Curve score twice in ninth to pull out dramatic win over R-Phils
Published on May 28, 2005 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ALTOONA-- Tom Evans singled home the game-tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, then scored the winning run on a Jorge Cortes base hit to right field as the Altoona Curve rallied to defeat the Reading Phillies, 6-5, Saturday night at Blair County Ballpark.
Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the ninth inning against Reading reliever Francisco Butto (0-1), Rich Thompson started the Curve comeback by legging out a triple to right-center field after one out. Two batters later, Evans knocked home Thompson with a shot into right-center to even the game at 5-5. After Evans reached first, he then stole second base uncontested when the entire Reading infield walked to the pitcher's mound for a conference without calling timeout. Ronny Paulino then worked a walk before Cortes drove in the winning run.
Altoona (24-21) won for the 15th time in 20 home games and improved to 16-3 in its last 19 games against the R-Phils at Blair County Ballpark. The Phillies (20-29) lost for the eighth time in their last 10 games.
Ben Shaffar (1-1) worked a scoreless ninth inning to earn his first win of the season. The right-hander has now worked 13 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to May 9th.
Thompson, Evans and Cortes each had two of the Curve's 10 hits in the contest. Thompson added a two-run single in the second inning that gave Altoona an early 4-1 lead against Reading starter Seung Hak Lee. However, the Phils came back in the third inning against Curve starter Hansel Izquierdo when Randy Ruiz belted a three-run homer to even the game at 4-4. The Phils took the lead in the fourth when Brian Hitchcox knocked in Ruiz with an RBI single.
The Curve and Phillies will play the third game of their four-game series Sunday night at 6:05 PM at Blair County Ballpark. Altoona will send lefty Paul Maholm (1-2, 3.81) to the mound to square off against Reading right-hander Carlos Chantres (2-5, 6.22).
Eastern League Stories from May 28, 2005
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