EL1 Altoona Curve

Curve Game Notes for June 20

Published on June 20, 2009 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


Connecticut Defenders (38-29) at Altoona Curve (23-44)

Saturday, June 20 - 7:05 p.m.

Blair County Ballpark - Altoona, PA

Game #68; Home Game #32

CURVE/CONNECTICUT SERIES: The Altoona Curve and the Connecticut Defenders (AA-San Francisco Giants) will meet for the fifth time this season tonight at Blair County Ballpark. After last night's 9-5 Defenders victory the season series is tied at two games each

FOR ALTOONA: RHP Mike Crotta will take the mound for the Altoona Curve in his 13th start of the 2009 season. The 6'6" Crotta who was selected by Pittsburgh in the 17th round of the 2006 June draft started the season 3-0, but has since gone 0-3 and is in search of his first win since May 12. One of Altoona's most consistent starters through the first month and a half of the season, Crotta has failed to get through the sixth inning in his last four starts, permitting no fewer than six hits in any of those four outings. Last time out Crotta threw 6.0 innings allowed two runs on eight hits against Connecticut in a 3-2 Curve win on 6/14.

FOR CONNECTICUT: LHP Jesse English will make his 14th appearance of the season and ninth start. A member of the Giants' 40-man roster, English was selected by San Francisco in the sixth round of the 2002 June Draft. This is his first Double-A season after he sported a 13-7 record with a 3.19 ERA in 26 starts for San Jose (A)...English holds left-handed hitters to a .118 batting average, while right-handers swing the bat at a .352 clip against him. Last time out against the Curve English tossed 5.2 innings allowing no runs on three hits with four strikeouts picking up his fourth win of the season on 6/12. In his last four road starts English has allowed 12 runs on 20 hits and has not made it past the fourth inning posting a 9.26 ERA

ALTOONA P.D.: Curve OF Jonel Pacheco and OF/1B Jason Delaney have been outstanding during Curve's stretch of winning four out of six games. Friday night both players had RBI doubles and accounted for half of the Curve base runners. In their last six games the two have combined for 16 hits, three home runs, and 10 RBIs with a .390 average. Delaney has hit safely in five of the six games and has raised his batting average 14 points, while Pacheco is riding a nine game hit streak, his longest of the season. Pacheco holds the team lead in home runs (7), hits (58), stolen bases (9) and extra base hits (16), while Delaney leads the way in mutli-RBI games with 10 and the two share the team line in RBIs with 32.

TABATA TIME: OF Jose Tabata did not take long to get back into the swing of things after a 37 game absence with a hamstring injury. Tabata crushed his first home run of the 2009 season Friday and is hitting .308 (4x13) during the current home stand accounting for five of the team's 15 RBIs since 6/15.

CURVE KILLER: Defenders' leadoff man Brock Bond has torched the Curve so far this season. Bond is currently 11-for-17 (.647) in four games against Altoona and has reached base in 37 consecutive games coming into Saturday.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS: JUNE 20: RHP Randy Newsom activated from the Disabled List...RHP Yoslan Herrera placed on the DL (lower back strain)...JUNE 17: C Milver Reyes added from Lynchburg (A) roster...JUNE 16: C Miguel Perez promoted to Indianapolis (AAA)...JUNE 12: RHP Tyler Herron signed as a minor league free agent and assigned to Double-A Altoona...RHP Moises Robles sent to Lynchburg (A)...JUNE 10: OF Jose Tabata activated from the Disabled List...INF Pedro Lopez promoted to Indianapolis (AAA).

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