EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: May 22, 2014 vs. Akron

Published on May 22, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ABOUT YESTERDAY: Altoona went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left a man on base in seven straight innings in their 6-2 loss to the Akron RubberDucks yesterday at Peoples Natural Gas Field. After both teams were blanked through the first four innings, the Curve struck first thanks to an RBI single by Alen Hanson that plated Kawika Emsley-Pai from third. However, the 'Ducks replied with two unearned runs in the sixth to take the lead. After allowing another run in the seventh, Altoona cut the lead down to one in the eighth when Willy Garcia doubled and scored two batters later on a wild pitch. Akron ran away with the game in the ninth thanks to a three-run blast by Tyler Naquin who finished the game with four RBIs. Nick Kingham (1-5) took the tough-luck loss again for Altoona after his longest outing of the season where the 22-year-old lasted seven innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits.

CURVE/RUBBERDUCKS SERIES: Altoona and Akron aren't strangers to one another this season. Today's game marks the 17th time this year that the Curve and 'Ducks have squared off with Akron leading the season series 12-4. The Curve are batting .249 against the 'Ducks as a team and hold a team ERA of 3.87 with three saves in five chances.

The 'Ducks bats have tagged Altoona for a .274 batting during the season series with Indians' top prospect Francisco Lindor holding a .323 mark against the Curve with two home runs and 14 RBI which included a grand slam on May 8 at Canal Park.

FOR ALTOONA: The current ERA king A.J. Morris will take the mound as he aims to stay undefeated this season.

Morris is 4-0 with a league-best 1.46 ERA among qualifying pitchers. The right hander won his fourth consecutive game in as many appearances on May 17 against Richmond after he hurled seven shutout innings and the Curve won 3-0. Morris enters his first year with the Altoona Curve after being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft from the Chicago Cubs organization. For more on Morris, see page two.

FOR AKRON: Akron will send up RHP Will Roberts (4-4,4.17) to the mound in the series finale. In his only game this season against the Curve at Canal Park, Roberts was tagged for six runs (five earned) on ten hits over five innings and took the loss after Altoona won 7-4 on May 11. He rebounded from his next start on May 17 when he went five innings again but only surrendered a pair of runs in a loss to the Erie SeaWolves. Roberts was a 5th round draft pick by the Cleveland Indians in the 2011 MLB Draft from the University of Virginia and went 7-9 in 23 games (21 starts) with Akron last season.

THIS CREW IS A-O-K: During this homestand, Altoona starting pitchers have been magnificent, holding a 1.91 ERA in six starts. Of the six outings, four games have seen quality starts from the arms of Curve pitchers but the starters have combined for a 1-4 record. In the four quality starts the Curve has put up in this homestand, the starters have a collective ERA of 1.33 ERA but the offense has a team batting average of .184. 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 3-1 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 .379 in 20 games this month with seven 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 and 0-for-3 in the morning game yesterday but is still hitting .325 with six doubles, two homers and 15 RBI (matches his total from all of April). Entering play today, Rojas is hitting .294 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 .304 this month in 20 games after batting .233 in 21 games during April with a total of five extra-base hits. He's driven in 16 runs in 20 games (compared to his four in 21 during April) and has also stolen four bases this month. He's hitting .266 entering action today and, more specifically, .327 in 13 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 22, 2014


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