NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: May 6, 2017

May 6, 2017 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


THURSDAY: The Curve had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 3-2 loss to the Akron RubberDucks. The

Curve took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a sac fly by Pablo Reyes. Akron jumped ahead with a two-run triple by Eric

Haase in the seventh inning. The Curve rallied to tie the score at 2-2 in the ninth with a sac fly by Jordan Luplow, but

Joe Sever hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth. Making his first start off the disabled list, Curve lefty Bran-

don Waddell worked three scoreless, hitless innings and struck out six. Kevin Kramer extended his one-base streak to

22 games. Connor Joe had two hits, stretching his hitting streak to 11 games.

TODAY: The Curve open a seven-game road trip with the first of four games against the Akron RubberDucks, Double-

A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Curve swept Akron in a three-game series at PNG Field from April 13-15

before being swept at Canal Park from April 21-23. Friday night's game was postponed due to wet grounds and will

be made up as part of a double-header on July 8 at Canal Park.

FOR ALTOONA: Right-hander Yeudy Garcia makes his fifth start for the Curve and his second against the Rubber-

Ducks. Last time out, he worked 5.2 innings and allowed one unearned run against Harrisburg on Saturday. He faced

Akron on April 23 at Canal Park and worked three hitless, scoreless innings with seven strikeouts before giving up five

runs in the fourth inning, four of them on a two-out, two-strike grand slam. He struck out nine batters in that outing,

matching the highest total for a Curve pitcher this season. He spent last year with the A-Adv. Bradenton Maraud-

ers, where he went 6-8 with a 2.76 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) and averaged a strikeout per inning. In 2015, Garcia

went 12-5 with a 2.10 EAR for the Single-A West Virginia Power and was named the Pittsburgh Pirates Minor League

Pitcher of the Year. Garcia enters 2017 as the Pirates' No. 12 prospect on MLB.com and Baseball America's No. 16

Pirates prospect. For more on Garcia, see page two.

FOR AKRON: Right-hander D.J. Brown makes third start of the season for the RubberDucks and his sixth appearance

overall. He pitched three scoreless innings against the Curve on April 23. Last time out, he allowed eight earned runs

in 1.2 innings at Bowie on Saturday. Brown was drafted in the 39th round in 2012 by the Indians out of James Madi-

son University. He pitched for Akron in 2015, going 2-3 with a 3.26 ERA over five starts, and he returned for 2016,

going 8-8 with a 4.78 ERA in 27 games (20 starts). In four career outings (three starts) against the Curve, Brown is 2-1

with a 6.05 ERA (13 ER/19.1 IP), including a game on July 23, 2016 at PNG Field when he allowed nine earned runs

on 12 hits in 4.1 innings.

BUCKEYE STATE BLUES: The Curve have lost nine of their last ten games played at Canal Park, including last year's

playoffs, have lost six straight there overall and hold an 0-4 record in Akron this season. For the 2016 season and

playoffs, the Curve went 3-9 at Canal Park. Since the start of the 2011 season, the Curve are 20-45 in Akron (3-6 in

2011, 1-9 in 2012, 6-4 in 2013, 3-7 in 2014, 4-6 in 2015, 3-9 in 2016).

THE 'PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD: Curve relievers have been tough to hit this season. Sean Keselica has

held hitters to a .080 batting average, best among relievers in the league. Buddy Borden (.104/3rd) is not far behind.

Tate Scioneaux is tied for the E.L. lead among all pitchers with four wins. Curve relievers (excluding position player

Chase Simpson, who has pitched one game) have combined to post a 1.75 ERA (19 ER/97.2 IP) and a 0.96 WHIP (69

H + 25 BB/97.2 IP). Current members of the bullpen active on the Curve roster have combined to post an 8-1 record

with a 1.02 ERA (10 ER/88.1 IP) and a 0.89 WHIP (54 H + 25 BB / 88.1 IP) with 85 strikeouts. The Curve are 11-0

this season when leading through seven innings this season.

KRAMERICA INDUSTRIES: Curve second baseman Kevin Kramer is off to a hot start in his first Double-A debut

campaign, hitting

.366 (30/82)

through his first 22 games, third-best in the league, including three home runs. A 2013

College World Series champion at UCLA and a second-round draft pick of the Pirates in 2015,

Kramer is currently first

in the Eastern League with a .475 on-base percentage. He has reached base in all 22 games he has played to begin

the season, the longest active streak in the Eastern League this season, and has at least one hit in 20 of his 22 games.

He also has a .585 slugging percentage, fifth-best in the league.

HELLO, NEWMAN: Shortstop Kevin Newman is the top-ranked prospect on this year's Curve roster, rated at No. 4

in the Pirates organization by both MLB.com and Baseball America. He made his Double-A debut with the Curve last

season and led the Pirates' organization with a .320 overall batting average in his first full professional season, includ-

ing a .288 mark with the Curve in 61 games. Newman was selected in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of

the University of Arizona.

DU-RAP IT UP: Altoona closer Montana DuRapau finished second in the

Eastern League with 22 saves last year, tied for fourth-most in Curve history.

It was tied for the second-most for a Curve pitcher in a season since 2007,

behind only 24 by Noah Krol in 2011. He finished last season first in the EL

with 43 games finished and fourth with 50 appearances. DuRapau picked up

a save Tuesday and is now tied with Brandon Knight (2006) for second place

on the Curve's all-time saves list with 27, trailing only Matt Peterson (29,

2003-06).

DuRapau is second in the E.L. with five saves and tied for first with

eight games finished.

EDWINNING: 2016 E.L. All-Star Edwin Espinal leads the team with 12 RBIs.

He has the second-best strikeout rate in the league (12.14 TPA/SO) and is

eighth in the E.L. in batting average at .338 (26/77).

PROSPECT WATCH: The Curve roster currently features four of MLB.com's

Top 30 Pirates Prospects: Kevin Nemwan (4), Yeudy Garcia (13), Brandon

Waddell (17) and Kevin Kramer (21). The same four players are also ranked in

Baseball America's Top 30 Pittsburgh prospects list: Newman (4), Garcia (16),

Waddell (17) and Kramer (21). B.A. also named Newman as the organization's

"Best Hitter for Average" and Waddell as having the "Best Changeup."

Check out the Altoona Curve Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Eastern League message board...

Eastern League Stories from May 6, 2017


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Altoona Curve Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central