Aberdeen has slipped another notch.
After a home loss Monday night to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the IronBirds (22-18 through Monday) fell into third place in the New York-Penn League?s McNamara Division. Aberdeen is a game behind second-place Brooklyn and just two games behind division-leading Staten Island.
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The IronBirds have outscored opponents, 37-28, in eight games from July 25 to 31. In that span, however, they have gone 3-5 while dropping the last three at home, including a Sunday double-header.
IronBirds manager Andy Etchebarren said there is no explanation for the up-and-down offense.
“I wish I knew,” he said. “That?s just baseball.”
“On the road trip, we swung the bats very well,” Etchebarren added, pointing out the team?s 43 hits in three games against the Lowell Spinners. Despite that spurt, the IronBirds are batting just .233 (11th in the league) with 153 runs (10th) through Monday.
“We pitched plenty good,” Etchebarren said, regarding the double-header losses to Brooklyn, both by 3-0 scores. “I mean, you only give up three runs (in each game), you should have a chance to win.”
“(Josh) Tamba has pitched great all year,” Etchebarren said of Sunday?s first-game effort by the Orioles? seventh-round pick, who is 5-1.
“His stuff was all right, it was just that his location wasn?t very good. I liked our pitching (Sunday). We just didn?t score. If you don?t score, you can?t win.”
Aberdeen?s best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the fourth in the second game Sunday.
The IronBirds had the bases loaded with two out, but first baseman Joel Pacheco struck out looking.
FLYING TWO GAMES BACK
» The IronBirds? ERA is 2.93, second in the league, and opponents are batting .225 against them.
» On Tuesday, the IronBirds hit the road for three games against the Tri-City Valley Cats. They return home Friday for five games ? the Oneonta Tigers Aug. 4-6 and the Hudson Valley Renegades Aug. 7-8.
