Altoona Curve Game Information
May 16, 2013 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: Stolmy Pimentel (2-1) allowed six runs for a second straight start but this time the Curve were unable to come back in a, 6-4, loss to the Trenton Thunder on Wednesday night. Altoona never led on Wednes- day, coming as close as a run on two different occasions.
Jarek Cunningham pulled the Curve within one with an RBI single in the first inning before Trenton regained the two-run lead with a run in the second. The momentum appeared to shift in the fifth when Gift Ngoepe singled home Carlos Paulino to once again pull Altoona within a run. Trenton pulled away from there with three runs off Pimentel in the sixth to open up a four-run lead. Cunningham scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the inning before Paulino tripled home Drew Maggi for the game's final runs. Pimentel allowed six runs on 10 hits while the Curve bullpen duo of Quinton Miller and Zack Thornton com- bined for three scoreless innings with six strikeouts.
CURVE/THUNDER SERIES: Trenton visits Curve, Pa. for the first time this year with this three-game series Tuesday- Thursday. It is the first of three total series that the teams will play against one another in 2013. The Thunder will roll back into Peoples Natural Gas Field June 14-16 and the Curve will only make one trip to visit the Thunder (July 22-24).
FOR ALTOONA: Back in Curve, Pa. for another rehab start will be Charlie Morton, who will be making his third rehab appearance with the Curve and his fifth overall in his route back to the majors from Tommy John surgery last June. Morton last pitched for Triple-A Indianapolis on May 3 and finished three innings while allowing just one unearned run and no hits. He left before coming out to start the fourth after experiencing some shoulder discomfort, which was later diagnosed as shoulder tightness in his back. The New Jersey-born Morton threw a bullpen in Bradenton on Monday and is scheduled to go four innings or 65 pitches. For more on Morton, see page two.
FOR TRENTON: Looking to lead the Thunder to a series win on Thursday will be LHP Matt Tracy, who makes his first career start versus the Curve. His season thus far has been Jekyll and Hyde with him being the proud owner of a 4-0 record and a 2.35 ERA in four games (three starts) at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton (23.0 IP). On the other side of things, Tracy has given up 20 runs (all earned) on 22 hits in 8.2 innings pitched on the road this season (three starts) for an ERA of 20.77. His road starts have come at Akron, Erie and New Hampshire but he has not pitched on the road since April 23 in Akron. A non-roster invitee this spring, Tracy spent 18 starts in High-A Tampa in 2012 while going 5-7 with a 3.27 ERA. He also was promoted to Triple-A Scranton at the end of the season for one start, which he won, and threw five innings of one-run ball. Tracy was taken in the 24th round of the 2011 draft out of Ole' Miss following a junior season that saw him go 4-3 with a 5.85 ERA in 24 games.
STREAKS AND VALLEYS: Even though the Curve lost on Wednesday night they have still won four of their last six games and six of their last nine after a six-game losing streak. They secured a winning homestand with a win over Trenton on Tuesday and can secure three straight series wins with a win this morning over the Thunder.
SUN AND SANDALS: The Curve enter Thursday morning's game with the Thunder 7-4 in day games and 7-3 in day games that immediately follow a night game. Altoona's pitching staff has been phenomenal in day contests this sea- son, posting an ERA of 2.39 in 98.0 innings pitched. On the offensive side of the diamond, Charlie Cutler is batting .333 (8-for-24) in eight day games this year with half of his hits going for doubles.
DON'T FORGET YOUR TOOTHBRUSH: Today's home game for the Curve will be one of few and far between for the team over the next few weeks. Altoona embarks on a seven-game road trip through Richmond and Reading before returning home for Memorial Day Weekend. After those four games, it's right back to the road for six more through Binghamton and Portland. All told, 13 of the next 17 games for the Curve will be away from Peoples Natural Gas Field and all will be played in succession without a day off.
BRING IT ON: The two newest relievers in the Curve bullpen have put together solid outings in each of their first two games in Double-A this season. Quinton Miller, who is in his first career stint at the Double-A level, struck out four batters in two innings on Wednesday and has not allowed a run in his two appearances (4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K). Zack Thornton, who made one career appearance for Double-A Midland in 2011, has tossed three scoreless innings of his own while allowing one hit and striking out four.
DROUGHT SEASON?: Altoona was held without a homer for the sixth straight game on Wednesday in the loss to Trenton, which is uncommon for a team that has hit its fair share of homers to start the season. The Curve went homer-less in the series with Richmond, which was only the second time that it had happened this year. Altoona be- gan the year homering in seven straight games and also ran off a six-game homer streak from 5/3-5/8.
BIG LEAGUE CHEW: The Curve have had their fair share of Major League rehabilitation assignments or former Major Leaguers in their ranks for a few weeks now. Francisco Liriano made one rehab start for the Curve on Saturday, April 20 while reliever Jose Contreras also pitched for the Curve that weekend in Harrisburg on his way to Pittsburgh. Morton joined the Curve the following week for a pair of rehab starts on April 23 and 28 and was followed by Neil Walker's rehab appearance this past weekend vs. Richmond.
HE EATS HIS WHEATIES: OF/1B Andrew Lambo walked in his first at bat on Wednesday night and has reached base safely in all but three of his 38 games this season and leads the team in home runs, RBI, hits and is sec- ond on the team in walks. His seven home runs are tied for second-most in the EL entering play on Thursday morning.
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