Curve Game Notes for June 6
June 6, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
Akron Aeros (34-19) @ Altoona Curve (18-36)
Saturday, June 6 - 5:05 p.m. - Doubleheader
Blair County Ballpark - Altoona, PA
Games #55,56 Home Games #25,26
FOR ALTOONA: RHP Brad Lincoln will make his 11th start of the season in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday. The Pirates' 2006 first round draft choice from the University of Houston ranks tied for fifth in the Eastern League with 52 strikeouts and his 2.18 ERA also ranks fifth best. Lincoln will make his second start of the season against Akron. In his lone start against the Aeros (5/15 at BCB), Lincoln did not factor in the decision after he allowed just one run on five hits over 7.0 solid innings.
IN THE NIGHTCAP: RHP Sean Smith will make his second start of the year for Altoona and make his second appearance of the season against Akron. Smith was signed as a minor league free agent this past offseason. The Zephyr Cove, NY native received a no decision on 4/23 vs. Akron in a relief appearances (3.2 ip, 2 er).
AKRON: Westbrook, 31, will enter his 10th major league season once he makes his 2009 debut. He was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the first round (21st overall) in the 1996 June Draft. After making his major league debut with the New York Yankees in 2000, Westbrook was dealt to Cleveland along with Zach Day as the "players to be named later" in the trade that sent David Justice to the Yankees in exchange for Ricky Ledee.
Westbrook was selected to the American League All Star team in 2004, though he did not appear in the game. In 2005 and 2006 Westbrook enjoyed back-to-back 15-win seasons for Cleveland (a career high). Before his injury in 2008, Westbrook was 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA in five starts. In his career, Westbrook holds a career mark of 63-64 to go along with a 4.31 ERA in 200 appearances (160 starts).
Westbrook was placed on the 60-day Disabled List exactly one year ago today (June 3, 2008) and underwent successful Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on June 12, 2008. The surgery was performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles, CA.
IN THE NIGHTCAP: RHP Josh Judy will start for Akron. A Morgantown, WV native, Judy was Cleveland's 34th round selection in the June 2007 draft out of the Indiana Institute of Technology. Judy was promoted to Akron in late April and has gone 0-1-2 in 10 appearances. Judy made five appearances out of the bullpen for Kinston (A - Advanced), saving three games before he was promoted.
LAST TIME OUT: The Altoona Curve relinquished a 5-0 lead and Akron scored 12 unanswered runs to win 12-5.
CURVE/AKRON SERIES: The Curve and Aeros will meet for the 16th time this season of their scheduled 24 meetings. The Curve and Aeros are each others' second most common opponent on their respective 2009 schedules. The Aeros have won 11 of 15 this season...Aeros' OF Jared Head has a .425 average (17x40, 1 HR, 10 RBIs) against the Curve this year... OF Jose Constanza is hitting .360 (18x50) and has stolen 9 bases in 10 attempts...Curve SS Brian Friday is hitting .423 (11x26) against Akron while OF Jonel Pacheco is swinging the bat at a .366 clip (15x41).
STREAK SNAPPED: Curve outfielder Jason Delaney had his string of seven straight games of driving in a run snapped in Friday's loss..Delaney also had a season-high five-game hitting streak snapped.
GORKY'S DEBUT: OF Gorkys Hernandez, the centerpiece in the recent trade that sent Nate McLouth to Atlanta started in center field for Altoona on Friday, led off and went 1-for-5 with an RBI.
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