Curve Bats Go Quiet against Thunder
Published on August 29, 2018 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
CURVE, Pa. - The Altoona Curve were limited to two hits and shut out, 5-0, in their third straight loss to the Trenton Thunder on Wednesday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
The Curve (74-59) have been outscored 18-2 over the first three games against the Thunder (75-60), who have clinched a win in the series with their season-best sixth consecutive win. Altoona suffers just their fourth series loss at PNG Field in 2018 and have not scored since the Cole Tucker hit a lead-off homer in the first inning on Tuesday, a stretch encompassing 18 innings.
Thunder starter Nick Green (Win, 1-2) faced the minimum through the first 6.2 innings despite two walks before the Curve broke through for their first hit of the game. After Green began the seventh with a pair of strikeouts, Bryan Reynolds rolled two-strike pitch into right field. Green worked a total of seven scoreless innings and struck out four hitters before picking up his first Double-A win.
Trenton powered their way to an early lead and gained separation late with the help of four doubles off Dario Agrazal (Loss, 5-5). Bruce Caldwell led off the second inning with a two-bagger and scored the first run of the game when Rashad Crawford hit a two-out, two-strike pitch into center.
The Thunder connected on three more doubles with six total hits during a four-run sixth and opened up a 5-0 lead. Gosuke Katoh and Brandon Wagner started the inning with back-to-back doubles before Caldwell hit his second of the game two hitters later. After a fifth straight hit by Kyle Holder, the Thunder had scored three times without using an out against Agrazal. Crawford capped the rally with his second RBI single of the game prior to an inning-ending double play off the bat of Jeff Hendrix. Of six total hits by Trenton in the sixth, five of them were on the first or second pitch of the at bat.
Altoona's lone scoring opportunity came in the ninth inning when Hobie Harris loaded the bases with three walks. Facing Jin-De Jhang, who hit a lead-off single in the eighth inning, with two outs, Harris fanned Jhang on three pitches to complete the shutout for Trenton.
The Curve play their final home game of the regular season against the Thunder on Thursday with a 6 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander Scooter Hightower (1-1, 2.78) will start for the Curve with Trenton turning to right-hander Brian Keller (10-8, 3,54).
Thursday will feature post-game fireworks set to a fan-voted theme and will also be Q94 Thirstday with $2 Bud Light and regular-sized soda in addition to $1 Juniata-brand hot dogs. The gates will open at 5 p.m. prior to Thursday's game. For tickets or more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office.
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