Altoona Curve Game Information: May 22, 2013
Published on May 22, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ABOUT YESTERDAY...: The Curve offense was kept off the board for a second time on this road trip and for the sev- enth time this season in a, 3-0, loss to the Reading Fightins on Tuesday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. Pirates RHP Charlie Morton (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing two runs on four hits in 4.2 innings before reaching his 80-pitch limit in the game after a two-out double by Tyson Gillies in the fifth inning. Altoona's bats were quieted by the reign- ing Eastern League Player of the Month in Reading's Jesse Biddle (3-3). Biddle nearly matched his career-high in innings pitched, falling a third of an inning short by dealing 7.2 innings of shutout ball. He struck out nine Curve hitters and did not allow a hit until Carlos Paulino hit a bloop single down the line in right to break up his no-hit bid in the fifth. Andrew Lambo, Drew Maggi and Mel Rojas, Jr. had the other three hits in the game for the Curve on Tuesday. Luis Sanz came in behind Morton and allowed one run in 2.1 innings while walking three.
CURVE/FIGHTINS SERIES: The Curve and the Reading Fightin Phils meet for the first time this season in the four- game series at FirstEnergy Stadium. It will be the only time that the two clubs meet in Reading in 2013 but they'll have a pair of series in Curve, Pa. (one in early June and the other in mid-August). FOR ALTOONA: Back to the bump in the center of the diamond goes David Bromberg, who last pitched in a relief role piggybacking behind Charlie Morton last Thursday in the homestand finale vs. Trenton. Bromberg was stellar in that relief outing, dealing five no-hit innings and retiring the first 12 batters he faced before walking Ramon Flores in the top of the ninth. He rebounded from there to get the next three batters and seal the win for the Curve. In his most recent start, Bromberg started the second game of a twinbill with Richmond back on May 11. He earned his first win of the season in that start, allowing three runs in 5+ innings (he faced three batters in the sixth). For more on Bromberg, see page two.
FOR READING: RHP Hector Neris will throw for the Fightins in game three tonight and make his 12th appearance of the season (sixth start). Neris started five-of-six games from April 20 to May 5 and went 2-1 with a 4.38 ERA In those five starts. Born in Villa Altagracia, D.R., Neris spent all of 2012 with the Clearwater Threshers in High-A and appeared in 50 games all out of the bullpen. He went 4-2 last year while amassing a 3.55 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 78.2 innings pitched. Prior to this season, Neris had started just one game in his professional career. That start came way back in 2010 as a member of the GCL Phillies.
CHARLIE AND THE HIT FACTORY: Catcher Charlie Cutler has been a steady force to be reckoned with in the Curve offense this season. He's been especially happy hitting at Peoples Natural Gas Field, batting a blistering .387 (12- for-31) in 11 games. He's also had the flair for dramatics in some big victories for the Curve this season. His hit in the bottom of the ninth vs. Richmond on April 16 tied the game and forced extra innings. The Curve later won that game with Cutler scoring the winning run. He also won the second game of a doubleheader in Harrisburg with an 11th-inning double. Lastly, he ended the game on Sunday with Richmond when he sailed a ball deep to center that Squirrels centerfielder Jarrett Parker dropped to allow Andrew Lambo to score and secure a walk-off win.
A HECKUVA SALES PITCH: The Curve pitching staff ranks third in the Eastern League entering play today with its 3.87 team ERA. Despite going 1-4 on the current road trip, the pitching staff has an ERA of 3.29 through the first five games of the seven-game roadie. Casey Sadler (who once again will now start tomorrow) has the fifth-best ERA in the league at 2.79 while teammate Jameson Taillon checks in eighth with his 3.02 ERA. Taillon's 57 strikeouts are third-most in the circuit while Sadler has 58.0 innings logged this season,which is second-most in the league. THE RETURN OF THE HOMER: The Curve have spent five days away from Peoples Natural Gas Field and have hit five homers on the current road trip to break a seven-game home run drought that occurred during the last homes- tand. Jarek Cunningham, Gift Ngoepe, Andrew Lambo and Adalberto Santos have all gone deep so far in the first four games with Cunningham having two homers. However, the Curve went 5-2 on the homerless homestand and have gone 1-4 to start this road trip.
HE EATS HIS WHEATIES: OF/1B Andrew Lambo singled in his last at bat in the ninth inning on Tuesday and con- tinued his impressive streak of reaching base in all but three games to start the season (40-of-43). Lambo leads the team in home runs, RBI, hits and is tied for the team lead in walks. His eight home runs are fourth-most in the EL entering play today.
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: 2010 Curve SS Chase d'Arnaud joined the Curve on Saturday night to continue his ML rehab assignment as he is recovering from a partially torn ligament in his left thumb that he suffered in Spring Train- ing. He played in two games with High-A Bradenton earlier this week (Thursday and Friday) and went a combined 2-for-6 with a triple, RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. In his two rehab games with the Curve so far, d'Arnaud is 0-for-7.
DON'T FORGET YOUR TOOTHBRUSH: The Curve are now five games into one of the tougher stretches on their 2013 schedule. Altoona is in a period of the season where they are playing 13-of-17 games away from home with- out the benefit of a day off. Done with the series in Richmond, the Curve are now in the midst four-game series with the Reading Fightin Phils in their only trip to FirstEnergy Stadium this season. Then it's back home on Friday for a Memorial Day weekend series with Richmond before its back on the road through Binghamton and Portland.
Eastern League Stories from May 22, 2013
- Fightins Win Third Straight Behind Hammerin' Hewitt's HR - Reading Fightin Phils
- Aeros Drop Fifth Straight as Rally Falls Short - Akron RubberDucks
- Baysox Take Advantage of Aeros Errors - Chesapeake Baysox
- Comeback Bid Falls Just Short in 5-4 Loss at Richmond - Trenton Thunder
- Beleagured Bullpen Hangs on for Squirrels, 5-4 - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Four-Homer Effort Not Enough in Walk-Off Loss - Altoona Curve
- B-Mets Ride Four-Run Fourth to 8-3 Win - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Meneses provides walk-off single, 'Dogs win 5-4 in 10-innings - Portland Sea Dogs
- Fisher Cats Fall 5-4 to Portland in Extras - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Binghamton Claws Rock Cats, 8-3 - New Britain Rock Cats
- Senators To Aid Tornado Relief Efforts - Harrisburg Senators
- Altoona Curve Game Information: May 22, 2013 - Altoona Curve
- Bowie Baysox Make Player Moves - Chesapeake Baysox
- Sea Dogs Game Notes May 22 vs. New Hampshire - Portland Sea Dogs
- Fisher Cats, UNH Launch MiLB Hat Program to Benefit Military Veterans - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- SeaWolves Walk Off on Harrisburg - Erie SeaWolves
- Sea Dogs To Play Game at Fenway Park - Portland Sea Dogs
- B-Mets vs. Rock Cats - Game Notes - May 22, 2013 - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Thunder Announce Expanded Beverage Offerings - Trenton Thunder
- SeaWolves vs. Senators - Game Notes - May 22, 2013 - Erie SeaWolves
- Flying Squirrels To Team Up With Hops For Heroes - Richmond Flying Squirrels
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