Altoona Curve Game Information: June 1, 2013
Published on June 1, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ABOUT YESTERDAY...: A three-run seventh inning pulled the Curve close on Friday night at Hadlock Field but it was not enough to come all the way back in what turned out to be a, 7-3, loss in the series-opener with Portland. The Sea Dogs got to starter David Bromberg (2-5) in the fourth inning for two runs before he departed the game after four due to pitching on four-days rest. Portland then got one in the fifth and two in the sixth off reliever Luis Sanz to go up 5-0 before the Curve offense kicked into gear. Andrew Lambo led the charge in the seventh, homering off knuck- leballer Charlie Haeger (2-2) for the Curve's first run of the night. It was the third straight game that Lambo has slugged a homer. Altoona was able to plate two more following Lambo's blast to right with RBI from Justin Howard and Carlos Paulino but Portland's two-run surge in the eighth put the game out of reach.
CURVE/SEA DOGS SERIES: Altoona makes its yearly trip to Portland a bit earlier in 2013 as they descend on Had- lock Field this weekend. Portland will make its annual trip to Curve, Pa. August 13-15.
FOR ALTOONA: Pittsburgh Pirates RHP James McDonald will once again put on a Curve uniform and toe the slab on a rehab appearance, this time taking the mound in Portland, Maine. McDonald, who has been on the Pirates disabled list since May 7 with right shoulder discomfort, had a rough go of things in his first tour with the Curve on Memorial Day. The Long Beach, Calif. native allowed three runs, all on a three-run homer by Richmond's Adam Du- vall, in the first inning while walking four and allowing two hits. He was scheduled to go four innings or 65 pitches but needed to be taken out of the game after 33 pitches into the first inning. He's scheduled to go four innings or 65 pitches again tonight versus the Sea Dogs. For more on McDonald, see page two.
FOR PORTLAND: To the hill in the second-of-three for the Sea Dogs will be RHP Brandon Workman, who checked in as the 12th-best prospect in the Boston system according to Baseball America entering the 2013 season. Last year, Workman began the year in Salem before getting a taste of Double-A ball with five starts here with the Sea Dogs. He went 3-1 with a 3.96 ERA in those five starts and struck out 23 in 25 innings while walking just five. This season, Workman has made 10 appearances (nine starts) for the 'Dogs and has gone at least five innings in all 10 appear- ances. He started off the year on an impressive run, going 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA in five April games (four starts). It's been a little bit tougher for him in May (1-1, 4.82 in five games) but he's only given up more than three earned runs just once this month. Workman was selected in the second round of the 2010 draft out of Texas where he served as the Longhorns No. 3 starter that spring.
YOU OUGHTA KNOW: OF/1B Andrew Lambo homered for his third straight game on Friday and is still tied for the league lead in homers with 12. He's hit safely in 11 straight games and 15 of his last 17 games. The Newbury Park, Calif. native began his season with a 21-game on-base streak and has now bested his own mark, checking into today's game with Portland with a 23-gamer that dates back to May 7. He batted .295 in the month of May and slugged nine of his team-leading 12 homers during month. Entering play today, Lambo is tied for third in the league with 39 RBI and fifth in the league for triples (four). His .553 slugging percentage checks in second in the league only to Harrisburg's Anthony Rendon as well. He's also reached base safely in all but three of his games played this season (50-of-53) and drive in a run in eight straight games dating back to May 24.
MEL'S DRIVE IN: Outfielder Mel Rojas, Jr. went 1-for-3 on Friday in the loss to Portland to finish May on a high note. He has safely hit in 14 of his last 17 games to raise his average from .220 on May 14 to its current spot at .247. Rojas' hitting streak might be converted to a 10-game hit streak depending on what he does when the suspended game with Reading is resumed on Tuesday, June 4. He went 0-for-4 so far in the game but if he gets a hit when it resumes it would make his current six-game streak a 10-gamer. The Indianapolis, Ind. born Rojas batted .269 in May with 11 RBI after hitting .226 in 24 games in April.
BIG LEAGUE CHEW: The Curve have had their share of Major League rehabilitation assignments or former Major Leaguers in their ranks for much of the first part of the 2013 season. 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. Charlie 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. Morton returned to start versus Trenton on the May 16 and in Reading on May 21. Jeff Karstens also stopped by for a rehab start on May 18 in Richmond. Chase d'Arnaud, who played in Curve, Pa. in 2010, joined the Curve in Richmond on May 18 and was with the team for the rest of the road trip before having his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A. Pirates RHP James McDonald, who started the Pirates-Curve Exhibition for the Pirates on March 30 made a rehab start on Monday and took the loss. McDonald is scheduled to pitch again for the Curve today.
DON'T FORGET YOUR TOOTHBRUSH: The Curve are in the final stages of a stretch where they are playing 13-of-17 games away from home without the benefit of a day off Altoona traveled through Richmond and Reading for seven days before returning home for a four-game series over Memo- rial Day. So far in the 15 games, the Curve are 3-11 with the suspended game still hanging in the balance from May 23. Altoona will finally get a day of rest on Monday after returning home from the three-game series in Portland.
ZACK ATTACK: Altoona turned to Zack Thornton to close the game on Wednesday for his second save in as many opportunities in Double-A this season. Thornton, who was acquired in the offseason trade from Oakland that sent Chris Resop to the A's, was closing for Bradenton before being called up to Double-A. He fanned 11 batters in eight innings while walking one in his short time with the Curve. He was sent to Triple-A on Friday.
Eastern League Stories from June 1, 2013
- Fightins Can't Shake Losing Woes in June - Reading Fightin Phils
- Montero, B-Mets Tame Fisher Cats, 6-0 - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Robinson Has Two Hits in 6-0 Loss to Mets - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Rock Cats Hold on to Win 4-3 against Bowie - New Britain Rock Cats
- Spears Delivers Dagger in Aeros' 5-3 Victory over Phils - Akron RubberDucks
- Thunder Win Streak Ends at the Hands of Clay, Senators - Trenton Thunder
- Squirrels Waltz Past Wolves, Take Series, 5-2 - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Fields Doubles Home a Pair on Saturday - Erie SeaWolves
- Mel's Drive In: Rojas, Jr. Smashes Homer to Win It for Curve - Altoona Curve
- B-Mets Game Notes: Game #57 Binghamton Mets (31-24) at New Hampshire Fisher Cats (28-28) - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Erie SeaWolves at Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes - Erie SeaWolves
- Altoona Curve Game Information: June 1, 2013 - Altoona Curve
- Sea Dogs Game Notes June 1 vs. Altoona - Portland Sea Dogs
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