IronBirds Drop the Rubber Match Against the ValleyCats 11-5

Aberdeen, MD: Tonight we had starting pitchers from both teams with Major League experince. But it was the ballplayers with aspirations to reach that big league level one day, that made the noise in tonights ballgame. 
TESTING,TESTING:Chris Tillman, who was making his first rehab start since being placed on the disabled list over a month ago, threw 2.0 IP tonight, giving up three runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out one.
His counterpart, Brady Rodgers, also finsihed with 2.0IP and gave up four earned runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked one. Rodgers was making his first start since coming back from Tommy John Surgery. 
A SWING AND A DRIVE:Before tonights ballgame, the Ironbirds pitching staff had a season high of three hits given up in a single inning. That changed tonight when four of the first five batters Victor Romero faced in the top half of the third inning, hit extra base-hits off of the right hander. Seth Beer started off the inning with a double and was followed by back to back home runs by Enmanual Valdez and Michael Wielansky. 
SHUT DOWN RELIEF: ValleyCats usual starter, Chad Danato, came in relief for Brady Rodgers in the third and dominated through five innings of pitching. He tied the season high of ten strikeouts in those five innings and only gave up one hit. 
Nick Gruener was fantastic for the IronBirds in relief as he pitched 4.0 innings of one hit baseball, striking out seven. 
BIRD WATCHIN': Alexis Torres has made an early impact in his two games with the IronBirds. So far, Torres has collected a hit in each of his first two games. Tonight, he hit an moonshot deep into the night for his first homer here in Aberdeen. 
UP NEXT: The Ironbirds will head out for their first road trip as the take on the Staten Island Yankees in the first of a three game set. First pitch set for 7:05.