EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: July 30, 2014 vs. Erie

Published on July 30, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ABOUT YESTERDAY: Home plate seemed to have an impenetrable wall built around it for the Curve in the late innings on Tuesday as they dropped a one-run game to Erie, 3-2. After falling into an early, 3-0, hole, the Curve climbed back into the game in the sixth when they sent eight men to the plate and scored twice. Stetson Allie and Willy Garcia delivered the RBI hits to pull the Curve within one. Keon Broxton walked with one out to load up the bases following Garcia's RBI single. The inning stalled there, however, as the next two men struck out. A leadoff triple in the seventh by Alen Hanson and a one-out triple by Broxton in the eighth were both squandered in the one-run loss as well. Jhonathan Ramos (2-5) pitched well and nearly came up with his first quality start of the season, tossing 5.2 innings of three-run ball (two earned runs). Joely Rodriguez was excellent out of the 'pen to keep it close, tossing 3.1 hitless innings.

CURVE/SEAWOLVES SERIES: The Curve will conclude this series with the SeaWolves today at noon seeking a series win. Altoona is now 6-12 versus Erie this season after dropping the game on Tuesday night. The two teams have met a lot over the 15-year history of the Curve with neither team gaining much separation in the all-time series. Altoona trails all-time with a 158-162 record.

FOR ALTOONA: Aiming to lead the Curve to a series win with a victory on Wednesday afternoon will be LHP Tom Har- lan, who is fresh off the best start of his short pro career. Harlan, who was used exclusively as a reliever in Bradenton earlier this season (21 games, 2.49 ERA), has been thrust into a starting role for the Curve and has responded well.

In his four starts, Harlan has not allowed more than three runs while going at least five innings in all four starts. Last time out, the Bay Area native lasted 6.1 innings (a career-high) and gave up one unearned run on five hits in his first Double-A win at Bowie. For more on Harlan, see page two.

FOR ERIE: Australian native Warwick Saupold starts the series finale on Wednesday afternoon for Erie as they look to take the series. Saupold, who was named Erie's Pitcher of the Year in 2013, hasn't had as great of a season as he did a year ago, entering today's game with a 7-8 record but an ERA of 5.20. The first three months of the season were rough ones for the native of Pearth with him not posting an ERA below 4.94 in any of the first three months of the season. This month, however, is a different story as he's returned to 2013 form to go 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA in five starts. His walk numbers are still up (19 walks in five starts) but opponents are hitting .192 off him this month (compared to .268 for the season).

POINT BREAK: The Curve are 8-5 in their 13 games played since the All-Star break entering play tonight. In those 13 games, the Curve have hit .295 as a team with Willy Garcia (.400, 13 G), Gift Ngoepe (.371, 10 G) and Dan Gamache (.333, 8 G) leading the charge. The team ERA during the stretch is 3.37.

#WINNING: Through 29 games this month, the Curve are 16-13 and are batting .295 as a team, which is the best average in the league this month. With the win on Monday, the Curve have won 16 games this month, the highest total of any month this season and have clinched a winning month for the first time this season and the first time since July of 2013 (15-11). The 16 wins in a month is also the most for a Curve team in the Carlos Garcia era, which began in 2013.

WILLY BREAK IT?: Curve outfielder Willy Garcia notched his 17th outfield assist of the season in the loss on Tuesday night to Erie when he hosed Dixon Machado at second base trying to stretch a single into a double. Garcia's 17 outfield assists are the most in the Eastern League. The 21-year-old is just one shy of matching Starling Marte's franchise record of 18 set back in the 2011 season.

BIG WILLY STYLE: On the offensive side of the diamond, Willy Garcia has been no slouch in the month of July. After winning the Ghostman Games for the West as part of the E.L. All-Star Stop, Garcia has gone on a tear in the first 13 games of the unofficial second half. In those 13 games, Garcia is hitting .400 (20-for-100) with five doubles, two homers, nine RBI and nine runs scored. Since June 1, Garcia has hit .314 with 20 extra-base hits (12 doubles, one triple and seven home runs). He's riding a nine-best eight game hit streak into today's game with Erie.

OMGAMACHE: Altoona infielder Dan Gamache has been on a tear since joining Altoona in early July. The 23-year- old is batting .323 through his first 16 games and has already clubbed three home runs and 14 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. Gamache has also seen some time at third base for the first time in his professional career, but has committed six errors at the position. Entering play today, Gamache is on a season-best six-game hit streak that dates back to the last homestand.

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 19 games total this season in Double-A, Kasparek is 1-0 with nine saves in nine opportunities while boasting a 0.69 ERA. He's whiffed 24 in 26.0 innings while oppo- nents bat just .161 off him.

ROAD WARRIORS: Altoona put together their best road trip of the 2014 season with five wins in the seven games including two of the three games in New Britain and three of four in Bowie. As a team during the road trip, Altoona hit .321 while the pitching staff combined for a 3.54 ERA. The bullpen was stellar during the road trip by holding a 1.61 ERA (4 ER, 22.1 IP) and went a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities.

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Eastern League Stories from July 30, 2014


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