Altoona Curve Game Information: April 9, 2014
April 9, 2014 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ABOUT YESTERDAY: Altoona used the long ball to down the Akron RubberDucks, 4-3, in the opener of the shortened two-game series on Tuesday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. All four of the runs that the Curve plated on Tuesday night all came via the home run with solo shots from Stetson Allie, Jarek Cunningham, Mel Rojas, Jr. and the walk- off winner from Willy Garcia in the last of the ninth inning. 40-man lefty Joely Rodriguez made his Double-A debut on Tuesday night as well and continued the trend of solid starting pitching in 2014, turning in a quality start (6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 0 K) in a no decision. Tyler Sample (1-0), who will be in the rotation but was pitching in relief due to the excessive amount of rainouts to start the season, earned the win after giving up an unearned run across three relief frames. Gift Ngoepe had the team's only multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a walk.
CURVE/RUBBERDUCKS SERIES: Wednesday night's game is the second of 20 matchups between the two clubs and the second of ten to be played at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The Curve haven't had the best luck against the Rubber- Ducks, who are formerly known as the Akron Aeros. In the 16-year history of the Curve, the team holds a 145-172 record all time against Akron. FOR ALTOONA: On the bump for the Curve in the series finale with the 'Ducks will be southpaw Zack Dodson, who will be making his first start of 2014 (second appearance). Dodson came out of the bullpen on Sunday to get some work in after all the rain that postponed the first two games of the Erie series. Tonight's start will be Dodson's second at the Double-A level and first at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The Texas native was called up from High-A Bradenton last August for a spot start in the second game of a doubleheader at Binghamton on August 6. In that start, Dodson allowed six runs on eight hits in four innings with four walks. Immediately following that start, however, Dodson flour- ished for High-A Bradenton, spinning seven hitless innings and striking out five. For more on Dodson, see page two.
FOR AKRON: Heading to the middle of the pond for the RubberDucks will be RHP Gabriel Arias, who will be making his first start in the Indians organization. A native of the Dominican Republic, Arias was signed by the Indians this past offseason after he spent the first eight years of his MiLB career a product of the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system. Last season, Arias spent 12 games (seven starts) with High-A Clearwater and was 6-2 with a 2.47 ERA with opponents hitting just .248 off him. His first-half performance had him selected to the FSL mid-season All-Star squad but he did not pitch in any games after May 26 of last season.
THE FOUR HORSEMEN: Stetson Allie, Jarek Cunningham, Mel Rojas, Jr. and Willy Garcia all homered on Tuesday night in the Curve's win over Akron. For Allie and Garcia, the homers were also their first hits of the season. The four homers as a team were the most on the young season in a single game after the Curve didn't hit any in the three- game (two-day) series versus Erie. The team record for most homers in a game is five, which was tied last year on June 2 in Portland. The power surge shouldn't be an exception but more of the norm from this group as three of the four guys that hit home runs last night (Allie, Cunningham & Garcia) all had at least 16 home runs in 2013.
QUALITY CARE: Adrian Sampson, Nick Kingham and Joely Rodriguez have all registered a quality start their first time through the rotation this season. All told, Curve starters are 1-1 with an ERA of 2.45 in 21 innings pitched so far this season. As a staff overall, the Curve lead the 12-team Eastern League with a 2.25 ERA but have also played the fewest amount of games.
DIAZ IS DAZZLING: In the three games he has played this year, Elias Diaz has gone 5-for-8 which includes his two- RBI double in Sunday's victory over the SeaWolves. The 23 year old was acquired by the Pirates as a non-drafted free agent in 2008 from Maracaibo, Venezuela and spent all of 2013 with the Bradenton Marauders. While there, Diaz batted .279 with two home runs and 15 RBI. After throwing out only 26% of base stealers in 2013, Diaz threw out both runners who tried to steal against him Sunday and is 2-of-3 so far this season.
PROSPECTOR: The 2014 Altoona Curve Opening Day roster contains seven of the Top-30 prospects in the Pirates system according to Baseball America. Nick Kingham (No. 5), Alen Hanson (No. 6), Willy Garcia (No. 14), Stetson Allie (No. 23), Adrian Sampson (No. 27), Gift Ngoepe (No. 29), and Joely Rodriguez (No. 30) make up the seven players on the list. Kingham also is listed as having the system's best changeup and best control, Ngoepe the system's best defensive infielder and Garcia the best outfield arm. Hanson also found himself on some additional prospect lists entering the 2014 season, checking in as the 67th-best prospect entering 2014 according to MLB. com and the 76th-best in the Baseball America Top-100. Kingham joined Hanson on the BA list and is slotted as the 64th-best prospect in MiLB.
THE CUPID SHUFFLE: Three of the four Altoona infielders from the Open- ing Day lineup spent time with the Curve in 2013. While the same group of players is returning, some will be playing in different positions. Jarek Cunningham, who primarily played second base in each of the last two seasons and has logged 429 career games at second base (of 470 played), will move to third base in 2014 (30 previous games played in his MiLB career). Gift Ngoepe, who played at short during his stint with the Curve in 2013, will move to the vacated second base spot. Ngoepe has logged 85 games (of his 364 total games played) at second base and last played there in Bradenton in 2012.
HE MUST WORKOUT: Outfielder Willy Garcia (No. 14 - Baseball America) joins the Curve to start the season, which will be his first in Double-A. Garcia led the entire Pirates minor league system and Florida State League in outfield assists in 2013, throwing out 20 runners. The Curve record for outfield assists in a season is 18, which was set by Starling Marte in 2011.
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