Longevity records in Double-A baseball aren’t usually much cause for celebration.

For, racking up numbers in the mid-level of baseball often indicates a player is staying in one place too long.

But becoming the Aeros career saves leader earlier this week didn’t bother Aeros closer Randy Newsom one bit.

“Actually, I think it’s pretty cool,” said Newsom, who set the franchise mark of 25 saves in the Aeros 3-2 win over rival Altoona Wednesday. “Having your name in the record book for something positive has to be considered an honor.”

It helps that Newsom has climbed to the top of the charts in less than a full season with the Aeros - beginning last year when he joined the team after a promotion from high Class-A Kinston.

The 26-year old recorded 18 saves for Akron in his debut, helping lead the team to the Eastern League Championship Series.

This year Newsom began the season with the Aeros, and has gone a perfect nine-for-nine in save opportunities. His most recent secured Saturday’s 3-1 win over Northern-Division leading Trenton, as he moved into sole possession of second place in saves in the Eastern League behind Bowie’s Julio Manon (10).

Part of the reason Newsom has managed to achieve the high-water mark so quickly is that the parent-club Indians don’t necessarily groom relievers to be closers in the major leagues. Often, closing at the minor leagues falls to a couple guys at one time.

But being a side-arming right-hander who pitches to contact is most effective in short outings, thus a closing role is a good match for the Cincinnati native who graduated from Tufts.

“Saves are a team thing,” said Newsom, who is 1-0 with a tidy 1.32 ERA in 14 appearances. “I don’t think people realize that, but they really are - especially when you’ve got a contact guy like me on the mound. I couldn’t do what I do without a solid group behind me.”

Now entering his fifth pro season, Newsom was originally signed by the Boston Red Sox as a non-drafted free agent. In 2006, he became property of the Cleveland Indians as the player to be named later in the Coco Crisp deal.

“Randy has been nothing but outstanding since he’s been with us,” Aeros manager Mike Sarbaugh said. “Aside from doing his thing on the mound, he’s just a great guy to have in the clubhouse helping lead this team.”

Newsom’s positive and upbeat attitude seems to rub off on everyone he comes in contact with. In addition to being a team leader by action, he’s also a calming influence on this season’s predominantly young club that has already had its share of struggles this season.

“We’ll come around,” he said. “We’re young, but we’re also too talented of a team to struggle like this all season.”

Unfortunately for the Aeros, just as the team’s young starting pitchers appear to be finding their groove, the team’s offense has gone into hibernation. In their the last four games entering Saturday, the Aeros have managed just six runs.

“Mark my words, things will turn around,” Newsom said. “I can tell by the way guys are reacting, the way guys play. When something bad happens, they don’t go, ‘Here we go again.’ They just go and get after it.

There’s usually not a whole lot of action in a 1-0 game, but Thursday’s early-morning one-run Aeros win over visiting Altoona was a thriller in many ways.

Let’s start with right-handed starter Frank Herrmann, who tossed a season-high seven innings while limiting the free-swinging Curve to two harmless hits thanks to an above-average slider.

“With my slider working so well, I only threw one or two change ups today,” Herrmann (4-2, 3.54 ERA) said. “And usually my change up is my best secondary pitch. But I stayed aggressive and kept after them.”

Aeros first-year manager Mike Sarbaugh said Herrmann had some momentum coming into the game in following two solid starts the previous two games by left-handers Chuck Lofgren and David Huff.

“Just like hitting’s contagious, starters see what they guys before them did and it gives them confidence they can do it too,” Sarbaugh said. “It’s like, “They’re doing it, so I’m going to do it.’ ”

While Herrmann was methodically mowing through the Aeros’ division rivals, back-up catcher Armando Camacaro drove in the game’s only run with a second-inning two-out single that capped a three-hit rally.

“You gotta love a guy like that who sits for four, five games but then comes in and gets the big hit and makes a great defensive play to lead us to a win,” closer Randy Newsom said.

But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here. First, right-hander reliever J.D. Martin did his job via a three-up, three-down eighth inning as set-up man to Newsom, who had just become Akron’s all-time franchise saves leader with his 25th earned in Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory.

But Thursday, Newsom had a huge assist in recording his eighth save in as many opportunities so far this season. As the save - and the win - did not come without some heroics from right fielder Ryan Goleski, who wasn’t even initially in the starting lineup until a late scratch forced him into action.

In addition to going 2-for-3, Goleski made a pair of highlight-reel catches in the field, with none better this season than his laser from medium right field that threw out the potential tying run (Brad Corley) with two outs.

Goleski’s on-the-money throw made it to Camacaro a few feet up the third base line. The veteran catcher turned and held his position to block the path to the plate all the while holding on to the ball for the huge out despite a collision that left him with a sore left leg.

When it comes to the Aeros and umpires, it has not been a good start to the season. First-year manager Mike Sarbaugh has been ejected three times in the first month - including recent back-to-back games, and right fielder Ryan Goleski was tossed after an ugly incident near the end of Tuesday night’s game.

In all fairness to Sarbaugh and Goleski, the umpiring the first couple of weeks of play has been inconsistent at best. The definition of a strike zone has not only ranged from umpire to umpire, but rather frustratingly at times, inning to inning, as well.

Still, Goleski appears to have crossed the line Tuesday when he bumped an umpire - maybe even twice, depending whom you talk to - after being ejected for arguing balls and strikes by home plate umpire Doug Levy.

Tempers began to flare in the second inning when Goleski (batting .216 in 28 games) was rung up on a boarder line strike three in the second inning. Some jawing ensued, but Goleski eventually went into the dugout peacefully and play resumed.

However, come the bottom of ninth inning with the bases loaded, one out and the host trailing 3-0, Goleski was once again caught looking for strike three on a pitch down and away and appearantly out of a normal strike zone. He immediately turned to argue, obviously said something he shouldn’t have and was quickly ejected.

But this time, Goleski did not go without incident. As he argued angrily, and appeared to chest bump Levy. Other witnesses said at one point Goleski got so close to the umpire again, that he touched him with the brim of his helmet hitting Levy on the bridge of the nose.

”I don’t know what it is with the umpires,” Sarbaugh said recently regarding his ejections, noting he was thrown out three or four times all of last season at high Class-A Kinston. “They used to give you a little bit of a warning to let you know you’re getting close. But now, I’m not getting that. I guess I’m just going to have change my ways.”

Perhaps the worst part of Goleski’s ejection is that Eastern League president Joe McEacharn happened to be visiting Canal Park, watching from behind home plate in the stands.

By the time Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Altoona Curve got underway, there was no word on whether a suspension would be handed down. However, Goleski was not in the lineup and did not play.

Infielder Brian Finegan was struggling offensively through the first month of the season - that is until he got a fire lit under him in facing his old teammates.

Finegan, a former Indians minor leaguer who was released in spring training and picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates, began to find his stroke just as rivals Altoona and Akron began to face each other recently.

The teams met each other for the first time this season in Altoona April 21-23 and find themselves matched up again in a series at Canal Park Monday through Thursday.

Batting just .136 overall in 18 games with the Curve, five of Finegan’s hits have come against the Aeros - including a 3-for-4 effort that went for naught as the Aeros topped the visitors 9-4 Monday at Canal Park.

After singling in his first two at-bats against former Class-A Kinston teammate and pitcher Kevin Dixon, Finegan (the Indians 15th selection in the 2004 draft), tried to start a two-out rally with another single in the eighth against another former Kinston mate in right-hander J.D. Martin.

When the Altoona rally was short-circuited, the Aeros responded with a seven-run eighth inning to come-from-behind and put the game away for good.

Ironically, on the other end of a similar situation as Finegan, is current Aeros utility man Brandon Chaves - a former four-year Altoona player who signed as free agent in the off season with the Indians.

“It was really weird facing them the first time in Altoona,” Chaves said. “But that’s just the way baseball is.”

Left-hander Chuck Lofgren put his best outing of the season on display Thursday morning in the Aeros 6-2 victory over visiting Erie.

Despite entering the game winless at 0-2 and carrying a hefty 8.66 ERA, the 22-year old left-hander limited the aggressive SeaWolves to a run on six hits, issuing walks to three batters while striking out nine over six strong innings.

“That’s nine strikeouts against a pretty good lineup,” said Indians farm director Ross Atkins, who was on hand Thursday to see for himself Lofgren’s fifth start this season. “Chuck’s had some issues with his release point, but today he was consistent and had a better pitch distribution than he did in his previous outing.”

Lofgren’s nine strikeouts, one shy his career high, marked the most hitters he’s fanned since striking out 10 Lynchburg Hillcats on Aug. 3, 2006 while pitching for high Class-A Kinston.

“Chuck’s been working hard since spring training on maintaining a consistent release point,” Aeros pitching coach Tony Arnold said. “His last two starts, he’s thrown the ball better, but would got hurt when he’d leave a ball up.

“This time, he was able to maintain his focus. He still had spurts where he got behind in the count to a couple guys, but he was able to make the pitch he needed to make - twice with their best hitter at the plate.”

In Tuesday’s 7-4 loss, reliever Scott Roehl held Erie to a hit and walk over 2 2/3 scoreless innings. It was as positive of a sign as the Aeros have seen out of the right-hander, who for all his success at high Class-A Kinston, has struggled every time he’s been promoted to Akron the last few years.

“I’ve (managed) him now for three or four years and what he did (in Tuesday’s outing) is what I’ve seen in the past,” Aeros manager Mike Sarbaugh said. “He was in control, he mixed up his pitches and he really kept us in the game.”

In 7 2/3 innings spanning four appearances, Roehl is 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA. He has allowed 10 runs, but just four earned on seven hits and five walks while striking out six.

Not great numbers, but not as bad as Roehl has looked in the past in previous stints in Akron. Consider that he went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in two games in 2005, 0-0 with a 9.82 ERA in seven games in ‘06.

And now, after a another rough start, he finally seems to be finding his footage in Double-A.

WALK THIS WAY - Chris Gimenez’s 15-game streak of reaching base safely came to an end Tuesday, although the Aeros catcher did make it to first base in the fourth inning via error. However, Gimenez’s penchant for working a walk - he leads the team with 17 free passes in 16 games - has him ranked fourth in the 12-team league with a .448 on-base percentage.

The Aeros played another home game at Canal Park in front of a lot of fans dressed as blue seats Tuesday night.

Granted, it was pretty cold and raining on and off. But the wetaher for the most part, has been incredibly decent for April in Northeast Ohio.

Aeros fans get a pass for Tuesdasy’s game due to the extreme weather (kudos to the 10 who stayed for the whole game) - but support for the team during the first month of the season has been all but extinct.

“Officially” the team is averaging 3,148 fans in 10 home openings - ranking seventh in the 12-team Eastern League. And while no team is ever completely honest about the actual butts in seats, anyone who has seen the team play can attest to what a stretch that probably is.

The Aeros nearly wasted another solid outing by left-hander David Huff Saturday afternoon at Canal Park. But this time the left-hander could care less.

This time, the Aeros came back to win 2-1 in 10 innings against visiting Harrisburg to snap a three-game losing streak.

Thus, instead of raising their winless streak to 0-5 with Huff on the mound, they instead handed him a much more palatable no-decision.

“I don’t really care about my win-loss record as long as our team’s winning,” said Huff, who has now gone 17.1 innings without allowing an earned run spanning three starts. “So I don’t have a winning record and a lot of no-decisions. I have no problem with that.”

Matt Whitney’s two-out double down the right field line in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Michael Aubrey from first, with Aubrey safely sliding just under the tag of catcher Luke Montz before being mobbed by his giddy teammates.

But the call didn’t rest well with Senators manager John Stearns, who upstaged the Aeros celebration by putting on quite a show in trying to change the mind of home plate umpire Brad Purdom. Stearns slammed his helmet, threw his gum and stalked Purdom belly-to-belly as he tried to exit the field.

But unlike Aeros manager Mike Sarbaugh, who was ejected with a quick hook the previous two games, Stearns’ tantrum was allowed to go on - as was the one by Harrisburg’s Jorge Padilla after being called out on strikes to end the sixth inning.

Taking the high road, Sarbaugh had little so say about the umpire’s sudden cache of patience and opted instead to talk about Huff’s impressive five-inning outing.

“He did a real good job using both sides of the plates and mixing in his off-speed pitches,” Sarbaugh said.

After watching the Senators bombard his fellow pitchers for a combined 27 runs the previous two games, Huff limited them to one unearned run on a harmless single. He also struck out five, giving him a team-high 25 on the season.

“My thought coming in was that they were getting too comfortable in the box,” Huff said. “I was trying to make them uncomfortable by working both sides of the plate and throwing my fastball up and in to shake things up a little bit.”

Harrisburg’s run came in the fourth inning on a one-out walk that was parleyed into a run on Huff’s throwing error to first while trying to nab Luis Jimenez on a dribbler down the third base line.

“Being a slow runner, I thought I could get him,” Huff said. “The whole time (catcher Armando Camacaro) is going, ‘No! No! No!’, but I was so caught up in the moment I didn’t really hear him.”

It didn’t matter, as Akron’s Brandon Chaves tied the game with a two-out solo home run to right field in the seventh - leaving the close contest in the hands of the bullpens.

Akron’s T.J. Burton, Jeff Stevens and Randy Newsom pitched five scoreless innings to hold up their end of the bargain. Former Aero Jim Ed Warden took the loss for Harrisburg.

Minor league baseball managers don’t often get ejected from back-to-back games - it simply costs too much. But the typically laid-back Mike Sarbaugh isn’t often baited as much as he has been the last two nights, either.

Twenty-four hours after being tossed for arguing balls and strikes in the sixth inning of the Aeros 13-6 blowout loss to visiting Harrisburg Thursday at Canal Park, the Aeros rookie manager found himself heading into the home clubhouse early again Friday.

Sarbaugh’s latest ejection came an inning earlier in another dismantling by Harrisburg in Friday’s 14-7 loss. Just moments after J.D. Martin entered the game in relief of starter Chuck Lofgren, he appeared to nab Roger Bernadina at first base with his patented pick-off move.

But as a pumped-up Martin and his infield teammates began to jog off the field, home plate umpire Shaun Francis adamantly signaled balk. Not only did he point Bernadina toward second vase, but he also waived William Bergolla home from third to push the Senators advantage to 6-3.

Instantly Sarbaugh dashed out of the dugout to argue, but to no avail.

“I thought that call changed the whole complexion of that inning, and I think it changed the entire complexion of the game,” he said.

Like Thursday’s game, the rest of Friday’s action was all down hill for the Aeros from there, save for a too-late two-run rally in the ninth. That’s because Martin gave up a run-scoring triple to Justin Maxwell before a diving catch in center field by Jose Costanza ended the controversial inning.

Martin still hadn’t settled down by the sixth, dishing up a two-run home run on a hanging curve to .212-hitting Ian Desmond as the visitors lead swelled to five runs.

With yet another blowout loss, the 7-13 Aeros dipped further into last-place oblivion in the Eastern League Southern Division, while the division-leading Senators (14-7) increased their cushion to 6.5 games ahead of Akron.

“Anytime you’re in a little funk like we are now, definitely the frustration sets in,” Sarbaugh said. “But like I told (the team) today, this is how you find out a little about yourself - through adversity. We just have to keep working and find our way through it.”

It’s still early in the season, but if the young Aeros pitching doesn’t get it turned it around soon, they’ll have dug the team in a hole too deep for even the most talented hitting teams (which at this point appears to be Harrisburg and Binghamton) to dig out of.

It was not a good night all around for the Aeros.

Back home at Canal Park to kick off a four-game series against visiting Harrisburg, the host quickly fell behind and never recovered, losing 11-6 Thursday in front of a sparse crowd. It felt more like 50-6 watching it live.

Aeros starting pitcher Kevin Dixon was tagged for eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and three walks in just 2 1/3 innings. In four starts so far this season, Dixon has yet to earn a win, suffering ing his third loss Thursday in giving up four-run innings in the first and third.

Although Akron’s stagnant offense came to life to the tune of 14 hits, as Aeros manager Mike Sarbaugh said “we couldn’t keep them from scoring to catch up.”

Perhaps the frustration of a 7-12 season boiled over for Sarbaugh in the sixth inning, when he was ejceted with two outs for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire. Sometimes managers will purposely get tossed in an effort to fire up his team. But with his two young sons in attendance for the first time this season, his tossing had more to do with the home plate umpire’s incredibly shrinking strike zone than looking to make a statement.

Besides, Aeros reliever Sung-Wei Tseng responded to the ejection by promptly allowing a three-run homer to Andrew LeFave - his first of the year. After posting a promising four-run second inning, Akron’s ofense managed just two more runs the rest of the way.