Curve Pound Painter in Friday Night Win
September 16, 2022 - Eastern League (EL)
Altoona Curve News Release
CURVE, Pa. - Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis both launched home runs off Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter in the first inning as Altoona defeated Reading, 5-1, on Friday night at PNG Field.
Entering Friday night, Painter had been statistically one of the best pitchers in Minor League Baseball. The 19-year-old had a 1.17 ERA (13 ER) in 99.2 innings pitched across 21 starts between Clearwater, Jersey Shore, and Reading. Altoona scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to the early lead.
After a strikeout to open the frame, Painter got two strikes on Gonzales before he crushed his seventh home run of the season to left field. After getting Endy Rodriguez to fly out in the next at-bat, Matt Gorski extended the inning with an infield single. He advanced to third on a pickoff throwing error by Painter before Malcom Nuñez knocked an RBI-single to left to make it a 2-0 game.
On the next pitch thrown, Davis hit his fourth home run with Altoona and second of the series on a two-run shot to left. It was the first time in Painter's career that he allowed multiple home runs on one outing and just his fourth and fifth home runs allowed on the season.
Nuñez would add a second RBI-single in the third inning off Painter, scoring Gorski who hit a two-out double. Painter finished the day allowing seven hits in four innings with five strikeouts.
Carmen Mlodzinski tossed five scoreless innings with just four hits allowed with one walk and four strikeouts in his final start of the season. Domingo Gonzalez made his Double-A debut with three innings of relief, allowing one run in the eighth inning on an RBI-triple to Jhailyn Ortiz. Gonzalez struck out four batters and walked three. Tyler Samaniego worked a scoreless ninth to end the game.
Altoona continues a six-game series with the Reading Fightin' Phils, Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. in the final regular season series of the year. Curve will send RHP Aaron Shortridge to the mound, while Reading has RHP Mick Abel scheduled to start.
For tickets or more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office. Additionally, the Stockyard Team Store is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during every home game and online 24/7/365.
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