EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: June 20, 2014

Published on June 20, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ABOUT YESTERDAY: Late inning collapses continue to vex the Curve as this time it was a three-run ninth by the Fish- er Cats to force extras before they scored twice in the bottom of the 11th inning to steal a, 7-6, win. This came after the Curve carried a, 6-3, lead into the ninth inning. Quinton Miller (1-2), who saved the game on Tuesday night in New Hampshire, was unable to do the same on Thursday. Miller permitted all three runs in the ninth and all four final runs in the game scored by New Hampshire. It overshadowed the pitching performance of Pat Ludwig, who made his first Double-A start. Ludwig spun five innings of one-run ball and left in line for his first Double-A win before things fell apart late. Jarek Cunningham mashed his fourth homer of the season, a three-run shot in the third, that initially gave the Curve the lead. Elias Diaz and Drew Maggi each had three hits in the loss while Keon Broxton drove in two.

CURVE/SEA DOGS SERIES: The Curve make their yearly trek to Hadlock Field this weekend for what is now going to be 4.5 games in the span of three days. Altoona and Portland were only able to play a total of 12 innings the last time they met in Curve, Pa. because rains suspended the second game of the series and prevented the third from ever getting underway. In the lone game finished between the two clubs, the Sea Dogs nabbed the win. FOR ALTOONA: Starting the second game of the day, which will be shortened to seven innings, will be RHP Kenn Kasparek. Kasparek, 28, began the season with the Curve before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis where we went on to make five appearances before being assigned back to Altoona. Since coming back, Kasparek has ap- peared in two games and gone 1-0 while giving up a run in 2.1 total innings. It will the first start for Kasparek since he started for the Curve on June 26, 2013. In that start, Kasparek allowed six runs on seven hits in one inning. For more Kasparek, see page two.

FOR PORTLAND: Starting the second game of the day for the Sea Dogs will be LHP Henry Owens, who has domi- nated the Eastern League in his first full season in Double-A after a cup of tea last season. Owens, 21, made a splash with his first start of the season by throwing a six-inning, rain-shortened no hitter in his first start of the season on April 3 in Reading. He's gone on to be nothing short of spectacular since, going 8-3 with a 2.16 ERA. He averages more than a strikeout per inning (81 in 79.0 innings) while opponents hit a miniscule .176 off him. He was skipped in the rotation the last time the Sea Dogs faced the Curve.

REFRESHER COURSE: The Curve will be the home team for the first game of today's pseudo-twinbill in Portland be- cause the game was started in Curve, Pa. on June 11. Portland was able to grab a two-run homer off Adrian Sampson in the second inning of that game thanks to former Curve IF Stefan Welch. Willy Garcia drove in the game's only run for the Curve before it was suspended in the middle of the third inning. RHP Joan Montero is expected to resume the game for the Curve tonight. For information on Monerto, please see page four.

ACCA-SCUSE ME?: The Curve bullpen was unable to convert on their 14th save of the season last night against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, letting the 'Cats tie it in the ninth with three runs. The Curve are now 12-for-26 in save opportunities this season and have blown one in four straight games entering the series opener tonight in Portland. Despite the poor showing late in games, it's not the most blown saves in the league. That title goes to New Hampshire who is 19-for-34 in save situations this year.

I AM TITANIUM: Curve catcher Elias Diaz is enjoying a breakout season in 2014 as he continues to play well both offensively and defensively. At the plate, Diaz is hitting .303 in 52 games as the Curve's everyday catcher this season to go along with four homers and 28 RBI. Behind the dish, Diaz has committed just two miscues this season and has shown a decent arm when throwing out potential base stealers. He's hit in three straight entering play tonight.

THE TREBLEMAKERS: As a result of the benches clearing incident on Wednesday night in Manchester, Keon Brox- ton, Jarek Cunningham and Gift Ngoepe were all ejected from the game. Each of them plus Andy Vasquez and Yao- Hsun Yang will receive three game suspensions from the Eastern League. Cunningham, Ngoepe and Yang will begin serving their suspensions tonight following the completion of the suspended game. Every member of the team that left their position was also fined. A total of six players plus the manager of the Fisher Cats, Bobby Meacham, were ejected on the other side of the scuffle.

ACCA-AWESOME: Adrian Sampson continued his phenomenal season on the mound in Tuesday's win over New Hampshire. The Seattle, Washington native tossed seven innings of one-run ball and saw his ERA lower to an even 2.00, which now leads the league entering play today. However, the two runs that Sampson permitted in the game that will be resumed today have yet to be counted against his season ERA.

LET'S REMIX THIS BUSINESS: IF/OF Drew Maggi rides a five-game hit streak into tonight's series opener with the Sea Dogs in Portland following a three-hit day in the series finale in New Hampshire. He's played nearly every posi- tion on the infield (all except short) and two of the three outfield spots this season (except center). Since the calendar flipped to May, Maggi is batting .302 (32-for-106) with seven doubles, 11 RBI, 22 walks and 14 steals.

UNABLE TO COMPETE: Curve first baseman Stetson Allie has been placed on the Altoona DL retroactive to June 19. Allie, along with the rest of the team, was involved in the benches-clearing incident on Wednesday in New Hampshire. IF Kelson Brown has bene activated from the DL (right ankle sprain) to keep the roster at 25.

DID YOU REMEMBER TO FILL UP THE GAS TANK?: The Curve will con- tinue their longest road trip of the season with the first game of the weekend series in Portland. After Altoona finishes this 4.5-game series, they will play three games in New Britain before returning to Curve, Pa. on June 26. After the four-game series, the Curve will head to Bowie, Md. for the first time for a four-game series before the fourth of July. Altoona is 11-22 away from Peoples Natural Gas Field this year.

THE HIGH NOTES: 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 33 home runs in 596.0 innings so far this season. That's second-fewest in the league only to Portland's 28. 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 this Friday.

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