Altoona Curve Game Information: June 20, 2013
Published on June 20, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: The Curve improved to 5-0 on the current homestand topping the Fisher Cats, 5-2, in the second game of a three-game set. Last night's victory extends the Curve winning streak to seven games, the longest since May 15-21 of the 2012 season. The Fisher Cats led, 2-0, in the bottom of the fourth inning when Gregory Po- lanco tripled in Mel Rojas Jr. to put the Curve on the board. Alex Dickerson followed with a sacrifice fly that tied the game. From there, Eliecer Navarro kept the Fisher Cats off the scoreboard and went on to finish six innings in his Double-A debut. The southpaw, who was the first lefty to start a game for Altoona since Francisco Liriano started on a rehab assignment back in April, struck out five batters and allowed two runs (one earned) on Wednesday. Dicker- son had the big hit to untie the game with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning that put the Curve in front for good. Ethan Hollingsworth (3-3) worked a pair of scoreless innings to earn his third victory of the season. Luis Sanz came on to finish the game off and earn his fifth save in as many chances.
CURVE/FISHER CATS SERIES: New Hampshire is finishing up their first and only trip to Peoples Natural Gas Field tonight. After the three-game series, the two teams have four head-to-head games remaining this season all at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester July 25-28.
FOR ALTOONA: RHP Casey Sadler heads to the mound tonight for the Curve looking to lead them to an eighth- straight victory and also to win his second game of the homestand. The right-hander has turned in consecutive qual- ity outings and leads the team with eight quality starts this season. Sadler also enters the night tied for second in the Eastern League with seven victories trailing only Logan Verrett of Binghamton, who has recorded eight wins. Last time out, the Stillwater, Okla. native recorded just his second win at home this season with his six innings of shutout ball. It was his first home win since April 11. For more on Sadler see page 2.
FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE: New Hampshire will send RHP Ryan Tepera to the mound as they look to avoid dropping a third consecutive game. Tepera has put up better numbers on the road this season, going 2-2 with a 3.42 ERA com- pared to a 4-3 mark with a 4.69 ERA at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. This will be start No. 14 on the season for Tepera, who is 6-5 with a 4.22 ERA entering play tonight. He leads the Fisher Cats in wins with six and is second on the team with 58 strikeouts. In his last appearance, Tepera allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings in a loss to Erie on Friday. The right-hander was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 19th round out of Sam Houston State in 2009.
NO JUNE SWOON: Altoona is riding a season-high seven-game winning streak and also won four games in a row earlier in the month. The Curve are now 11-3 in the month of June, which ties them with April (11-14) for the most wins in a single month so far this season. During the current run, Altoona has out-scored their opponents 34-13. In the month of June, Altoona has posted its best team batting average thus far for any month, batting .265 through the first 14 games. The club hit .231 in April (25 games) and .230 in May (30 games).
WE SHALL NAME THE STREAK SEVEN: Altoona's seven-game win streak is the longest of the 2013 season and matches the best streak that the 2012 Curve put together from May 15-21. If Altoona can make it eight straight tonight, it would be the longest win streak since the 2010 Eastern League Champion Curve won eight straight from May 20-26, 2010. The longest winning streak in franchise history is 10 games, set back in 2005 (July 24 - August 2).
LET'S GET IT STARTED: Altoona's starters have allowed just one earned run in the last five-games at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Casey Sadler tossed six scoreless on Friday night, Nick Kingham 5.2 scoreless on Saturday, Jameson Taillon allowed one unearned run in five innings on Sunday, David Bromberg tossed seven shutout on Tuesday before Eliecer Navarro allowed the lone earned run of the homestand to this point on a solo home run by Adam Loewen on Wednesday night. The five starters have allowed just 21 hits in 29.2 innings, walked a total of six and whiffed 29.
DAZZLING DEBUTS: Eliecer Navarro became the third player in the last week to turn in a great Double-A debut. The left-hander re-joined Gregory Polanco and Nick Kingham, all of whom began the season with the Bradenton Maraud- ers. Navarro went six innings scattering four hits and allowing two runs only one of which was earned. He issued a pair of free passes and has not issued more than two walks in any of his starts so far this season.
SAN-TOASTED: Third baseman Adalberto Santos saw his hitting streak come to an end at six on Wednesday. He knocked in a season-high three runs, including the game-winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning on Tuesday night. He also hit a two-run homer in the eighth in the series opener. The third baseman went 9-for-21 (.429) with six runs scored, a home run, and three RBI over that six-game stretch.
CLOSE CALLS: Altoona has been very good in one-run games this season, posting a record of 11-6 and a sterling 8-2 mark in those contests at home this season. During the team's current seven-game winning streak, the Curve are 2-0 in one-run games and also picked up a win in a two-run contest on June 12 in New Britain.
WALK THIS WAY: The walk-off single by Adalberto Santos on Tuesday night in the tenth inning was the third walk-off hit by the Curve this season. Andrew Lambo, now with Triple-A Indianapolis, was responsible for the first two; picking up a single on April 16 vs. Richmond and a home run on June 4 vs. Reading.
TELL ME WHEN TO GO: The Curve stole three more bases on Sunday night in the win over Trenton and recorded 11 steals in the three-game set with the Trenton without being caught. Newly promoted centerfielder Gregory Polanco had a hand in that total, swiping three bags so far with the Curve. In the New Hampshire series, however, the Curve have been caught steal- ing twice in two attempts. As a team, the Curve have 67 steals, which is third-most in the 12-team Eastern League. Binghamton and Portland lead the league with 80.
Eastern League Stories from June 20, 2013
- Franco Excels in Double-A Debut with Fightin Phils - Reading Fightin Phils
- Crazy Eights: Curve Win Eighth Straight with Sweep of 'Cats - Altoona Curve
- Thunder Spoil Cooper's Gem in 1-0 Victory in Series Finale - Akron RubberDucks
- Henry Hammers Senators - Chesapeake Baysox
- Turley's Gem Leads Thunder to Sweep of Akron, 1-0 - Trenton Thunder
- Jimenez Goes 4-For-5 with 2 RBI - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Binghamton Walks to Rubber Game Win, 4-3 - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- B-Mets Dump Squirrels to Take Series, 4-3 - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Home runs power Sea Dogs to 5-2 victory at Reading - Portland Sea Dogs
- Altoona Curve Game Information: June 20, 2013 - Altoona Curve
- Sea Dogs vs. Fightin Phils - Game Notes - june 20, 2013 - Portland Sea Dogs
- Legendary Northeast Ohio Journalist to be Honored at Aeros Game on Saturday, June 29 - Akron RubberDucks
- Trenton Thunder Hope Week Starts Tomorrow - Trenton Thunder
- Pitchers Scottie Allen & Rigoberto Arrebato Promoted To Thunder - Trenton Thunder
- Darnell Tosses Gem Against 'Wolves - Erie SeaWolves
- B-Mets vs. Flying Squirrels - Game Notes - June 20, 2013 - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Aeros and Fire Department to Conduct Drills - Akron RubberDucks
- Baysox Celebrate Thanksgiving Early - Chesapeake Baysox
- SeaWolves vs. Rock Cats - Game Notes - June 20, 2013 - Erie SeaWolves
- Sea Dogs Announce Upcoming Promotions - Portland Sea Dogs
- Gillies' Walk-Off Single Tops off Wild Night at FirstEnergy - Reading Fightin Phils
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