The Trenton Thunder won the Eastern League title tonight behind stellar pitching from Jeffrey Marquez and Jason Jones, beating the Akron Aeros 5-1. Marquez scattered 5 hits in 6 innings, allowing 3 walks while striking out 5.  Jones came on in relief and pitched three scoreless innings, allowing only a walk while striking out 4.

PJ Pilittere provided the key hit in a 4 run 6th inning, helped along by two errors by Akron SS Josh Rodriguez. Rodriguez also was picked off 1st base in a crucial spot in the top of the 7th inning. The top 7 hitters in the Thunder lineup had hits with key RBI’s in the 6th inning also coming from Kevin Russo and Reegie Corona.

Marquez got the win and Jones recorded his first save of the year. My original prognostication had the Thunder losing game 2, but winning the other three and taking the series in four games.

Mission Accomplished!

BELOW IS THE INNING BY INNING GAME LOG

Thunder lead the series 2 games to 1 in the best of 5 Championship round. They are going for the clincher tonight at Waterfront Park. Jeffrey Marquez on the mound for Trenton. Marquez, who started the season at AAA Scranton, won 15 games last season, but was plagued by injuries this year and has been with the Thunder since returning to the active roster. He is 1-1 with Trenton in 3 starts this season and 8-8 overall at three levels in 2008.

First pitch was at 6:11.

Top 1st - Marquez gives up a lead off single with 2 strikes on the hitter. Same type of thing which plagued him last outing against Portland. After that game, he said he needed to focus more when ahead in the count.

He still does.

With one out, Marquez put away Akron hitter Matt LaPorta on two good down and away curveballs, but the cleanup hitter raps a single to center to put runners on first and third with two outs.

But, Marquez gets the next hitter on a beautiful changeup away for a swinging third strike and the end of the inning.

Bottom 1st - With one out, Ramiro Pena is hit by a pitch and steals second on a 3-2 pitch on which Austin Jackson strikes out. Chris Malec then grounds weakly to first to end the inning.

No score after one inning.

Top 2nd - Lead off walk. Why do pitchers do this? With one out, a line drive single to center puts runners on 1st and 2nd. Marquez escaped further damage by getting a flyball and ground ball to second.

Bottom 2nd - Three up, three down for the Thunder hitters.

Top 3rd - On a ball hit into the 1st base hole, Malec ranged to his right and couldn’t get the ball, but Reegie Corona scooped it up and threw to Marquez covering. Nice play all around, but kudos for Marquez covering first.

After a four pitch walk (his 2nd) and a balk, a runners on 2nd with one out. Ball hit into the SS hole, where Pena grabs it and flips to Russo at third base. They catch the runner on second in a run down for the 2nd out. Poor baserunning by LaPorta.

Marquez gets out of the inning.

Bottom 3rd - With two quick outs, consecutive line drive singles by Corona and Pean put runners on 1st and 2nd. Those were the first hits for the Thunder. Austin Jackson comes up and lines a shot right at the RF who dives to try and catch the ball. He caught it all right…right in the chest as the ball lands safely for a run scoring single as Corona scores and Pena goes to third.

At end of three innings Thunder leads 1-0.

Top 4th - Marquez walks the lead off guy again! He does get out of it with a force out, pop up and swinging strikeout.

His curveball is really working tonight.

Top 6th - With two outs, Matt Whitney hits a home run just over the left field wall to tie the score at 1. Whitney finally hits one away from Jackson in center who can’t race over fast enough from CF to catch the ball.

Bottom 6th - With one out, Malec hits a  grounder to short which is booted for an error. Must have been Jeter who was playing short, with his limited range and all. Colin Curtis then rips a single off a lefty reliever to put runners on 1st and 2nd.

Up comes PJ Pilittere, who has been clutch all the entire playoffs. PJ is true to form as he singles sharply down the RF line scoring Malec from second while Curtis goes to third. A basic unintentional, intentional walk to Francisco Cervelli puts the bases loaded.

Wild pitch scores Curtis from third, who put a little extra dagger into the pitcher trying to cover home by sliding hard into his leg.

Two runs in.

Edwar Gonzalez walks to load the bases again before Kevin Russo hits a smash to the SS who boots his second ground ball of the inning. Definitely a double play grounder which could of ended the inning. Instead, another run scores and the bases are still loaded.

Reegie Corona smashes a deep drive to RF which is caught on the run, being the second out but driving in Cervelli with the SAC FLY and the fourth run of the inning.

At the end of 6 inings, Thunder lead 5-1.

Top 7th - Jason Jones in to pitch, his first appearance in this series and first relief appearance of the season. Jones was the Thunder’s winningest pitcher this season with 13 victories. A nice applause fromthe crowd as Jones enters and it is easy to see that he is one of the Thunder crowd favorites.

A one out error puts a man on first with two, three and four coming up.

But, a pickoff attempt by catcher Francisco Cervelli catches the runner napping and he is tagged out by the first baseman Chris Malec. Cervelli has a great throwing arm and is not afraid to show it off. He has attempted several pickoff in this series.

Not a good day for the guy picked off, Josh Rodriguez, who also made the two errors at short last inning.

Bottom 7th - Thunder get a one out single by Malec but leave him stranded at first.

Top 8th - Jones still in, looking good by retiring LaPorta on a ground ball. LaPorta takes forever between pitches, similar to Mike Hargrove and Nomar Garciaparra.

Three up, three down. One inning away from a second straight title.

Thunder 5 Akron 1.

Bottom 9th - Jones still in to close it out. Great move by Tony Franklin to keeep in Jones for the final outs.

The crowd of over 3,000 is really into it as they are all standing, banging their feet on the pavement and smacking their hands on the seats.

Two K’s and a soft fly to center puts the game away for the Thunder. So appropriate to have the final out land in Austin Jackson’s glove. Jackson leaps into Reegie Corona and the celebration begins!

The exhiliration these Thunder players feel is beyond words. To be with the same guys day after day, through the ups and downs of an entire season and to come away with a Championship is likely beyon comparison. When going through an entire season like this, the players spend more time with each other than they do with their family, wives and girlfriends. Teammates are brothers. They lasted through the Jose Tabata mess early in the season and the pass throughs of all the arms going up to Scranton and even the Bronx. They also weathered the injuries to Marcos Vechionacci and the call ups of Matt Carson to AAA and Phil Coke to the Bronx.

Those players are not here now, but were also a big part of the Championship season.

Still, the everyday players of Malec, Curtis, Pilittere, Pena, Russo, Corona and Jackson were accompanied by Cervelli, James Cooper and Gonzalez mid season and provided the solidifying force to the lineup day in and day out.

Teams win championships. Not one player on offense was in the league statistical leadership, but they did what they needed to do to provide a great pitcing staff with enough runs to win.

Congratulations to the Trenton Thunder on their second straight title.

Quotes -

PJ Pilittere, who had the go ahead hit in the bottom of the 6th - “I was confident up there in that at bat. Everybody wants to be up in a situation like that and be able to come through.”

On his being clutch through out the playoffs - “I was fortunate to have alot of opportunities with men on, and was happy to drive in the runs.”

Pilittere seemed to always be in the middle of rallies, starting rallies or getting the big hits. He had a great playoff run, and while Austin Jackson was named playoff MVP, I gave my vote to PJ, who was not spectacular but got the job done whenever hard work was needed.

On being part of two straight titles here - “It’s an amazing feeling and although we won it last year, too, this feeling never gets old and that’s why you play the game - to win championships.”

Jason Jones - who closed the game out with three inings of no-hit ball, striking out four.

On what it felt like to be on the mound for the last out - “It’s a big thrill to be on the mound and the crowd was great. I was amped up out her in the last inning. When the last ball was hit in the air - you knew it was over. It was a great feeling.”

I said to Jason “The Yankees might need an 8th inning guy next season. With this save in the books, do you want the job.” He replied, with a smile, “Anything that gets me to the big leagues.”

And that is what these guys want - an opportunity to pitch at higher levels and get to the show. For example, Scott Patterson was released by the Yankees last week, signed by San Diego and piched in the big leagues yesterday.