EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: May 29, 2014

Published on May 29, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ABOUT YESTERDAY: The Curve and Richmond Flying Squirrels were suspended due to rain in the middle of the fifth inning at 1-1 after Richmond starter Kelvin Marte had just retired the Curve in order in the top of the inning. Altoona scored the first run of the game on Wednesday night in the first inning when Mel Rojas, Jr. grounded into a double play to score Gift Ngoepe from third. Richmond tied it off Curve starter Zack Dodson in the fourth with two down when Devin Harris hit a solo homer to the opposite field. The game will be resumed today at 5:05 p.m. and played to its nine-inning conclusion. The regularly-scheduled game will follow 30 minutes after the first one.

CURVE/SQUIRRELS SERIES: Today's game is the second and third meetings of the three-game set between Altoona and Richmond. These two teams are familiar with one another, having already met 11 times with six of the games in Curve, Pa. This season, Richmond leads the series 8-3 but all-time, the Curve hold a two-game lead (49-47). The first time these two teams met at the Diamond saw Altoona spoil the Squirrels' home opener with a 6-1 victory but Richmond took the next three games.

FOR ALTOONA: On the bump for the Curve in the regularly-scheduled game today will be LHP Joely Rodriguez, who looks to make it two straight wins and also to shake some tough luck against the Flying Squirrels. Last time out, Rodriguez blanked the Erie SeaWolves across six innings in the first game of a twinbill on Saturday night at Jerry Uht Park. The southpaw scattered two hits and struck out five batters in the victory, which was his first since April 25 in Akron. Both of his wins have come away from Peoples Natural Gas Field and he also boasts a better than 6:1 strike- out to walk ratio on the road entering his start tonight (19 K, 3 BB). His two starts against Richmond on the other than have been tough, going a combined 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA. For more on Rodriguez, see page two.

FOR RICHMOND: To the hill in the finale for the Squirrels will be LHP Ty Blach, who has faced the Curve once this season and will be making his 10th start of the season. Blach, who was named the 2013 Pitcher of the Year in the California League, enters today's game ranked among the league leaders in ERA (2.44, 7th), WHIP (1.02, 2nd), fewest IBB/9IP for a starter (1.31, 1st) and fewest baserunners/9IP for a starter (9.38, 2nd). In his only other start versus the Curve this season, Blach took a loss after giving up three runs on six hits in 5.2 innings while whiffing four. He's been stellar here at The Diamond, going 1-1 with a 1.85 ERA in four games (.220 BAA).

AWESOME ALUMNI: 2008-09 Altoona Curve first baseman Jamie Romak made his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers last night in a pinch hit role and went 0-for-1. When he did so, he became the 114th player to play in Curve, Pa. before making his debut in The Show. He's the third player this season to do so behind Casey Sadler (2013) and Rudy Owens (2010).

STILL LEADING THE PACK: Despite allowing six runs (two earned) on Tuesday night in Richmond, Curve starter A.J. Morris still leads the league in ERA at 1.65, just ahead of Richmond's Jack Snodgrass. Morris, 27, also commands the second-best batting average against for any starter in the league behind Portland's Henry Owens and the third- best WHIP in the circuit (1.04). He'll make his next start at home versus New Hampshire on Sunday in the series finale with the Fisher Cats.

FINISH STRONG: The Curve are 10-19 this month and have four more games left to play including tonight's in Rich- mond. The 10 wins this month are tied for the second-fewest in team history for the month of May with last year's team that went 10-20. The 2009 Curve had the fewest wins in the month (nine) while the 2010 team had the most (19).

REMEMBER TO CLOSE THE DOOR BEHIND YOU: The Curve suffered their tenth blown save of the season on Mon- day afternoon and have now blown a save opportunity in three consecutive games. In 18 chances late in games, the Curve have converted on just eight save opportunities, which is the second fewest total in the league only to Harris- burg's five. The ten blown saves do not lead the league, however, as New Hampshire has 13 failed save conversions. For comparison's sake, the Curve had 17 blown saves in all of 2013, 11 in 2012, 25 in 2011 and 18 in 2010.

THE KEY IS KEON: Curve left fielder Keon Broxton was held hitless on Tuesday but Altoona's everyday left fielder is still batting .353 in 27 games this month with seven doubles, two triples, four homers and 10 RBI to go along with 17 runs scored. His 17 runs are 13 more than he had in all of April (17 games). The former Diamondbacks farm- hand has the eighth-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.

YO RO, A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME: Center fielder Mel Rojas, Jr. has made big improvements in his offensive game since the first month of the season. After posting a .263 batting average through 22 games in April, Rojas has played the 28 games in May and is batting .330 with eight doubles and three home runs, All told, Rojas is batting .301 through 50 of Altoona's 51 games and leads the team with 33 RBI (fifth-most in the EL).

YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE (LEADER)BOARD: The following Curve players rank among the league leaders entering today's game: Elias Diaz (.323 BA, 9th), Alen Hanson (5 3B,1st), Willy Garcia (4 3B, T-2nd), A.J. Morris (1.65 ERA, 1st | 1.04 WHIP, 3rd | .200 BAA, 2nd | 5 wins, T-2nd) and Adrian Sampson (2.26 ERA, 5th)

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