Aberdeen IronBirds Finish the Season One Game Away from a Playoff Spot

After a fantastic month of July, where the Aberdeen IronBirds went 21 and eight, they had a very slow start to August. They won their first game of the month, but then went on to lose their next eight in a row. On August 10th, the IronBirds looked to end their longest losing streak of the year as they faced the Staten Island Yankees. The game was back and forth, as the IronBirds entered the bottom of the 9th tied at three. After a leadoff walk by Dalton Hoiles, a sac bunt by Clay Fisher and a sac fly by Shayne Fontana put Hoiles at third with two outs and brought 2019 1st overall pick Adley Rutschman to the plate. On a 0-1 count, Rutschman singled, scoring Hoiles and putting an end to the IronBirds dreaded eight-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over Staten Island. 
Following the walk-off win, the IronBirds started a new series with the Vermont Lake Monsters, an Oakland Athletics affiliate, where they dominated. The IronBirds won the first game of the series 11-0, but what happened in game two was special. Pitcher Jake Lyons got the start for the IronBirds and pitched amazing, giving up no hits and just one walk through five innings. This was Lyons' longest pitching appearance of the season, so it came to no surprise when James Ryan came in the relive him in the 6th. Ryan continued the excellent pitching performance, going three hitless innings and taking an IronBirds no-hitter into the ninth. Kyle Martin relived Ryan in the bottom of the ninth, three outs away from a no-hitter. Martin had a perfect ninth, striking out all three batters and completing the IronBirds no-hitter. The three pitchers combined for eight strikeouts and just one walk in the first no-hitter in the 17-year history of the IronBirds. The IronBirds capped the series off with a 7-2 victory, giving them a series sweep of the Lake Monsters.
The IronBirds stayed hot, winning five of their next seven games including a series win over the Lake Monsters and the Staten Island Yankees. In the final game of the series with the Lake Monsters, the Orioles number one overall prospect, Adley Rutschman, went five for five and was a double away from hitting for the cycle. This was Rutschman's final game as an IronBird as he was called up to the Orioles Single-A team, the Delmarva Shorebirds. The IronBirds won four of their next six games, putting them one game up of the Brooklyn Cyclones for the second wild-card spot in Single-A Short Season. The IronBirds faced the Hudson Valley Renegades for their final series of the season. The IronBirds were unable to get the series win, winning just one of the three games. The Cyclones swept their series against the Staten Island Yankees, knocking the IronBirds out of the second wild-card spot by only one game. The IronBirds finished the month with a 15 and 15 record and end the season one game back of first place in the New-York Penn Leauge.
Players of the Month
Kevin Magee SP
4-1, .49 ERA, 7 G, 7 GS, 37 IP, 27 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 46 SO, .89 WHIP, .243 OPP AVG
Adley Rutschman C
.338 AVG, .438 OBP, 16G, 21 for 62, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 10 R, 10 BB, 15 K