Spikes struggle offensively in loss to Aberdeen

The State College Spikes saw their offense shut down Tuesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

It was the contrast in efforts by starting pitchers Cody Sedlock for the Aberdeen IronBirds and Dewin Perez for the Spikes.

“I wouldn’t blame it on the hitters,” State College manager Johnny Rodriguez said. “Starters set the tone. Perez just hasn’t had it.”

Sedlock led a trio of IronBird pitchers to hold the Spikes to four hits in a 6-1 victory, ending State College’s three-game win streak and Aberdeen’s seven-game losing skid.

Anthony Ray had two of the hits for the Spikes (46-24), who still have the best record in the New York-Penn League. Jeremy Martinez doubled and scored the team’s only run.

Austin Hays was 3 for 5, including a solo home run, to pace the IronBirds (28-41).

Zach Muckenhirn (5-2) picked up the win in three innings of relief work, Max Knutson earned his first save, also pitching three innings of relief, and Perez (3-5) took the loss.

“Starters set the tone for the game,” Rodriguez said. “Like their starter did.”

Perez struggled, giving up six hits with a walk and hit batter. He allowed five runs, four of them earned, and started to battle cramps during the fourth inning. It was the third time in the last four outings he didn’t last four innings.

“It just seems the team does not play when he starts games,” Rodriguez said. “He was better today, but the team don’t play. … They kind of know what’s going to happen, and that’s not a good thing.”

Perez could not get out of the fourth inning, when the IronBirds scored five of their six runs.

A Jason Heinrich RBI double, a Daniel Fajardo two-run double and a Cole Billingsley RBI groundout brought in four runs to chase Perez. An error plated the other run.

Hays’ homer to left in the seventh inning, his third of the season, accounted for the other run.

Three State College relievers combined to allow just four more hits, no walks and Hays’ homer.

Martinez doubled to left-center in the bottom of the fourth and came home on Elier Rodriguez’s single as the only crack in the IronBird pitching performance.

Odds and ends

Who’s that?: IronBirds first baseman and cleanup hitter Preston Palmeiro should be familiar to baseball fans. His father, Rafael, played for the parent club Baltimore Orioles among his three major league teams in 20 seasons. He was a seventh-round draft pick this year by the Orioles out of North Carolina State. He was 0 for 5 with two strikeouts Tuesday.

Who’s that, too?: Sedlock should be familiar to Penn State fans. He was a first-round pick this year out of Illinois, and pitched against the Nittany Lions in State College last season. The Big Ten’s Pitcher of the Year this spring posted three scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

Strong support: Frank Spinelli was honored as the New York-Penn League Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society. The award is given annually in each of the 16 domestic minor leagues.

Spinelli is in his first season with the Spikes.

“Spinelli’s done a great job all year long,” Rodriguez said. “He’s been on top of it.”

On Deck

Spikes: Right-handed pitcher Greg Tomchick (0-0, 6.38 ERA) will get the start in the finale of the three-game series at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday.

IronBirds: Righty Cody Dube (3-1, 2.13) gets the start for Aberdeen.

This story was originally published August 30, 2016 at 10:08 PM with the headline "Spikes struggle offensively in loss to Aberdeen."