EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: June 1, 2014 vs. New Hampshire

Published on June 1, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ABOUT YESTERDAY: The New Hampshire Fisher Cats once again shutout the Altoona Curve on Saturday night, this time by a score of 4-0 in front of a season-high 6,888 at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Nick Kingham (1-6) started for the Curve and was saddled with a loss despite turning in a solid start. The right allowed a total of four runs (two earned) in seven innings while whiffing a season-high seven batters. On the other side of the diamond, the Curve bats couldn't get it going against 'Cats starter P.J. Walters, who was making his team debut since coming over from Kansas City. Walters (1-0) didn't miss a beat with 10 strikeouts in seven innings to earn the win. Jarek Cunningham had two of the Curve's three total hits in the game. It was the second straight day that the Curve have been shutout.

CURVE/FISHER CATS SERIES: Today's game marks the third of six games to be played against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. After this three-game series, the Curve will meet the Cats for the final time in only a couple of weeks at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium from June 17-19. Last season, the two teams met seven times with the Curve sweeping the three-game set in Curve, Pa. followed by the four game sweep at Manchester, which included the club's second ever no-hitter on July 25. Altoona leads the all-time series against the Fisher Cats 34-30.

FOR ALTOONA: To the bump in the series finale for the Curve goes A.J. Morris, the league-leader in ERA with a 1.65 mark. Last time out, Morris gave up a pair of earned runs (four total) in his first loss of the season at Richmond on May 27 in Richmond. Despite the loss, Morris still fanned six and only saw his ERA inflate from 1.43 to 1.65. He'll duel with the Fisher Cats for the first time this season this afternoon and he's been dominant at home. In his six games (four starts) at home this year, Morris is 3-0 with a miniscule 0.69 ERA, having just allowed two runs at home all season. One of those runs came in his last start at home and the other came in his first start of the season on April 5. For more on Morris, see page two.

FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE: Hitting the slab in the finale for the Fisher Cats is Austin Bibens-Dirkx. Bibens-Dirkx, 29, will be making his third start for the Fisher Cats (fifth appearance) on Sunday afternoon. He has spent nearly a month in Triple-A with Buffalo, where he went 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 games (one start) before being reassigned back to New Hampshire. Last season, the righty split time between Dunedin and New Hampshire in the Blue Jays organiza- tion. All told the Blue Jays are the fifth organization that the righty has played for in his minor league career.

KING OF THE CASTLE: Despite having six losses this season, Nick Kingham has steadily improved as the season has gone on. On Saturday, Kingham allowed two earned runs (four total) in seven innings but took the loss. It was his third straight game of throwing at least seven innings and all told took his ERA for the month of May to 2.61. He struck out 28 batters in 38 innings and walked 13 (one more than he had walked in April but he pitched 10 more innings).

DROUGHT SEASON: The Curve have yet to score a run in this series in 21 total innings at the plate. If you add that to the four scoreless they had in the finale of the series with Richmond, that makes 25 innings that the Curve have not scored a run. The last runs to score for the team came when Jarek Cunningham hit a three-run homer to give the Curve a, 3-2, lead at The Diamond. Altoona has now been shutout in back-to-back games for the first time since last season when they were blanked by Reading on August 20-21. That scoreless streak was 17 total innings dating back to August 19. The Curve were able to rid themselves of a third-straight shutout quickly in the game immediately fol- lowing by scoring two runs in the first inning.

KING(S) OF THE HILL: Friday's starting pitcher Adrian Sampson tossed eight shutout innings and saw his ERA reach under 2.00 for the first time since May 2 (1.98). Sampson enters today ranked third in the Eastern League in ERA.

Today's starting pitcher

A.J. Morris still leads the league in ERA at 1.65, just ahead of Richmond's Jack Snodgrass. Morris, 27, also commands the second-best batting average against for any starter in the league behind Portland's Henry Owens and the second-best WHIP in the circuit (1.04).

1ST OF THA MONTH The Curve look to turn a new page in June after going 10-23 in the month of may, which is tied for the second-fewest wins in the month of May in team history (10-20 in 2013). The 2009 Curve had the fewest wins in the month (nine) while the 2010 team had the most (19). However, the 23 losses sets a new franchise record for losses in any month in franchise history. It surpasses the 21-loss record from last August.

PROTEST THE HERO: Curve right fielder Willy Garcia tallied two outfield assists in Friday night's loss against New Hampshire, the most he had in a single game this season. Garcia now has six outfield assists which included the right fielder gunning down Andy Burns trying to score from second in the seventh inning and doubling off Ryan Schimpf in the ninth. All told, Garcia's six outfield assists are tied for the second most in the league. Last year, Garcia led the Florida State League with 20 outfield assists and also had the most among any outfielder in the Pirates organization.

KEYS TO THE CITY: Curve left fielder Keon Broxton went 1-for-3 on Sat- urday with a walk in the loss. Altoona's everyday left fielder batted .374 in 31 games this month with seven doubles, four triples, four homers and 10 RBI to go along with 18 runs scored. His 18 runs are 14 were than he had in all of April (17 games). The former Diamondbacks farmhand had the third-best average during May in the Eastern League and the sixth-best in all of Double-A. The Florida native was acquired by the Pirates in a trade on March 27.

YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE (LEADER)BOARD: The following Curve players rank among the league leaders entering today's game: Alen Hanson (5 3B,T- 1st), Willy Garcia and Keon Broxton (4 3B, T-2nd), Nick Kingham (2.95 ERA, 10th), A.J. Morris (1.65 ERA, 1st | 1.04 WHIP, T-2nd | .200 BAA, 2nd | 5 wins, T-2nd) and Adrian Sampson (1.98 ERA, 3rd | 1.08 WHIP, 4th).

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