EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: May 21, 2014

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


ABOUT YESTERDAY: Adrian Sampson (3-3) turned in his best performance of the season on Tuesday night with seven innings of one-run ball while scattering three hits and whiffing a career-high eight. Despite the solid start, the Curve offense fell silent in a, 1-0, loss to the RubberDucks. Akron's lone run came with two down in the fifth when Tyler Naquin singled home Jordan Smith. The Curve stranded five men on the bases and couldn't do much offensive- ly against Toru Murata (3-0), Adam Miller or Shawn Armstrong. It is the third time this season that the Curve have been blanked (second by Akron).

CURVE/RUBBERDUCKS SERIES: Altoona and Akron aren't strangers to one another this season. Today's game marks the 16th time this year that the Curve and 'Ducks have squared off with Akron leading the season series 11-4. The Curve are batting .251 against the 'Ducks as a team and hold a team ERA of 3.86 with three saves in five chances.

The 'Ducks bats have tagged Altoona for a .273 batting during the season series with Indians' top prospect Francisco Lindor holding a .322 mark against the Curve with two home runs and 14 RBI which included a grand slam on May 8 at Canal Park.

FOR ALTOONA: Looking to give the Curve at least a series split with the RubberDucks will be RHP Nick Kingham, who gets the bump in the 10:30 a.m. game on Wednesday. Kingham, 22, has faced the Indians' Double-A affiliate in two of his last three starts and has had mixed results. In his 11 innings versus the 'Ducks, Kingham has allowed six runs (four earned) in 11 innings with a total of 13 hits and 11 strikeouts. Last time out, Kingham grabbed his third quality start of the season with two runs of six-inning ball versus Richmond on May 16. At home this year, Kingham has been solid, boasting a 2.22 ERA in five games that goes with a .231 BAA. For more on Kingham, see page two.

FOR AKRON: On the bump for the 'Ducks in Wednesday's morning matinee will be Joe Colon, who faces the Curve for a fourth time this season. In his prior three starts, Colon is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and has held the Curve to a .145 batting average against in the three games. His three starts versus the Curve came in succession from April 27 through May 10 before finally facing another team in Erie on May 16. In that game, Colon took a no decision after giving up three runs on six hits in five innings. On the road this season, Colon is 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA in four starts. THE A-TEAM: RHP Adrian Sampson was marvellous on Tuesday night in spite of the loss to the Akron Rubber- Ducks. Sampson went seven innings for the second straight start and allowed one run on three hits while whiffing a career-high eight batters and walking just one. In his last two starts, Sampson has allowed a total of three runs in 14 innings. Entering play on Wednesday, Sampson has a 2.17 ERA that is good enough for third-best in the Eastern League. His .219 batting average against is fifth-best in the circuit and his 1.09 WHIP is also fifth-best in the circuit.

FIRE UP THE KEURIG: The back-to-back Education Days will be the final 10:30 a.m. games that the Curve will play in 2014. These types of games have actually been quite good to the Curve so far as they are 3-0 in games that have started before noon. They did lose a game in Erie on May 1 that was the second game of a twinbill with the SeaWolves but it started well into mid afternoon.

THE KEY IS KEON: Curve left fielder Keon Broxton saw his six-game hitting streak end with an 0-for-4 game Monday but has still enjoyed plenty of success this month. Altoona's everyday left fielder is batting .371 in 19 games this month with six doubles, two triples, four homers and seven RBI to go along with 14 runs scored. His 14 runs are ten more than he had in all of April (17 games). The former Diamondbacks farmhand has the sixth-best average this month in the Eastern League. Broxton hit .146 in 17 games during April with no extra-base hits. The Florida native was acquired by the Pirates in a trade on March 27.

BORN TO ROW: Altoona's win over Akron on Monday night was thanks in large part to the great offensive night of Mel Rojas, Jr. The son of former Major Leaguer Mel Rojas went 3-for-4 with three RBIs including the game winning single in the bottom of the eighth. He went 1-for-4 in the loss on Tuesday night but is still hitting .338 with six doubles, two homers and 15 RBI (matches his total from all of April). Entering play today, Rojas is hitting .299 with a team-best 30 RBI.

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS: The new month has not only been good to Keon Broxton and Mel Rojas, Jr. but to many Curve players at the plate. Through 21 games this month, the Curve are batting .274 as a team which ranks third in the league behind only Akron and Portland. In the 22 games during the first month of the season, Altoona hit .235 as a team which was the second lowest in the league.

AL-HAVE ANOTHER: Shortstop Alen Hanson went 3-for-4 on Saturday night for his 13th multi-hit game of the 2014 season (fourth three-hit game). Hanson is batting .307 this month in 19 games after batting .233 in 21 games during April with a total of five extra-base hits. He's driven in 15 runs in 19 games (compared to his four in 21 during April) and has also stolen four bases this month. He's hitting .267 entering action tonight and, more specifically, .333 in 12 games since being put in the two hole in the lineup.

REACH FOR THE SKY: The following Curve players rank among the league leaders entering today's game: Alen Hanson (5 3B,1st), Willy Garcia (4 3B, T-2nd), Stetson Allie (8 HR, T-4th | 23 BB, T-3rd), A.J. Morris (1.46 ERA, 1st | 1.00 WHIP, T-2nd | .181 BAA, 1st) and Adrian Sampson (2.32 ERA, 3rd | 1.09 WHIP, 4th | .219 BAA, 5th).

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Eastern League Stories from May 21, 2014


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