EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: June 21, 2014

Published on June 21, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ABOUT YESTERDAY: Altoona lost a pair of games to the Portland Sea Dogs on Friday night by scores of 4-2 and 3-0. In the first game, which was a completion of a game that was suspended from June 11, Portland immediately added two runs that proved to be the difference maker in the game. After the Curve failed to score when the game resumed in the last of the third, Sean Coyle hit a two-run homer off Yao-Hsun Yang to give the Sea Dogs a three-run lead at, 4-1. The Curve were never able to recover and only scored once later in the game on an Alen Hanson RBI fielder's choice. In the second affair, one of the league's best in Henry Owens (9-3) took to the hill for Portland and pitched a seven- inning, complete-game shutout while scattering five hits. Joan Montero (2-2) for the Curve was not as on point, giving up three runs in 3.2 innings of work while walking five in his second start of 2014 (22nd appearance overall). Altoona did get two hit days from Hanson and Junior Sosa. For Sosa, the his were his first in Double-A.

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. After finishing that aforementioned game on Friday, the Sea Dogs lead the season series, 3-0, with three-games left to play.

FOR ALTOONA: On the bump for the Curve in the first game of today's true doubleheader will be LHP Joely Rodri- guez, who did not pitch so well versus Portland in his only other start against them this season. In that outing on June 10, Rodriguez allowed a season-high tying five runs on a season-high 10 hits but still was able to finish six innings. Three of the runs were scored in the first inning off Rodriguez, who has permitted six of his 38 runs this season in the first inning. His troublesome inning has been the fifth with opponents scoring 12 times in that inning. The Santo Domingo, D.R. native was added to the Pirates 40-man roster in the offseason. For more on Rodriguez, see page two.

In the second game, Matt Benedict will jump from the bullpen and make the spot start in the seven-inning soiree. Benedict has flipped back between starting and relieving throughout most of his career in professional baseball but this will be his first spot start of the season with the Curve. He enters tonight's game with a record of 0-4 and an ERA of 8.35 spanning 20 appearances. For more on Benedict, see his bullpen capsule on page 3.

FOR PORTLAND: Lefty Brian Johnson will make the start for the 'Dogs in what is technically the second game of a four-game series. Johnson, 23, befuddled the Curve over six innings on June 10 and out-dueled Rodriguez for the victory. He allowed one run on four hits and struck out six batters en route to his fourth win of the season. A majority of his starts this season (six) have been away from Hadlock Field but the southpaw has been equally as good at home with a 2-0 mark in two starts (2.25 ERA). Prior to being promoted from High-A Salem, Johnson was 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA for the Salem Red Sox. Portland will also dig into their bullpen for the second game tonight and go with LHP Robby Scott. 25, has spent the entire season with the Sea Dogs and has been stellar with a 6-2 record and a 0.86 ERA in 15 games. His longest out- ing of the year out of the 'pen has been three innings on three different occasions.

ACCA-SCUSE ME?: The Curve bullpen was unable to convert on their 14th save of the season Thursday 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, which is second-worst in the league behind New Hampshire, who has failed to convert on 16 save tries (19-of-35).

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 .302 in 53 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. The native of Maracaibo, Venezuela threw out two potential basestealers in the resumed game on Friday to run his percentage of runners caught to just over 30 percent (30.3%). 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 Broxton, 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 began serving their suspensions with the second game on Friday night. 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. However, Sampson was hit with the loss when the suspended game from June 11 was completed on Friday night since the Curve were unable to come from behind to win. His ERA, which is 2.15 after the runs were added, is second-best behind Portland's Henry Owens (1.99). Sampson will start tomorrow's series finale here in Portland.

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.

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 35 home runs in 616.2 innings so far this season. That's second-fewest in the league only to Portland's 28.

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Eastern League Stories from June 21, 2014


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