2009
Hold the bubbly! No need for the plastic. Put the goggles away for another day.
Despite an Aeros victory Saturday at Canal Park, the Eastern League Southern Division-clinching celebration had to be put on hold for at least another day.
The Aeros entered play Saturday evening with a magic number of two and the opportunity to clinch their first regular-season division title since 2006.
And there were two ways it could happen.
First, an Aeros victory over the visiting Binghamton Mets, coupled with the Reading Phillies losing at least one game of its scheduled doubleheader against the visiting Bowie Baysox, would do the trick. If the Phillies were to lose both games, the outcome of the Aeros game wouldn't have even mattered.
But Mother Nature kept the Phillies from playing for the second consecutive night, nullifying the fact that the Aeros more than did their job, beating the Mets 13-3.
Yet there was no merrymaking in the home clubhouse like there was a few days ago in Bowie, when the Aeros clinched at least a spot in the playoffs.
''It was nice to see them have some fun and enjoy themselves,'' Aeros manager Mike Sarbaugh said. ''It's been a long season, and they deserve to feel good about what they've accomplished so far this season.''
Not bad for a rookie
For a guy who expected to spend a majority of the season in Class A, Aeros right-handed starter Jeanmar Gomez has exceeded a lot of expectations this year.
Gomez is known best around Canal Park for being the guy who tossed a perfect game on May 21 against the Trenton Thunder.
''I've seen a more mature pitcher out there as the season's gone on,'' Sarbaugh said. ''Early on, when he'd give up a couple hits, the game would speed up on him. But now Jeanmar's doing a lot better job of staying focused on what he needs to do and has the confidence that he can get out of any situation with the stuff he has.''
Gomez burst onto the scene after joining the Aeros from low Class-A Kinston on April 29. He won his first four starts for the Aeros, capped by the first perfect game in team history. He is currently tied for fourth in the league with 10 wins, is second with a 3.09 ERA and is tied for fifth with 101 strikeouts.
Sarbaugh thought Aeros center fielder Jose Constanza should have made the team as well.
''I really thought Constanza had a shot,'' Sarbaugh said. ''He's such a game-changer when he's on base.''
The Aeros' speedy leadoff man ranks second in the league with 39 stolen bases and has 65 walks to go along with 41 RBI.
Another Aeros player who might have been slighted in the All-Star voting is closer Vinnie Pestano, who was shut down for the season in early July with a right arm injury.
Despite Pestano's absence the past two months, the player who was named the league's best closer — the New Britain Rock Cats' Anthony Slama — ended up with just one more save (28) with an extra month to catch up to Pestano.
''I thought Vinnie had a good chance, too,'' Sarbaugh said. ''Especially since guys like [Reading outfielder Michael] Taylor made it even through he's gone [promoted to Triple-A Rochester].''
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians and Aeros blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters.
Hold the bubbly! No need for the plastic. Put the goggles away for another day.
Get the full article here.
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