EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: June 13, 2014 vs. Reading

Published on June 13, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ABOUT YESTERDAY: Altoona and Portland were set to resume their game and conclude the series at 5 p.m. last night at Peoples Natural Gas Field but rain continued to fall in Curve, Pa. and the two teams were unable to get the games in. Because the Curve and Sea Dogs don't face each other at Peoples Natural Gas Field again this season, the games won't be made up in Altoona. Instead, Wednesday's suspended game will be completed at Hadlock Field next Friday to the full nine-innings while next Friday's regularly scheduled game will be played to only seven innings. Thursday's postponed game will be made up as part of a doubleheader next Saturday beginning at 5 p.m.

CURVE/FIGHTINS SERIES: Altoona welcomes in the Reading Fightin Phils to Peoples Natural Gas Field for the first and only time in the 2014 season. The two teams will only meet six times this year with this three game series followed by a three-game set at FirstEnergy Stadium from August 8-10. Last season, Altoona won only three of the ten games played against the Fightins and are 125-134 all-time against the Philadelphia Phillies Double-A affiliate.

Despite trailing in the all-time series, Altoona holds the advantage at home with a 71-63 record. FOR ALTOONA: LHP Zack Dodson will start tonight for the Curve in the first game of the series against Reading. Dodson is 1-3 with a 4.00 ERA this year in nine games (eight starts). The southpaw has had some trouble in his last couple starts after he surrendered four runs five days ago in Trenton and four runs over 4.1 innings on June 3 versus Binghamton. The 23-year-old hasn't exited the fifth inning since his start May 23. Dodson was drafted by the Pirates in the fourth round of the 2009 draft from Medina Valley High School in Texas. For more on Dodson, see page two.

FOR READING: The Fightins will send up RHP Severino Gonzalez to the hill to start game one of the series against Altoona. Severino was scheduled to start yesterday's finale for Reading against New Britain at FirstEnergy Stadium but because of the rain, his start was pushed back to today. Gonzalez is 4-7 with a 5.02 ERA this year. His high ERA is misleading because of one bad start he had on May 11 in Trenton wen he surrendered ten runs over 3.2 innings (4.01 ERA without that start). Since that outing, he has thrown four quality starts in five outings. Gonzalez was acquired as a non-drafted free agent in 2011 from Santiago de Veragua in Panama.

SEE YA LATER, ALLIGATOR: The Pittsburgh Pirates promoted RHP Nick Kingham to Triple-A Indianapolis yesterday and Kingham will start tonight's game for the Tribe against Durham. The 22-year-old had a fine year with the Curve with a 3.04 ERA despite winning only one game in 12 starts. Kingham spun five quality starts this year for Altoona while striking out 54 and walking 25. After Kingham was promoted, the Curve roster stood at 23 players, and the Curve reached the Eastern League maximum of 25 players with a pair of corresponding roster moves. RHP Kenn Kasparek returns from Triple-A Indianapolis after appearing in five games while RHP Pat Ludwig was promoted to the Curve from High-A Bradenton. Ludwig went 2-1 with a 3.96 ERA in 15 games (four starts) for Bradenton.

I KNOW HIM: Former Curve starting pitcher A.J. Morris tossed a complete game shutout in his second career Triple-A start last night for the Indianapolis Indians. The right hander allowed only six hits while striking out seven. During his time in Curve, Pa. Morris went 5-1 with an Eastern League-best 1.64 ERA. If Morris doesn't return to Altoona, his final day atop the leaderboard will be next Thursday when the Curve finish their series with New Hampshire. He will not qualify for the Eastern League leaders based on appearances(minimum 0.8 IP/team games). Morris was promoted to Triple-A on June 7.

BATS ARE AFRAID: The Curve pitching staff has done a nice job all season long of keeping the ball from leaving the ballpark. Entering play today, the Curve pitching staff has allowed 30 home runs in 540.2 innings so far this season.

That's second-fewest in the league only to Portland's 26. However, the staff allowed a home run on June 11 against Portland but because that game was suspended, the statistic will not be made final until the game is completed next Friday.

BEAT ON THE BRAT WITH A BASEBALL BAT: Several Curve players have been hitting the ball with consistency in June. Alen Hanson has hit safely in a season-high eight consecutive games plus he gathered a hit in the suspended game. Along with the switch hitting shortstop, Elias Diaz and Stetson Allie have each hit safely in six straight. As a team, Altoona is batting .262 in June compared to a .235 mark in April and a .258 clip in May.

PLAN FOR AT LEAST A DOUBLE: Altoona right fielder Willy Garcia has been an extra-base hit machine this season for the Curve. Of his 42 hits, the native of Santo Domingo has 24 extra base hits including 12 doubles, four triples, and eight home runs. At the pace Garcia is on, he's in the discussion for most extra base hits all-time in Curve his- tory. Adam Hyzdu belted 72 extra base hits in 2000 and is the franchise leader in extra base hits. Behind Hyzdu are Starling Marte (58, 2011), Alex Dickerson (56, 2013), and Tony Alvarez (53, 2002).

RED TAGGED: Altoona committed another error in the Tuesday's loss against Portland and rank last in the Eastern League in fielding. The Curve have committed a league-high 76 errors, eight more than the Reading Fightin Phils, who have the second most. However, the Curve did commit an error in the suspended game from June 11. Last year, Altoona was one of the most defensively sound teams with only 121 errors and a .977 fielding percentage, good for fourth in the league. The inaugural Curve team in 1999 was the worst defensive team in franchise history after they committed 194 errors.

YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE (LEADER)BOARD: The following Curve players rank among the league leaders entering today's game: Alen Hanson (6 3B, 1st), Willy Garcia and Keon Broxton (4 3B, T-3rd), and Adrian Sampson (2.07 ERA, 2nd | 1.08 WHIP, 4th). A.J. Morris (1.64 ERA, 1st | 1.05 WHIP, 3rd | .208 BAA, 2nd) no longer plays for the Curve after his promo- tion to Triple-A big still qualifies among the league leaders.

Check out the Altoona Curve Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from June 13, 2014


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