The Areos wrapped up their important three-game set in Erie Wednesday night, limping out of town after going just 1-2. New closer Jim Ed Warden blew a save Tuesday that cost the game and then usually steady Reid Santos was unable to locate the strike zone in his second inning of work Wednesday to cost the team a win that would have given them a much-need series victory.

Instead, the Aeros open play in Reading tonight having won just 2 of their last 9 games - and now no longer needs to worry about first-place Erie.

As Aeros back up play-by-play man Joe Jastremski keeps telling me while traveling with the team on this key road trip, “The Sea Wolves are playing like a team that will hold on to first place and claim the Southern Division title.”

Meanwhile, the Aeros now need to focus instead on charging third-place team Bowie (5 games back), who becomes the real threat to knock the Aeros (2.5 games back) out of the wild-card spot and the playoffs all together.

I’ve recently stated my opinions on this blog as to why the Aeros are stumbling down the stretch so badly (no real help from Class-A Kinston after the Aeros top players are promoted to Triple-A Buffalo, which has been the norm for years).

But it doesn’t sound like Michael Aubrey’s activation from the disabled list yesterday is going to help matters much. Not only does it push productive player/coach Shaun Larkin back to the bench, but because Aubrey has rarely played this season even close to 100 % healthy, he’s a major liability on the bases.

Jastremski reports that in Wednesday’s game with Aubrey on first base, Rodney Choy Foo hit a sure double behind him, but had to retreat back to first base when Aubrey could make it no farther than second base on the hit. Plays like that cost the team crucial runs - and could prove disasterous under the microscope of the post season if the Aeros are to hold on to second place and make the playoffs.

Some good news: The foul ball of the right hand of cather Wyatt Toregas in Tuesday’s game that forced him to leave in the bottom of the second inning did not break any bones. In fact, though his hand is heavily wrapped, Toregas was catching in the bullpen Wednesday night.

Aeros manager Tim Bogar told Jastremski he hopes to have Toregas back in the lineup in time for Friday’s double header at Reading.

Six Aeros will be accompanying Aeros manager Tim Bogar to the Eastern League All-Star Game July 11 - the highest number of players from the 12-team league.

Making the trip to Norwich, Ct., with Bogar are pitchers Randy Newsom and Reid Santos, first baseman Jordan Brown, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, catcher Wyatt Toregas and right fielder Brian Barton.

‘‘I’m not surprised at all that we placed so many guys,” Bogar told me Monday aftrenoon from Erie, Pa., where the Aeros are playing on the second leg of a three-city road trip. “Jordan Brown is having a great year, Brian Barton is doing well and Asdrubal Cabrera is perhaps the best player in the league. Wyatt’s catching abilities behind the plate set him apart, and enough
can’t be said about the job Reid has done in a variety of roles for us and how Randy has stepped right into such an important closer’s role.”

Bogar is right. Hoever, that doesn’t always translate into the right players being picked (anyone remember Ronald “Bear” Bay going just last year?) But voters - media and fans - got it right this season. Consider:

Cabrera and Brown vied for the honor of the Aeros’ first-half MVP, with the slick fielding Cabrera owning the third-best batting average in the league at .338 (91-for-269) featuring a league-high 64 runs scored.

But the slugging Brown has been just as important, checking in at sixth place in league batting average (.321), but owning league highs in hits (95) and doubles (25).

Toregas may be batting just .240 (41-for-171), but there’s more to the selection of the catcher than the obvious stats - as Bogar said he considers Toregas’ game-caling and defense to be among the leagues best.

While steady most of the first half, Barton has begun to take his game to another level over the last month of play. Plus, he’s not afraid to take one - or two - for the team. In 75 games, Barton is batting .303 (82-for-271) with 11 doubles, seven home runs, 40 RBI and a minor-league-leading 24 hit-by-pitches.

That leaves the lefty Santos and side-arming righty Newsom - a pair of pitchers who have been instrumental in keeping the Aeros pitching staff ranked among the best in the league.

The do-it-all Santos started out as a late-inning reliever, moved over to closing when the team’s original closer Bubbie Buzachero was promoted to Triple-A and has spent the last six game in the starting rotation. In 22 games, he’s 5-1 with a save and a sparkling 1.99
ERA and 44 strikeouts.

All Newsom has done since he joined the team May 12 is go 12-for-12 in save opportunities while recording a 3-0 mark and 2.28 ERA along the way.

The Aeros are 8-2 over their last 10 games, having taking over the best record in the league with a 49-31 mark entering Sunday’s game at Erie.

With the win streak, they’ve stretched their first-place lead in the Southern Division to 3.5 games over the SeaWolves.

Last week, closer Randy Newsom led the league with four saves to make him 11-for-11 in save situations. Hey, even Trevor Crowe had a four-hit game Wednesday in a win at Binghamton.

Then there’s newcomer Chris Gimenez, a catcher/infielder who was called up from Class-A Kinston Friday and homerd in his first game with the Aeros and is hitting. 333 in two games so far.

Before the Aeros left town last Tuesday, manager Tim Bogar talked about how important this long road stretch would be - playing 13 games (two make ups from the beginning of the year against Binghamton) in 11 days. So far, the team has responded in a way that has to have Bogar thinking playoffs will likely be in the team’s future this season.

* Can you believe Randy Newsom is 7-for-7 in save opportunities? Truthfully, I can. He is one special kid, and I don’t mean baseball-wise. Heck, he probably has the least real “baseball” talent of any of the Aeros, but is such a superior human being. His sharp mental state and fun-loving way of looking at the game more than makes up for anything he lacks in skills. I am glad to see a non-drafted kid getting a legimate shot.

* Before talking to reporters after earning his first win as a astarting pitcher at Akron this season on Thursday, Jake Dittler took a minute to retrieve his new baby from his wife to show around the lockerroom. The look on his face as showed off little Andrew was precious. What do you want to bet becoming a father goes a long way in helping Dittler “grow up” on the mound? He’s always had decent stuff, it’s just been a matter of maturely handling himself on the mound and not letting his emotions get the best of him.

* I’ve always liked catcher Armando Camacaro. But that’s always been because he always has a smile on his face - win or loss, having played - or as he does most of the time, whether just sitting the bench. With all the moves at the catching position since Javier Herrera was traded, Camacaro has had a chance to play and show off what he can do. In his first game of the year (two months into the season), he hit a home run and had a career-night in RBI. Yesterday, he tagged out a pair of runners at the plate on throws to the plate. Odds are he’ll become the odd man out again now that starter Wyatt Toregas is healthy, but here’s hoping we still get to see a little of Camcaro here and there.

* Lastly, it doesn’t take a baseball purist to see that injury-magnet first baseman Michael Aubrey is probably hurt again. Aubrey’s only been with the Aeros two weeks, and already he’s hobbling around so much, it’s a liability to put him on the bases in a close game. Recently, he’s had Sunday, Monday and now Thursday off to help his sore legs/back - whatever it is this time. Aubrey has always been a professional guy to deal with, but he has got to find a way to stay healthy and play. There’s no doubt in my mind the Indians patience is wearing thin.

The revolving door that has become the Aeros bullpen spun some more over the past week as the Aeros added right-hander T.J. Burton to the mix from Class-A Kinston.

Burton joins recent newcomers in left-hander Rich Rundles from Extended Spring Training and right-hander Randy Newsom from Kinston - both, as luck would have it, are sidearmers.

“You have a bunch of guys out there now who are bullpen guys, and have been,” Aeros manager Tim Bogar said. “I like the way our bullpen sets up now. I like having Newsom and Rundles like that and (Reid) Santos closing the game.”

Bogar was referring to the Aeros starting the season with a handful of pitchers in the bullpen who were really starters like Joe Ness (who’s now in the starting rotation) and Jake Dittler (since promoted to Triple-A Buffalo).

On Monday, right-hander Nick Pesco joined the group from Triple-A Buffalo, giving Bogar even more options late in the game.

Newsom earned his first save Tuesday night in the Aeros 5-3 win - a sight Aeros fans ought to get used to, especially with Santos struggling as of late.