By MIKE ASHMORE
For The Trentonian

TRENTON — It’s time to switch things up in Trenton.

The Trentonian has learned that professional baseball’s only switch-pitcher, Pat Venditte, has been promoted to the Thunder. The move was confirmed with Mark Newman, the Yankees Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations.

Venditte and another reliever — most likely righty Jonathan Ortiz — are expected to be at Waterfront Park today to replace fellow relievers George Kontos and John Van Benschoten, who were summoned to Triple-A Scranton.

The 25-year-old Venditte has garnered national attention for his unique ability to throw from both his left and right sides, and despite not being considered a prospect in most circles, he’s posted a sporty 4-1 record with a 1.63 ERA and six saves in 40 appearances with High-A Tampa.

Highlights of Venditte’s 2008 professional debut in Brooklyn, while he was a member of the Staten Island Yankees, appeared on Sportscenter and other nationally televised programs. The game was delayed for seven minutes when the Cyclones Ralph Henriquez kept switching sides in the batters box depending on which arm Venditte was going to be throwing with.

This incident led to the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation to create a new rule, usually referred to as “The Pat Vendite Rule.” It reads: The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on a particular hand is considered a definitive commitment to which arm he will throw with. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from.

Venditte and possibly Ortiz are being brought up to shore up a bullpen that been in flux for most of the year. Losing Kontos and Van Benschoten certainly won’t help matters. Kontos, in a return from Tommy John surgery, posted an 0-2 record with a 3.38 ERA in 17 appearances this season.

The Northwestern alum starred for the Thunder in 2008 and early on in 2009 as a starter, but was converted to a reliever after injuring his elbow while pitching with Scranton last year.

Thanks to Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times Tribune for this, but John Van Benschoten has been called to Triple-A to replace Boone Logan, who was called to New York to take Chan Ho Park's spot on the roster.

With the Thunder, Van Benschoten -- a first-round selection in the 2001 draft -- was 1-0 in two games, with four innings total.

There's no word of a corresponding move for the Thunder, who are now carrying 23 players. If I had to make a guess, I'd say either Cory Arbiso or Edwar Gonzalez comes off the disabled list. If they do make a real call-up, however, I would be shocked if Pat Venditte, who has been excellent with Tampa, doesn't get the call.

Good afternoon. The Thunder lost last night for the first time in 2010, 5-1 to the Akron Aeros. D.J. Mitchell wasn't sharp, and the bats -- except for David Adams, who had another three hits -- weren't humming.

John Van Benschoten, a first-round pick of the Pirates in 2001, took the disabled Christian Garcia's spot on the roster and relieved Mitchell in the fourth inning. That notebook also has news on Marcos Vechionacci's role with the team and Damon Sublett's status.

Another note on Van Benschoten: He is now the third pick from the first round of the 2001 draft to play with the Thunder, joining Justin Pope and Alan Horne.

Today's starters around the minors:

Charleston - Shaeffer Hall (0-0, 0.00)
Tampa - Hector Noesi (1-0, 0.00)
Trenton - Lance Pendleton (1-0, 0.00)
Scranton - Ivan Nova (0-0, 0.00)

For Trenton, Lance Pendleton is taking Garcia's spot in the rotation, and probably will be for the forseeable future. He and Wilkin De La Rosa were supposed to be relievers this season, but plans changed when Garcia tore a ligament in his right elbow. Here's the story I did on Sunday, just after Pendleton found out he was going back into the rotation.

Check back later for the live blog from Waterfront Park.

Lineups
Akron
CF - Fedroff
3B - Chisenhall
LF - Weglarz
1B - McBride
RF - Drennen
SS - Rivero
2B - Phelps
DH - Goedert
C - Toregas

Trenton
CF - Krum
2B - Adams
C - Romine
3B - Laird
LF - Gorecki
RF - Brewer
DH - Smith
1B - Vechionacci
SS - Nunez

Notes: Yes, you read that right, Marcos Vechionacci is playing first base. He's done it four times in his professional career and is doing it again tonight. He's in a utility role with the Thunder, and first base is part of that role. Manager Tony Franklin said before the game that we might see him in the outfield sometime this season.

Christian Garcia is still here, and was shagging balls and hitting a few fungoes before the game. This came as a bit of a shock to me, just because I thought that, with an injury of that magnitude, just about everything having to do with that arm would cause considerable pain.

I was wrong.

Garcia told me before the game that he can do everything but throw a ball with that arm. If he wanted, he could even flip balls underhand. The only thing he does that causes considerable pain is extending his arm, a fairly critical part of pitching.

John Van Benschoten joined the team today to take the place of Garcia, who was officially placed on the disabled list. Van Benschoten is a former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

First inning: Mitchell's trademark two-seamer didn't seem to be biting, but he worked around a leadoff hit and a one-out walk to get out of the inning unscathed.

Austin Krum and Austin Romine each fan, and David Adams gets picked off of first by Ryan Edell, who has a fantastic move.

Second inning: A lot of ground balls have gone through against Mitchell, but the big damage came on Jared Goedert's RBI single into the corner in left. He advanced to second on the play. Cord Phelps, who had singled before Goedert, scored on catcher Wyatt Toregas' fielder's choice.

Thunder go 1-2-3. Dan Brewer made a loud out on a long lineout to center field. 2-0 Akron.

Third inning: Matt McBride opened with a single, but the cat-like Marcos Vechionacci turned a swift 3-6-3 double play to help Mitchell escape that jam.

Kevin Smith opened with a walk, but Vechionacci, Nunez and Krum all went down in order to keep it scoreless.

Fourth inning: A wild pitch scored one run, and Rahway native Tim Fedroff's single drove home another. Lonnie Chisenhall made a loud out to center and finished Mitchell's night. John Van Benschoten relieved and allowed a hit before getting out of the inning. 4-0 Akron.

David Adams led off with a hit, but Austin Romine flew to left, Brandon Laird fanned and Adams was caught stealing by catcher Wyatt Toregas.

Fifth inning: Both teams go 1-2-3, with the Thunder flying out to shortstop, second base and left field.

Sixth inning: Van Benschoten gets around a walk and a hit to open the frame, and Luis Nunez hits a long home run to left field to get the Thunder on the board. 4-1 Akron.

Seventh inning: The heart of the Thunder's order -- Austin Romine, Brandon Laird and Reid Gorecki -- went down on a strikeout, a fly to left and a foul pop to catcher Wyatt Toregas, who made fantastic play near the fence.

Eighth inning: With two on and two out, Austin Krum gave one a long ride to right-center field, but it died in the wind and turned into a long flyout.

Ninth inning: Aeros add one on a John Drennen sac fly, Thunder have Adams, Romine and Laird coming up.