Curve hold off ninth-inning rally to earn 5-4 win over Akron
August 26, 2005 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ALTOONA-- The Altoona Curve held off a ninth-inning Akron rally and earned a 5-4 win over the Aeros in the opening game of a three-game series Friday night at Blair County Ballpark. With the win, the Curve (70-63) remain in a tie with the Bowie Baysox for the second and final playoff spot in the E.L. South with just nine games remaining in the regular season.
The Curve carried a 5-2 lead into the top of the ninth inning with closer Matt Capps on the mound, but the Aeros plated two runs after one out to cut the lead to just one run at 5-4. With runners and first and second, Akron center fielder Jon Van Every sliced a ball down the left-field line that narrowly dropped into foul territory and avoided giving the Aeros the lead. Later in the at-bat, Capps caught Van Every looking on a third strike for the second out of the inning. Catcher Javier Herrera then bounced out to short for the final out as the Curve held on for their 70th win of the season.
Capps earned his third save since joining the Curve earlier in the month, while reliever Brady Borner picked up the victory. Borner (6-1) retired all four batters he faced between the sixth and seventh innings in earning the win.
Akron stranded 13 men on base in the game, including the bases loaded in the top of the eighth and two runners in four separate frames. The first-place Aeros (77-56) missed out on an opportunity to reduce their magic number to clinch the Eastern League's Southern Division title. Akron entered Friday's action with a magic number of just three, but that number remains the same after its loss to Altoona and Bowie's 7-2 win at Reading.
After the Aeros grabbed a one-run lead in the sixth inning against Curve starter Eddie Candelario, Altoona answered in the bottom of the frame, when Craig Stansberry grounded a broken-bat, two-run double inside the third-base bag to give the Curve a 3-2 lead. Altoona added insurance tallies in the seventh and eighth innings to take a 5-2 lead into the final inning.
Candelario received a no-decision after allowing two runs on six hits in his 5 2/3 innings on the mound. The right-hander walked four and struck out seven in throwing 108 pitches in the contest.
Akron starter Tom Mastny struck out nine batters over 5 2/3 innings of work, but was saddled with the loss. Mastny (1-1), making just his second Double-A start, lost for just the seventh time in 33 decisions over his three-year professional career.
Carlos Maldonado recorded the Curve's lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-4, including an RBI single in the second inning that gave Altoona the first run of the game.
The Curve and Aeros will play the second game of their three-game weekend series Saturday night at Blair County Ballpark. Altoona right-hander Matt Peterson (10-8, 5.78) will take the mound against Akron lefty Jeremy Sowers (4-1, 2.30) in the 7:05 PM contest.
Eastern League Stories from August 26, 2005
- Curve hold off ninth-inning rally to earn 5-4 win over Akron - Altoona Curve
- Penn, Baysox offense author 7-2 win over R-Phils - Chesapeake Baysox
- Sea Dogs win on suicide squeeze in ninth - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Thunder blank B-Mets for sixth straight win - Trenton Thunder
- B-Mets shut out at Trenton - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Chris Roberson of the Reading Phillies named 2005 Eastern League Rookie of the Year - EL1
- Johnson, Tosca inducted into Portland Sea Dogs Hall of Fame - Portland Sea Dogs
- Baysox Playoff Tickets Go On Sale Monday - Chesapeake Baysox
- Bautista Selected to E.L. All-Star Team - Altoona Curve
- Three Sea Dogs named to Eastern League All-Star Team - Portland Sea Dogs
- Jacobs named Eastern League All-Star - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Maikel Jova will miss rest of season - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Eastern League announces 2005 All-Star team - EL1
- Mets go on the road - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Floyd learning to fly - Reading Fightin Phils
- Bowie Baysox continue playoff push - Chesapeake Baysox
- Sea Dogs in playoff hunt - Portland Sea Dogs
- Russ Taff post-game concert to highlight tonight's Curve faith night - Altoona Curve
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