Altoona Curve Game Information: June 16, 2013
Published on June 16, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: RHP Nick Kingham (1-0) was as advertised in his Double-A debut on Saturday night as he combined with Kenn Kasparek, Nate Baker and Ethan Hollingsworth to shut out the Trenton Thunder, 4-0, in front of the largest crowd of the season at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Kingham wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the first and then settled in to strikeout seven batters over 5.2 innings and allow just four hits. His offense provided him with runs of support on RBI groundouts in the fourth and fifth innings before grabbing two more runs in the sixth off starter and loser Zach Nuding (2-8) of Trenton. Jarek Cunningham, Charlie Cutler, Mel Rojas, Jr. and Carlos Paulino each drove in a run in the win. Newly promoted centerfielder Gregory Polanco was 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in his second game in Double-A.
CURVE/THUNDER SERIES: Trenton makes its second and final visit to Peoples Natural Gas Field for this three-game series over Father's Day weekend. Last time the Thunder were in town, the Curve took two-of-three during what was a pretty good stretch of baseball for the Curve. After this series the two teams have three games remaining in the season series with all three games scheduled to take place at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton (July 22-24).
FOR ALTOONA: Making his first start since June 4 versus Reading will be Curve RHP Jameson Taillon, who was scratched from his last start a week ago today with a stiff neck. In that start versus the Fightins, Taillon permitted a season-high six runs but only one of the runs turned out to be earned in what was an abnormally poor defensive day for the Curve. He's been tremendous on the hill at home this season, going 2-3 with a 1.94 ERA in seven home starts entering tonight's finale. It will be the first start of the season for The Woodlands, Texas native versus Trenton but not his first career start against the Yankees' Double-A affiliate. Taillon made his Double-A debut in Trenton on August 21, 2012 and dominated the Thunder, working five scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks. For more on Taillon, see page two.
FOR TRENTON: To the hill for the Thunder in the finale on Sunday will be RHP Mikey O'Brien, who has already de- feated the Curve once this season here at Peoples Natural Gas Field. O'Brien, 23, bested the Curve with five innings of two-run ball back on May 15 in what was his second Double-A start of the season after beginning the campaign in High-A due to a numbers game. He's been incredibly consistent for manger Tony Franklin, giving up three runs or fewer in all but two of his seven starts in Double-A this season. Last time out, O'Brien suffered the loss at the hands of the Binghamton Mets. He surrendered four runs (three earned) on six hits in four innings in his shortest outing in Double-A this season.
TELL ME WHEN TO GO: The Curve stole three more bases on Saturday night in the win over Trenton and now have a total of eight steals in the two games thus far. Newly promoted centerfielder Gregory Polanco has had a hand in that total, swiping a bag in each of his first two Double-A games. He swiped 24 this season for Bradenton before being promoted and thieved 40 last season with West Virginia. As a team, the Curve have 63 steals, which is fourth-most in the 12-team Eastern League. Binghamton leads the league with 78.
FOOUR!: Altoona is riding is second four-game winning streak of the season after Saturday night's victory over the Thunder. Both four-games streaks have come in the month of June, where the Curve are now 8-3. The Curve have also won back-to-back series for the first time since mid-May when they grabbed three-of-four from Richmond May 9-12 and then two-of-three from these very same Thunder from May 14-16.
STRAIGHT OUT OF CUMPTON TO PITTSBURGH: 2013 Curve Opening Day starter Brandon Cumpton tossed five innings in an eventual no decision in his Major League debut for the Pirates on Saturday afternoon versus the Dodg- ers. The Evans, Ga. native struck out the side in the first and went on to strikeout five batters in five innings while walking one and allowing three runs. He's the 105th player to play in Curve, Pa. before making his MLB debut.
STOLM SET TO HIT INDY: Curve SP Stolmy Pimentel has been promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis, the Pirates an- nounced on Saturday. Pimentel started off the season in pristine form for the Curve, boasting an ERA of 0.30 after his first five starts. He stumbled a bit through May but rebounded in his first two starts of June. The San Cristobal, D.R. native was 2-0 this month before getting the bump to Triple-A and had allowed three earned runs in 13 innings. In his final start for the Curve, Pimentel matched a season and career-high with seven innings pitched on June 12 in New Britain.
RELOADING: CF Gregory Polanco made a nice statement in his Double-A debut on Friday, going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and a stolen base. Polanco was selected to the Florida State League mid-season All-Star team before being promoted to Altoona and was the fourth-best prospect in the system enter- ing 2013 according to Baseball America. The Santo Domingo, D.R. native is coming off a banner year for Low-A West Virginia in 2012 where he was named the Topps South Atlantic League Player of the Year as well as the Pirates Organizational Minor League Player of the Year. He batted .325 in 116 games for the Power with 26 doubles, six triples, 16 home runs, 85 RBI, 84 runs and 40 steals. This year, Polanco was hitting .312 with 17 doubles, six homers and 30 RBI in 57 games with 24 steals.
YOU COMPLETE ME: RHP Stolmy Pimentel's complete game in Game 1 on Wednesday night was the second complete game this season thrown by a Curve pitcher and the third in his MiLB career. It was, however, the first seven-inning complete game of his career as his others were of a five-inning (rain-shortened) and six-inning (losing side of a seven-inning game) variety. His seven innings matched a career-high, something that the San Cristobal, D.R. native has done nine times in his career and three times this season.
Eastern League Stories from June 16, 2013
- Curve Sweep Thunder with 2-1 Win on Sunday - Altoona Curve
- Curve Win Tight One, Thunder Swept out of Altoona - Trenton Thunder
- Squirrels Swept by Fightins as Record Slide Continues, 5-4 - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Sea Dogs Rally to Avoid Sweep, Knock off Aeros, 7-4 - Akron RubberDucks
- Fisher Cats Avenge Saturday Loss in 22-1 Rout - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Rock Cats Drop Rubber Game; Lose 5-2 at New Britain Stadium - New Britain Rock Cats
- Fisher Cats Edge SeaWolves on Sunday - Erie SeaWolves
- Bonfe's Bat Beats Bowie, 5-4 - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Nice Father's Day treat, 'Dogs beat Akron 7-4 - Portland Sea Dogs
- Altoona Curve Game Information: June 16, 2013 - Altoona Curve
- B-Mets Game Notes: Game #69 Binghamton Mets (41-26) vs. Bowie Baysox (31-33) - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Sea Dogs Game Notes June 16 vs. Akron (Game 67) - Portland Sea Dogs
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