Curve Held Scoreless again, Lose Fifth Straight
June 26, 2011 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
HARRISBURG, Pa. - For the fourth time in five games on a winless road trip, the Altoona Curve are held scoreless in a Sunday afternoon contest with the Harrisburg Senators and fall by the score of 6-0. Harrisburg starter Shairon Martis went 8.1 IP in the victory and allowed three hits with ten strikeouts. The Curve have lost five straight games for the first time this season.
The game started much the same way as the previous two games of the series did with both teams going scoreless through three, however, a lucky bounce would prove huge for the Senators in the fourth. In the inning, after a leadoff single, Curve starter Phil Irwin got the next two batters before Devin Ivany grounded the ball up the middle. On a play the Curve looked like they would make, the baseball then hit off of second base and kicked into left field. The runner from second scored, and it started a chain of positive events for Harrisburg instead of ending the inning.
Leading 1-0, the next batter doubled down the line in right to place runners on second and third before Jonathan Tucker singled to right. On the play, two runs scored and Tucker reached third on a throwing error. The next batter, Martis, struck out, but reached on a wild pitch, allowing the runner from third to score to make it a 4-run inning and a 4-0 lead.
Irwin was lifted in the game after the fifth as he allowed four runs, three earned on six hits with six strikeouts. Irwin may have gone scoreless had the ball not hit second base in the fourth. Bryan Morris came on in the sixth and worked two scoreless innings, allowing one hit. Tim Alderson came on to work the eighth and he allowed a leadoff single before an out and then a two-run home run by Ivany to extend the lead to six.
Offensively for the Curve, they had trouble solving Martis who was lifted after Starling Marte extended his hitting streak to nine with a double in the ninth. He struck out ten and allowed three hits on 112 pitches, 82 for strikes. Rafael Martin came on and recorded the final two outs of the game.
Over the 44 innings of the five-game road trip, the Curve scored only one run and went 1-for-31 with runners in scoring position
With the loss, the Curve have lost a season-high five straight and they drop to six games below .500 at 34-40 for the first time this season.
Altoona will play a Monday home game for the first time since May as they welcome in the Reading at 7 p.m. Fans can cure their case of the Mondays with a postgame fireworks show following the game with the Phillies. It will also be a Mirror Monday presented by the Altoona Mirror where fans can receive a $3 discount on grandstand tickets with the coupon from the front page of the sports section in the Monday edition of the Mirror.
RHP Mike Colla (4-3, 3.31) is coming off a strong seven-inning outing his last time out and will start for the Curve on and he'll be opposed by RHP J.C. Ramirez (5-7, 4.11) for Reading. Gates open up at 6 p.m. and air time on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Eastern League Stories from June 26, 2011
- Baysox Swipe Finale from B-Mets, 6-4 - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Mahoney Doubles up Binghamton - Chesapeake Baysox
- Five-Run Second Inning Keys Third Straight Richmond Win - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Betances' Dominant Outing Gives Thunder Series Win - Trenton Thunder
- Curve Held Scoreless again, Lose Fifth Straight - Altoona Curve
- Shairon Martis Leads The Senators to A Sweep of Altoona - Harrisburg Senators
- Fisher Cats Top Sea Dogs 7-3 for Fifth Straight - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- SeaWolves Swept by Squirrels - Erie SeaWolves
- Season-High 10-Run First Inning Leads Aeros to Series Sweep - Akron RubberDucks
- Thunder Powers over Rock Cats before Sellout Crowd - New Britain Rock Cats
- Cats Complete Sweep of Sea Dogs - Portland Sea Dogs
- Rock Cats Have Three Player Moves - New Britain Rock Cats
- Altoona Curve Transaction - Altoona Curve
- Erie SeaWolves Game Notes - Erie SeaWolves
- Harrisburg Senators Player Transaction - Harrisburg Senators
- Portland Sea Dogs Game Notes - Portland Sea Dogs
- Bowie Baysox Announce Player Move - Chesapeake Baysox
- Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes - Richmond Flying Squirrels
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.
