EL1 Altoona Curve

Altoona Drops Series Finale to B-Mets, 4-3

Published on July 8, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - Missed opportunities by the Altoona Curve resulted in a, 4-3, loss to the Binghamton Mets in the series finale on Thursday night at Blair County Ballpark. After drawing within one run in the second inning, the Curve stranded eight men on the bases the rest of the way.

Starter Bryan Morris (4-4) got off to a rocky start in the first inning as the B-Mets sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs on four hits. In the second, Morris struck out the first batter Josh Stinson (6-1) before Kirk Nieuwenhuis homered to the opposite field to extend Binghamton's lead to, 4-0.

Altoona immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning with three runs off the B-Mets starter Stinson. Jordy Mercer led off with a double and came around to score two batters later when Miles Durham singled him in with one away. Anthony Norman placed a single through the right side to put two on with one down.

Morris laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Durham and Norman to second and third, respectively, for leadoff man Chase d'Arnaud. D'Arnaud delivered with two away and singled into right field to bring in the two runs and cut the Mets lead to one at, 4-3.

Derek Hankins was called upon after the second inning in relief of Morris, who gave up four runs on six hits in his shortest Double-A outing of two innings. Hankins pitched well out of the ‘pen for Altoona, throwing six innings of shutout baseball while allowing four hits and striking out six. With the six shutout innings, Hankins lowered his season ERA to 1.39.

While Hankins kept B-Mets hitters at arm's length the Curve offense failed to bring runners home as the game progressed. Altoona had two on with two outs in the third but Durham struck out. With one down and Mercer on third in the sixth, Durham popped out to the catcher and Hankins grounded out to end the threat.

In the ninth, Gorkys Hernandez extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a two-out single. After Binghamton brought in Eddie Kunz to pitch to Josh Harrison, Hernandez stole second on the first pitch Kunz threw to move himself into scoring position. Harrison flew out to center to end the game.

The Curve left a total of nine men stranded in the game and was 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Having lost three straight and five of its last six, Altoona (53-33) will try and right the ship against the Flying Squirrels at 7 p.m. on Friday night at BCB. E.L. wins leader Jared Hughes (10-5, 4.21) will start for the Curve while RHP Felix Romero (1-1, 3.96) gets the nod for Richmond.

Friday night is a fireworks night in Curve, Pa. as well as Cambria County Community Night presented by Conemaugh Health System. After the game, kids can run the bases and fans who purchase a bag of roasted almonds or pecans at the Nuts for You stand on the lower concourse during Friday night's game will be entered into a drawing to win $1,000 in Sheetz gas.

Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. on flagship ESPN Radio, 1430 WVAM and the Curve Radio Network.

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Eastern League Stories from July 8, 2010


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