By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 05:04 p.m. EDT, Sep 14, 2009
The Aeros got an extra day of rest Sunday before opening the Eastern League Championship Series Tuesday against the Connecticut Defenders.
The best-of-five series begins with the first two games at Dodd Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday, each at 6:35 p.m. The series will resume with Game 3 on Friday night at Canal Park. Games 4 and 5, if needed, would be Saturday night and Sunday night in Akron.
The Aeros are riding an 11-game winning streak and won four of six games against the Defenders (San Francisco Giants) this season.
The Aeros swept the Reading Phillies (Philadelphia Phillies) in three games in the Southern Division Series to advance to the finals, and the Defenders topped interstate-rival New Britain (Minnesota Twins) in four games to advance.
Defenders pitcher Ari Ronick led a 2-0 victory over the Rock Cats on Sunday. Ronick, a left-hander, pitched 51/3 shutout innings in his Double-A debut. Ronick was prompted to Connecticut after going 7-6 with a 2.65 ERA at low Class-A Augusta during the regular season.
The Aeros' surging offense outscored the Phillies 24-9 and all three starting pitchers, Josh Tomlin, Jeanmar Gomez and Eric Berger, earned wins.
The Aeros are making their fifth consecutive trip to the finals and there isn't a hotter team in the minor-league playoffs.
But they have bigger plans.
''It was a celebration, but in the backs of our minds we know we aren't done,'' Aeros first baseman Beau Mills told MLB.com. ''We really want to celebrate [in Akron] after three more games, then go nuts.''
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians and Aeros blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters.
