EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve Game Information: May 30, 2013

Published on May 30, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ABOUT YESTERDAY...: The Curve snapped a four-game losing streak with a come-from-behind victory, 8-4, over the Binghamton Mets on Wednesday night at NYSEG Stadium. Altoona initially led, 2-0, after the first inning thanks to an Alex Dickerson two-run, two-out single. Binghamton, however, countered with four runs in the first inning off starter Jameson Taillon. Three of the four runs came on a home run from first baseman Allan Dykstra and it flipped the scoreboard from 2-1 Curve to 4-2 Binghamton. From there, Taillon, Kenn Kasparek and Zack Thornton combined to shutout and two-hit the B-Mets the rest of the way. Altoona climbed back into the game in the fourth when Andrew Lambo smashed his 10th home run of the season to pull the Curve within one. In the fifth, Mel Rojas, Jr. singled in a run to tie the game at four. Andy Vasquez scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error in the seventh before the Curve added two more runs in the eighth and one in the ninth. Taillon finished five innings and allowed the four runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Kasparek (2-0) picked up the win with two scoreless innings of relief while Thornton tossed two scoreless for his second save.

CURVE/METS SERIES: This is the first of five series that the two teams will play this season and the first of three trips that the Curve will make to NYSEG Stadium. Despite playing in a different division, the Curve and B-Mets meet 15 times this year, which is strange since the Curve face the Bowie Baysox (a team in their own division) just six times in 2013.

FOR ALTOONA: Hoping to shake off a trend of rough starts and lead the Curve to a series win over Binghamton on Thursday morning will be RHP Stolmy Pimentel. The San Cristobal, D.R. native started off the season in pristine form, allowing one run in 30.1 innings pitched in April. Since the calendar has turned to May, however, Pimentel has gone on to allow 27 runs (23 earned) in 28 innings to see his ERA balloon from 0.30 to its current spot at 3.70. Last time out, he allowed a season-worst eight runs (four earned) in 4.2 innings to the Richmond Flying Squirrels back on May 25. On the road this season, Pimentel is 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA in five starts. For more on Pimentel, see page two.

FOR BINGHAMTON: Making his sixth start of the season for Binghamton on Thursday morning will be Cory Mazzoni, who checked in as the 10th-best prospect in the system according to Baseball America entering the season. He's missed some significant time this season, not making a start between his first start on April 5 and the beginning of May. Mazzoni was on the shelf with what was diagnosed as right elbow neuritis and missed a full month. Since his return from the DL, Mazzoni has gone 2-1 with a 5.85 ERA in four starts and allowed fewer than five runs in one of the four outings. Last time out, Mazzoni gave up five runs on six hits in five innings to Portland on May 24.

YOU OUGHTA KNOW: OF/1B Andrew Lambo had two more hits, homered for the 10th time and drove in a run in the second game of three in Binghamton on Wednesday. He's now hit safely in nine straight games and 13 of his last 15 games. The Newbury Park, Calif. native began his season with a 21-game on-base streak and has now tied his own mark, checking into today's game with Binghamton with a 21-gamer that dates back to May 7. He's batting .299 in the month of May and slugged seven of his team-leading 10 homers this month too. Entering play today, Lambo is fourth in the league with 37 RBI, tied for fourth in the league with his 10 homers and fifth in the league for triples (four). He's also reached base safely in all but three of his games played this season (48-of-51).

MEL'S DRIVE IN: Outfielder Mel Rojas, Jr. was 2-for-5 and drove in two runs on Wednesday night in the win over the B-Mets He has safely hit in 13 of his last 15 games to raise his average from .220 on May 14 to its current spot at .251. With his hit on Wednesday, he's hit safely in six straight games and depending on what he does in the resumption of the suspended game with Reading, he might have himself a nice hit streak. He went 0-for-4 so far in the game but if he gets a hit when it resumes it would make his current six-game streak a 10-gamer. The Indianapo- lis, Ind. born Rojas is batting .279 this month with 11 RBI after hitting .226 in 24 games in April.

ZACK ATTACK: Altoona turned to Zack Thornton to close the game on Wednesday for his second save in as many op- portunities in Double-A this season. Thornton, who was acquired in the offseason trade from Oakland that sent Chris Resop to the A's, was closing for the Bradenton Marauders before being called up to Double-A. Since his arrival in Curve, Pa., he's allowed just one run on two hits (a solo home run to Jim Murphy). He's fanned 11 batters in eight innings while walking one.

MAKING THE CUT: Charlie Cutler was 2-for-4 with two runs scored on Wednesday to run his average to .338. The San Francisco, Calif. native has doubled eight times this season and his doubles account for nearly 1/3 of his total hits (25). He's driven in 13 runs while batting .345 with runners in scoring position. This month, Cutler is batting .378 with a homer and seven RBI in 16 games played.

PLUGGING THE LEAK: The Curve had allowed at least eight runs during the four-game losing streak but held the Binghamton Mets to just four runs on Wednesday night. It was the first time since last Friday that the Curve held an opponent to four runs or less.

DON'T FORGET YOUR TOOTHBRUSH: The Curve are now 13 games into one of the tougher stretches on their 2013 schedule. Altoona is in a period of the season where they are playing 13-of-17 games away from home without the benefit of a day off. Altoona traveled through Richmond and Reading for seven days before returning home for a four-game series over Memorial Day. This current road trip lasts six days and also sends the Curve up to Portland before an off day on June 3. So far in the 13 games, the Curve are 3-9 with the suspended game still hanging in the balance from May 23.

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Eastern League Stories from May 30, 2013


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