Curve complete sweep of Phillies, 5-1
June 18, 2006 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ALTOONA - After dropping nine of their previous 12 contests, the Curve won their fifth consecutive game and completed the three-game sweep of the Reading Phillies Sunday evening, winning 5-1 at Blair County Ballpark. Right-hander Matt Peterson continued the Curve's streak of excellent pitching, keeping the Phillies to a single run on four hits in six innings. Peterson (4-5), struck out four and walked none while picking up his first win since May 10th.
With both teams knotted at a run apiece, second baseman Craig Stansberry hit a two-run line drive home run to left, giving the Curve a 3-1 lead. Stansberry, a member of the Pirates' 40-man roster, is now tied with Simon Pond and Ray Sadler for the team lead in home runs (8).
The Phillies broke up the Curve's bid for back-to-back-to-back shutouts when they finally crossed the plate in the fifth inning. Pitcher Gio Gonzalez helped out his own cause with a two-out single to center, scoring second baseman Carlos Leon. Altoona's pitchers had not allowed a run to the Phillies in 22 1/3 innings until Leon scored. The Curve have never posted three consecutive shutouts.
Altoona added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, breaking away from Reading. Catcher Milver Reyes and pinch hitter Rafael Alvarez both drove in a run for the Curve.
Curve newcomer Derek Moeves pitched 1 2/3 strong innings of relief, allowing no runs on four hits. Moeves was called up from Class-A Hickory on Friday. The righty is the first player selected by the Pirates in last year's draft to make it to the Double-A level.
Javier Vasquez picked up his fourth save of the year after pitching the final 1 1/3 innings.
The crowd of 7,617 at Sunday's game made the three-day series total 22,467, the third highest in franchise history. It was the fourth straight game with an attendance over 7,000.
The Curve enjoy a scheduled day off on Monday before hitting the road for a seven-game road trip to Harrisburg and Akron. Altoona will visit City Island in Harrisburg for four games from Tuesday through Friday before traveling to Akron for three games, Saturday through next Monday. The Curve will return to Blair County Ballpark on Tuesday, June 27th for a seven-game homestand against Bowie and Akron.
Mike Connolly (6-3, 3.69) will take the mound for the Curve on Tuesday against Harrisburg's Kip Bouknight (3-4, 3.96). Connolly currently leads the Curve with six wins.
Eastern League Stories from June 18, 2006
- Curve complete sweep of Phillies, 5-1 - Altoona Curve
- Thunder rally in ninth to beat B-Mets - Trenton Thunder
- Subway series north attracts biggest June weekend crowd In B-Mets history - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Two run ninth puts Trenton on top - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Sea Dogs top Fisher Cats 14-7 to earn series split - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Trenton beats Binghamton 4-2 with rally in 9th - Trenton Thunder
- Harrisburg Senators Game Notes - Harrisburg Senators
- Binghamton Mets Game Notes - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
