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 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: July 24, 2014 at Bowie

July 24, 2014 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ABOUT YESTERDAY: Altoona's offense pounded 17 hits en route to an 8-5 win over the New Britain Rock Cats on Wednesday afternoon at New Britain Stadium. It was the second straight day that the Curve put on a barrage of hits, with 17 Wednesday and 18 the day before. The Curve scored in the first thanks to an RBI single by Willy Garcia. In the second inning, Altoona hit New Britain starter Pat Dean hard thanks to three straight home runs off the bats of Keon Broxton, Gift Ngoepe, and Carlos Paulino. That lead was more than enough for Curve starter Adrian Sampson, who went six innings and allowed two runs to earn his team-best ninth win of the season. In the eighth, Kenn Kas- parek entered with a runner in scoring position, worked out of the jam, and notched a four-out save, his sixth save of the year.

CURVE/BAYSOX SERIES: The Curve will conclude their road trip with this four-game series against the Bowie Baysox beginning tonight at Prince George's Stadium. Altoona last came to Bowie at the beginning of the month and split the four-game series. The Curve battled the Baysox at the end of the last homestand and split that four-game set as well. However, Altoona took two-of-three from Bowie in Curve, Pa. in early May and lead the season series 6-5.

FOR ALTOONA: LHP Jhonathan Ramos gets the call for the Curve in game one of the series against the Baysox. This season, Ramos is 2-3 with a 5.34 ERA in 24 games with the Curve and is looking for his first win as a starter this year. In his last, and only, start for the Curve, he received a no-decision after he allowed three runs on 7 hits over 4.2 innings of work. The southpaw has worked predominantly out of the bullpen for both Altoona and Triple-A Indianapo- lis, but started his last game with the Indians before he returned to Altoona shortly after the All-Star Break. For more on Ramos, see page two.

FOR BOWIE: RHP Zach Davies will get another chance against the Curve in game one of the series for Bowie. The Arizona native went 6.1 innings in his last start against the Curve but suffered the loss after he gave up all four runs in Altoona's 4-3 win. Davies is 5-6 this year with a 3.78 ERA and has won four of his last six starts. The right hander received a decision in all but two of his starts, while notching a decision in nine straight games. Davies was drafted by the Orioles in the 26th round of the 2011 MLB Draft and is in his first year with the Baysox.

BULLS ON PARADE: Altoona's bullpen surrendered its first run in 17 innings in yesterday's win over New Britain, but has still pitched marvelous lately as a unit. In particular, Tuesday's come-from-behind win over New Britain saw the 'pen put on one of their best performances yet. With the Curve trailing 9-5 after three innings, Nate Baker shut down the Rock Cats for three innings and allowed just one hit and a walk. Jeff Inman earned the win in that game by work- ing two shutout innings and All-Star reliever Ryan Beckman notched his fifth save of the season.

DDRRIIAAANN: Altoona Curve RHP Adrian Sampson was named the Eastern League's Pitcher of the Week for his near no-hitter Friday night versus Bowie. For Sampson, it's the first weekly Pitcher of the Week award in his career and it goes alongside his first All-Star nod, which he received a few weeks ago. After his no-hitter, Sampson tossed six innings to pick up his team-best ninth win of the year. Entering play today, Sampson ranks among the league leaders in ERA (2.60, 3rd), innings pitched (128.0, 1st), WHIP (1.06, T-1st) and BAA (.228, 2nd).

A TURN HERE, WEDGE THERE: Altoona first baseman Stetson Allie has made a slight change in his batting stance over the last two weeks and in the early goings it seems to be paying off. Despite being held hitless three nights ago, Allie singled last night and has reached base safely in seven of his last eight games. If you look at Allie's numbers since June 1, he's been quite good. In 31 combined games, Allie is hitting .276 (31-for-112) with four doubles, four homers, 16 RBI and 15 walks. Allie had a day off in the series finale Wednesday in New Britain.

TEN FEET TALL: Well, he's 6 feet, 10 inches tall, but regardless, All-Star closer Kenn Kasparek has been a rock at the back end of the Curve bullpen since re-joining the team from Triple-A in early June. In 16 games total this season in Double-A, Kasparek is 1-0 with six saves in six opportunities while boasting a 0.79 ERA. He's whiffed 24 in 22.2 innings while opponents bat just .181 off him.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: The bell has rung for Pirates outfield prospect Josh Bell, who joined the Curve last Thursday night. Bell, 21, entered the 2014 season as the seventh-best prospect in the Pirates organization according to Baseball America and has lived up to the billing. In 84 games for High-A Bradenton, Bell was hitting .335 with 20 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 53 RBI. More impressively, he only struck out 43 times in 84 games with Bradenton. He was named a Florida State League mid-season All-Star (his second overall mid-season All-Star nod of his career) and was selected to participate in the SiriusXM Futures Game this year in Minnesota. At the time of his departure, Bell was among the FSL leaders in average (.335, 2nd), RBI (53, 5th), hits (111, 3rd), slugging percent- age (.502, 1st), extra-base hits (33, 4th) and total bases (1st). So far with Altoona, Bell is hitting .148 (4-for-27) but has hit safely in back-to-back games and picked up his first career Double-A RBI in yesterday's win for Altoona.

IT'S A LONG WAY BACK: Through 23 games this month, the Curve are 12-11 and are batting .292 as a team, the second highest average in the league. However, the staff ERA is 4.98, also the highest in the league. With the win on Wednesday, the team has won 12 games this month, the highest total of any month this season. The last time Altoona had a month where they finished above .500 was last July where the 2013 Curve finished 15-11.

GAMACHE PIT: Altoona infielder Dan Gamache has been on a tear since joining Altoona during the early stages this month. The 23-year-old is bat- ting .306 through his first 13 games and has already clubbed three home runs and 11 RBIs. He's been dominant on the road this year with all three of his long balls coming away from Curve, Pa. while all but one of his RBIs have come on the road too.

ROSTER UPDATE: Last night, the Pittsburgh Pirates activated Justin How- ard off of Altoona's DL and transferred him to High-A Bradenton. RHP Matt Benedict, who began the year with Altoona, has returned to the club from the Marauders. LHP Orlando Castro has also been placed on the Altoona DL with left shoulder fatigue.


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