eros prepare for title round
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Dennis Manoloff
Plain Dealer Reporter

The Akron Aeros, who lost a franchise-record 12 straight during the
regular season, are one series victory away from the Class AA Eastern
League championship.

Akron opens the best-of-five final tonight on the road against the
Portland Sea Dogs, a Boston Red Sox affiliate. First pitch is
scheduled for 6 p.m. at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine.

Game 2 will be Wednesday at Portland before the series shifts to Canal
Park for Game 3 Friday and, if necessary, Game 4 Saturday and Game 5
Sunday.
Game 1 features a terrific pitching matchup. Akron left-hander Jeremy
Sowers, the sixth overall pick in 2004, combined for a 14-4 record and
2.37 ERA at three levels in the regular season and won the opening
game of the Southern Division playoff. Portland left-hander Jon
Lester, a second-round pick in 2002, was named Eastern League pitcher
of the year after going 11-6 with a league-best 2.61 ERA and 163
strikeouts.

Sowers beat Lester, 4-1, July 16 at Hadlock Field.

Akron won the season series, 6-2, including 3-1 at Portland.

The Aeros won the EL title in 2003; the Sea Dogs reached the
championship series on two previous occasions but failed to win.

Akron, the Southern Division regular-season leader at 84-58, advanced
to the final by defeating Altoona in the best-of-five division series,
3-2. Portland, Northern Division champ at 76-66, ousted Trenton, 3-2.

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