Altoona Curve Game Information: August 30, 2016
August 30, 2016 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
YESTERDAY: The Curve put together their most lopsided victory of the season to date with a 13-1 defeat of the Binghamton Mets. Edwin Espinal went 3-for-5 with a homer, a double and five RBIs. Kevin Newman started the scor- ing in the first inning with a triple, and Espinal followed with a two-run homer to put the Curve ahead, 3-0. The Curve plated fours runs in the second, one in the third and a run in the fifth. In the eighth, Espinal hit a two-run double, and Barrett Barnes followed with a two-run homer, his eighth this month. Nick Kingham made his first start for the Curve since 2014, allowing one run on three hits over six innings. Cody Dickson pitched three scoreless relief innings.
TONIGHT: The Curve move through their final regular-season home schedule with the second of a four-game series against the Binghamton Mets, Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets. The Curve The B-Mets took two games of a three game series at PNG Field twice this year in their two trips, once from June 3-5 and again from June 27-29. Altoona went 5-1 in Binghamton this year, including a three-game sweep from June 21-23. FOR ALTOONA: Lefty Brandon Waddell makes his 19th start of the year for the Curve and first against Binghamton. Last time out, Waddell allowed three earned runs over six innings on just four hits and struck out eight. In his last eight starts since July 9, Waddell is 2-3 with a 3.31 ERA (18 ER/49.0 IP). He began the season with A-Adv. Bradenton and went 4-0 in five starts with a 0.93 ERA, picking up a win in each of his last four outings prior to his promotion to Double-A on May 3. Waddell won the Florida State League Player of the Month Award for April and won his first three starts with Altoona, stretching his streak to seven straight starts won overall. He was drafted in the fifth round in 2015 out of the University of Virginia after leading the Cavaliers to the 2015 College World Series title, pitching seven innings in the championship clincher against Vanderbilt. For more on Waddell, see page two.
FOR BINGHAMTON: Right-hander Tyler Pill makes his 22nd start of the year for the B-Mets and first since August 2. His last four outings were with Triple-A Las Vegas, where he went 1-1 with a 6.30 ERA. In three starts against the Curve this year, Pill is 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA. Pill was drafted in the fourth round in 2011 by the Mets out of Fullerton. PLAYOFF HUNT: The Curve are 13 games over .500. Altoona, Akron and Harrisburg are still in the chase for the two postseason spots from the Western Division. The Curve's "Magic Number" to clinch a playoff spot is currently four, and the "Magic Number" to clinch the division is currently six. The Curve took over first place in the division for the first time on June 26, and have held that spot in the standings for 50 of their 57 games since. Last year, the Curve won the Western Division Wild Card and went to the playoffs for the first time since their E.L. title run in 2010. They have not appeared in consecutive postseasons since the first four playoff trips in franchise history in four straight years from 2003-06. COMEBACK CURVE: The Curve have outscored opponents 122-86 in the 8th inning or later this season and have 35 total come-from-behind wins. The Curve have won seven times this year after trailing through eight innings, the most in the league. The three closest teams in that category, New Hampshire, Richmond and Reading, have each done it four times. DU-RAP IT UP: Altoona closer Montana DuRapau leads active Eastern League relievers with 22 saves this year, second-most overall, sits first with 41 games finished and third in total games pitched with 48. His 22 saves are tied for fourth-most in a single season in Altoona franchise history. He is tied for the second-most saves for a Curve pitcher in a season since 2007 behind only the 24 by Noah Krol in 2011. The Curve are 54-1 when leading heading into the ninth inning, the best in the E.L. STEWART RETURNS: Catcher Chris Stewart began a Major League rehab appearance on August 12 with the Curve, going 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk. He was placed on the 15-day DL by the Pirates on July 2 with left knee discom- fort. Stewart also did rehab work with the Curve last season on April 9-10, 2015, and was the Opening Day catcher for the Curve last year. He is one of four Pirates players to join the Curve on a rehab assignment this year. RHP Ryan Vogelsong made two starts for Altoona in July, catcher Elias Diaz made one appearance in the same month and RHP Tyler Glasnow made two rehab starts in August.
BOMBS AWAY: Curve outfielder Stetson Allie now sits in third place on the Curve's all-time list with 51 home runs, dating back to 2014. Allie moved ahead of Ray Sadler with his 42nd career homer on May 27 at Bowie for third all- time. Josh Bonifay and Adam Hyzdu both share the franchise record with 55 homers hit while wearing an Altoona jersey. Dating back to the start of the 2014 season, Allie leads the Eastern League in home runs, ahead of Jake Fox (49), Quincy Latimore (45), Dean Green (41), Dylan Cozens (37), Rhys Hoskins (37), Steven Moya (35). BARNES BOUNCING BACK: After hitting just one homer through his first 100 games, Barrett Barnes hit four home runs in six games from August 9-16 and has hit eight homers in 18 games since August 9. He hit .249 in his first 70 games through July 4, but has raised his average to .311, tied for fourth- best in the league. In his last 47 games since July 5, Barnes has hit .398 (64/161), tops in the E.L. during that span, with eight homers, 14 doubles and 30 RBIs. Barnes has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week twice in the month of August, winning the honor for the week of August 15 and was named Player of the Week again on Monday morning. He is cur- rently on a 13-game hitting streak since August 14. PROSPECT WATCH: The Curve roster currently features six of MLB.com's Mid-Season Top 30 Pirates Prospects: Kevin Nemwan (4), Nick Kingham (11), Clay Holmes (12), Brandon Waddell (22), Tyler Eppler (24) and Barrett Barnes (30). This year's team previously included four other players ranked in MLB.com's top 30, including Tyler Glasnow (1), Austin Meadows (2), Elias Diaz (10), and Dovydas Neverauskas (26), plus Reese McGuire and Harold Ramirez, who were ranked fifth and sixth respectively prior to being traded to Toronto in July.
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