It is 40 minutes before game time and under cloudy skies and a few light drops, we will likely get the game in tonight. The best of 5 series is tied 1-1.

Speaking with Tony Franklin before the game, he said Jason Jones will be in the bullpen for the series and Eric Hacker, the Game 1 winner in both Thunder playoff series, will go Game 5, if needed. Hacker is an easy guy to like and finally healthy after two plus seasons with shoulder AND elbow problems. He is throwing really well and the Thunder are going to go with their hot hand in the title game.

I will have more on Eric Hacker in a separate post.

George Kontos starts tonight for the Yankees, making his first start of the postseason. Kontos, a fifth round pick in 2006, leads the team in starts (27) and innings (151.2). He was part of that 2006 Yankee draft with Joba, Kennedy, David Robertson (Yankees), Mark Melancon (AAA Scranton) and Dellin Betances (Charleston).

Five to seven years from now baseball people will look back and say that this 2006 Yankee draft was one of the best of all time.

The Yankees are really high on Kontos, skipping him over Low A Charleston last year and sending him directly to High A Tampa. Over the course of his young career, Kontos has averaged over a strikeout per inning.

Time is 6:07 and the game has begun.

TOP 1st - This is my first time seeing Kontos this season. He has been very consistent all season long and works very quickly. Basically,he throws the ball, gets it back and quickly toes the rubber. The defense loves that.

As stated above with Kontos and his strikeout rate: one batter, one K in the books. Former Trenton Thunder (and New York Yankee) Bronson Sardinha is up next. Sardinha, former 2001 Yankee first round pick, played in the postseason for the Yanks last year, mainly pinch running and defense duties. But, he did get his cup of coffee in the bigs, and that is primarily what these young players want - get to the majors as quick as possible.

Three up, three down for Kontos. The third batter, Matt LaPorta, was out was a real nice play by SS Ramiro Pena who ranged far up the middle to grab a hard grounder, spun and threw to first for the out. The play wasn’t even close. Yankees are really high on Pena, who played in the Futures All-Star Game in July.

Bottom 1st - Two out very quickly and I glance down at the computer to type something when I hear what was a loud crack and the roar of the crowd. Long home run to left center by top Yankee prospect Austin Jackson.

That ball SOUNDED really well hit. Someone else in the press box who didn’t see the homer either asked, “What was that pitch?” Someone else said “Gopher Ball.” After back to back singles by Chris Malec and Colin Curtis, there are runners on first and third, but PJ Pilittere’s bid for a three run home fell short just in front of the left field wall. Well hit ball by PJ, who has hit .333 thus far in the 2008 playoffs.

After one inning Trenton Thunder 1 - Akron 0.

SIDE BAR - After the first inning the Thunder have what’s called the “Hoagie Toss” sponsored by WAWA, a convenience chain. The idea is to throw bean bags through a gaping hole in a wooden board.

My son Joseph and his two friends Billy and Pat Feehan are on the field going up against three high school kids. No problem as the older kids miss each throw, and the knucklehead 10 year olds make all of their tosses. As John Sterling would say, “The kids win, theeeeeeeeee KIDS WIN!”

Top 2nd - Kontos gives up a one out single, but eliminates further damage.

Bottom 2nd - 3 up and 3 down. Top of the order next inning.

Top 3rd - NADA for the Aeros. Kontos strikes out his third guy.

Bottom 3rd - Corona leads off with a line drive near the LF line, and hustles ahead of the throw for a double. After a sac bunt by Pena (according to several scribes, Tony Franklin has been bunting all year) up comes Jackson with one out and a man on third. Infield in.

Jackson hits a comebacker which glances off the pitchers glove right to the second baseman, who throws out Jackson. Malec then flies out deep to CF to end the inning.

Top 4th - Two quickouts on flyballs. The clean up hitter, Wes Hodges, hits a drive to deep right center field. Jackson goes back to the wall, leaps and takes the ball back from HR status. WOW, what a catch!

Bottom 4th - Bases loaded for the Thunder, one out. A pair of one out walks surrounded a double over the LF’s head by Francisco Cervelli. Kevin Russo then hits a dribbler down third whcih he beats out at first and drives in Pilittere. Bases still loaded. Russo was jammed on the pitch because…..

the Akron starter, Ryan Edell, is not shy about throwing inside. I bet half his pitches so far have been on the inside part of the plate. After a sac fly to deep CF by Reegie Corona, the Thunder get their second run of the inning.

After 4 innings - Thunder 3 Akron 0.

Top 5th - I mentioned earlier that Kontos has been really consistent all season, but his one negative is that he gives up that one BIG inning in the games he is tagged with the loss.

Let’s see how he responds with a 3-0 lead.

Mike Ashmore of http://thunderbaseball.wordpress.com/ mentioned to me that Kontos usually has his tough inning early in the game, usually the second or third innings.

But, Kontos walks the first batter on four pitches. Second guys walks on a 3-2 pitch. With runner going, Cervelli makes a great throw to second for the caught stealing. One problem: the umpire called the pitch ball four and now 1st and 2nd with no outs.

Next batter deep to center, going, going….caught again by Jackson who leapt over the wall to snag another home run away from the Aeros!

Simply amazing! Jackson shows his leaping ability TWICE this game…the same leaping ability that got him the basketball scholarship to Georgia Tech.

Next batter hits a long drive to deep left center which is run down again by Jackson. AJax was playing the hitter just to the right of the 407 foot sign in center and had to run at least 40 yards to catch that ball on the dead run right in front of the fence. A long sac fly for the first Aeros run.

Jackson really has to step up his game. All he’s done so far is hit a homer, rob two Akron player’s of home runs and make a long running catch near the wall.

On the defensive end, Austin Jackson is CF major league ready RIGHT NOW.

The Aeros are hitting Kontos hard this inning, but still don’t have hit this inning, but have a run in. After a two out line drive smash to left field, Manager Tony Franklin has seen enough. He pulls Kontos for Anthony Claggett, the Thunder save leader (9) this season.

One pitch and Claggett gets the final out on a popup.

Bottom 5th - Two out single by Curtis, who after a pitching change, steals second and goes to third on a beautifully ugly throw by the catcher. After a walk to Pilittere, Akron escapes further damage. If the THunder scored more runs here, the game might have been put out of reach.

Top 6th - Claggett still in. He was one of the pitchers obtained from the Tigers in the Gary Sheffield trade. In fact, the other two young arms the Yankees received in that trade, Humberto Sanchez and Kevin Whelan, are also on the Thunder roster.

After a leadoff single to Bronson Sardinha, Claggett retires the next three - two on flyball to Jackson in center. AJax now has 7 putouts on the evening.

Bottom 6th - Nothing going this inning for the Thunder.

Top 7th - Here is the sound when Claggett is pitching: “Strike, strike, strike.” This guys throws strikes and goes right after the hitters. I say throw it down the middle and let them hit it to center. Jackson will surely track it down.

Three up three down for Claggett.

Bottom 7th - Jackson works a one out walk. Perfect time for a stolen base attempt. The Akron manager realizes this and brings a lefty to face the RH hitting Chris Malec. The LH pitcher Reid Santos has a great move to first and is very quick to the plate. The move works as Jackson is thrown out trying to steal second, and the play wasn’t even close.

Top 8th - Michael Dunn in to pitch. He has been outstanding during his brief tenure with Trenton, his first foray into Double A baseball. The LH Dunn was needed here when LH Zack Kroenke was promoted to Scranton.

Dunn walks the first hitter (the #9 guy) before striking out the leadoff hitter and getting Sardinha to ground into a 4-6-3 double play, perfectly executed by Reegie Corona and Ramiro Pena.

Bottom 8th - With one out PJ Pilittere doubles down the LF line. It was a great at bat with PJ fouling off about 5/6 pitches before lining the shot over the 3rd baseman. James Cooper runs for PJ as the Thunder look for a valuable insurance run. The run scores with two outs as Edwar Gonzalez shoots a single to right to score Cooper, who had move to third on a wild pitch.

Thunder leading 4-1.

Top 9th - HERE’s JHONNY!!! The new Thunder sensation Jhonny Nunez marches in from the bullpen to pitch the 9th.

Nunez throws DARTS!

The basic three up, three down 9th with Nunez getting one strikeout and his third save. Since being obtained from the Washington Nationals for SS Alberto Gonzalez, Nunez has thrown 19.1 innings while striking out 26 hitters.

Claggett gets the win, Nunez his third save, but while the bullpen was fantastic - the big start tonight was CF Austin Jackson.

Going down to the clubhouse for some quotes.