Altoona Curve Game Information: May 2, 2013
Published on May 2, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: A ninth-inning rally fell a run short for the Curve on Wednesday night in a, 5-4, loss to the Akron Aeros at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Alex Dickerson doubled in Jarek Cunningham in the ninth inning to cut the deficit to one before Bryce Stowell was able to shut the door by striking out pinch hitter Andy Vasquez and catch- er Charlie Cutler. Starter Casey Sadler (3-2) nearly finished seven innings allowing just three runs but he permitted a two-out homer to Chun Chen in the seventh that put Akron in front, 5-2, at the time. Sadler suffered his second loss in as many starts after leading the Curve to victories in each of his first four starts. Altoona held an early lead in the game thanks to Cunningham's third homer of the year, which came in the form of a solo shot in the second inning. Cunningham, Cutler, Dickerson and Mel Rojas, Jr. all had two hits apiece in the loss.
CURVE/AEROS SERIES: The Curve welcome in Akron for the first of three series at Peoples Natural Gas Field this season and the second overall series between the two teams. In Akron on the season-opening road trip, Altoona went 1-1 before the final game of the series was postponed due to rain. Akron does not return to Curve, Pa. after this series until early August.
FOR ALTOONA: Looking for another solid performance on an Education Day will be Curve RHP Jameson Taillon, who was masterful in a 10:30 a.m. game versus Richmond on April 17 at Peoples Natural Gas Field. On the season, Taillon is 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA and is coming off his second loss of the season. Taillon, 21, nearly turned in a qual- ity start his last time out, going 5.2 innings and allowing three runs while striking out seven. In his only other 10:30 start this season, the right hander dealt seven scoreless innings while fanning six. This will be his first career start vs. Akron and his first start against an Indians affiliate. For more on Taillon, see page two.
FOR AKRON: The No. 6 prospect in the Indians system according to Baseball America in Danny Salazar takes the mound on Thursday morning for the Aeros in the series finale. The Santo Domingo, D.R. native had a rough start to the season with three straight losses to open the campaign (one to Altoona). In his start versus the Curve at Canal Park, Salazar lasted just 2.2 innings while permitting four runs on seven hits. He seems to be a different pitcher as of late, throwing a combined 10 scoreless innings while giving up only five hits across his last two starts. The righty has also struck out nine batters in each of the last two starts.
MR. SUNSHINE: Altoona plays its eighth day game of the 2013 season this morning and enters today's matchup with a 5-2 mark in day games. The pitching staff has been extremely superb during the sunny hours, sporting a 2.18 ERA in the seven games so far having allowed just 15 earned runs in 62.0 innings pitched. The Curve are also 5-1 in day games that are played following a night game this season.
WELL, MR. ALDERSON...: Reliever Tim Alderson pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday night and lowered his season ERA to 1.42. In his six appearances this season, opponents have hit just .100 off him in 40 at bats. He's allowed an earned run in just one of six relief outings this season while striking out 16 in 12.2 innings pitched.
WILL I BE GETTING AN INHERITANCE?: Reliever Nate Baker came in to the game in the eighth inning on Tuesday night and was able to strand the bases loaded after inheriting three runners from Kenn Kasparek. This season, Baker has inherited six total baserunners and stranded all six. As a staff, the bullpen has inherited 26 baserunners so far this season and only three have been allowed to score (11.5%).
I GOT MY SWAGGER BACK: Third baseman Adalberto Santos returned off the Altoona disabled list on Tuesday night and drew a pair of walks in his first game action since April 15. The Bronx, N.Y. native had been sidelined with a left hip strain and is the first member of the Curve team to return from the DL this season. With a walk on Wednes- day, Santos extended his on-base streak to 11 games. The former Oregon State Beaver has walked nine times in 11 games.
THEY'RE GOING TO WISH THEY HAD A STOLM WARNING: Curve starter Stolmy Pimentel continued his dominant run to start the 2013 season, which is his first in the Pirates organization. Pimentel has made five starts for the Curve thus far and allowed just one total run in 30.1 innings pitched for an ERA of 0.30. That ERA is second-best in all of Major League or Minor League baseball behind Memphis' John Gast, who has yet to allow a run of any kind in five starts (29.2 IP) for the Redbirds. Pimentel has pitched in 0.2 innings more than Gast and allowed one fewer hit across his five starts to open the season. With Pimentel's seven scoreless on Monday, he now extends his scoreless inning's streak to 17 innings dating back to April 18 in Harrisburg. The only run the San Cristobal, D.R. native al- lowed this season came with one out in the first inning of that start.
TAKE TO THE PITCH: Altoona enters play on Thursday with the best staff ERA in the 12-team Eastern League at 3.72. They've allowed the second- fewest amount of runs in the league (104) and the third-fewest amount of hits (212) only to the Reading Fightin Phils' 182 and Portland's 202. Both of those teams, however, have played two fewer games than the Curve. D-UP: Altoona has committed the fewest errors (21) of any team in the 12-team Eastern League. This is in stark contrast to the 2012 Curve team, which committed the most errors in the league (145) and had the worst fielding percentage in the league. Entering play on Thursday, Altoona leads the circuit with a .979 fielding percentage.
Eastern League Stories from May 2, 2013
- B-Mets Baffled in Series Finale, 9-1 - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Collins and Lobstein Put on a Show in the Southern Tier - Erie SeaWolves
- Fightins Swept by Sea Dogs in 7-4 Loss - Reading Fightin Phils
- Erie SeaWolves at Binghamton Mets Game Notes - Erie SeaWolves
- Sea Dogs Earn First Ever Series Sweep In Reading With 7-4 Victory - Portland Sea Dogs
- Salazar Sizzles as Aeros Take Series Finale, 4-1 - Akron RubberDucks
- Salazar, Aeros Strike Down Curve on Thursday - Altoona Curve
- Baysox Beat Richmond to Avoid Sweep - Chesapeake Baysox
- Rock Cats Lose to Harrisburg 6-1 in Front of 7,859 at New Britain Stadium - New Britain Rock Cats
- Baysox Breeze Past Squirrels in Finale, 7-2 - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Pitching Dominant in 2-1 Thunder Win - Trenton Thunder
- B-Mets Game Notes: Game #28 - B-Mets (14-12) vs. Erie SeaWolves (13-11) - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Deck McGuire Solid in 2-1 Loss to Thunder - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Senators Special to Air on WHTM abc27 Friday Night - Harrisburg Senators
- Sea Dogs Game Notes May 2 at Reading - Portland Sea Dogs
- Altoona Curve Game Information: May 2, 2013 - Altoona Curve
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