Curve Collapse Again
June 5, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ALTOONA, PA - For the fourth straight game the Altoona Curve jumped out to an early lead and was left hanging on for dear life in the late innings. The Curve would not be able to hold on Friday giving up a 5-0 lead, surrendering 12 unanswered runs, eight coming in the eighth inning, to fall to the Akron Aeros 12-5 Friday night at Blair County Ballpark.
The Curve exploded for four runs in the second inning. Jeff Corsaletti got things started with a lead off double; he would score on a single by Hector Gimenez. Angel Gonzalez would then slap an RBI double to left field. Newly acquired Gorkys Hernandez would get his bat into the mix on an in-field single that scored Gimenez and the final run of the inning scored on a fielder's choice. Altoona picked up another run in the third when a hard hit ball by Steve Lerud shot through the five-hole of the Aeros third baseman to score Corsaletti and give the Curve a 5-0 lead.
Curve starter Kyle Bloom had his strongest performance of the season tossing six shutout innings giving up only two hits, and it appeared as though the Curve were cruising to their fourth win in five games.
The Aeros would begin their march back into the ballgame in the seventh against the Curve bullpen. Akron got two runs in the seventh on a John Drennan single and a fielder's choice.
In the eighth lefty Shawn Nottingham walked the only three batters he faced to load the bases, recently acquired Scott Nestor then came in and walked home a run in a stretch where Curve pitchers threw only one strike in 21 pitches. Drennan then crushed a ball to deep center that cleared the bases for a three RBI double and just like that the Aeros had taken a 6-5 lead and Akron was not done. After a run crossed on a fielder's choice, Carlos Santana drove in another run on a single and finally Beau Mills crushed a two run blast hugging the right field line to complete an inning that saw eight runs on just four hits with five walks to give the Aeros a 10-5 advantage.
The Curve (18-36) will have two chances to shake off Friday's loss in a doubleheader Saturday. The first game of Saturday's twin bill will feature a former major league starter and a potential future major league starter when Curve ace Brad Lincoln (1-3, 2.18) takes the mound against former Indians starter Jake Westbrook in his first appearance since having Tommy John's surgery last season. First pitch is scheduled 5:05 p.m. with radio coverage kicking off at 4:35 p.m. on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network.
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