EL1 Altoona Curve

Curve Stop Slide with Come-From-Behind Win Over Trenton

Published on July 25, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - In another battle of Eastern League division leaders, the Altoona Curve scored all six of its runs in the fifth inning to rally from a four-run deficit and salvage the final game of its four-game series against Eastern Division leader Trenton, 6-4, on Sunday night at Blair County Ballpark. Jared Hughes was terrific in 5.0 innings of relief to pick up his league-leading 11th win of the year, helping the Curve snap a seven-game losing streak.

Left-hander Tony Watson made his first start of the season for the Curve, and gave up four runs (all earned) on six hits in 3.0 innings. He struck out two batters and walked none. However, Hughes struck out two, walked two and scattered three hits in 5.0 stellar innings.

Thunder starter Hector Noesi started strong, but gave up all six runs in the fifth inning to fall to 6-2 on the year.

Trenton manufactured a run in the top of the first inning after Austin Krum was hit by a pitch during the second at-bat of the game. He stole second base, and came around for the game's first run on an RBI single by Daniel Brewer.

Leading off the second inning, Edward Gonzalez got the Thunder offense started with a long home run into the grass in left field to make it 2-0. Rene Rivera singled, and Luis Nunez hit a long ground-rule double to left field to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Justin Snyder hit a long sacrifice fly to move both runners up a base and make it 3-0 before Curve shortstop Chase d'Arnaud made a nice play to save another run. With the infield playing in, d'Arnaud left his feet to snare a high-hopper, looked the runner back at third base, and went to first for the second out of the inning. Watson got a strikeout to strand Nunez at third base.

But Brandon Laird struck with his league-tying 22nd home run of the year, another leadoff shot, to make it 4-0 in the top of the third inning.

Noesi cruised through the first four innings before the bottom half of the Curve order got to him. Brandon Jones led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a walk, and Miles Durham and Kris Watts loaded the bases with nobody out with back-to-back singles. No. 9 hitter Anthony Norman cut the Thunder lead in half with a ground rule double into the right field corner. Josh Harrison pulled Altoona within one, 4-3, with an infield single, and Norman came in to score the tying run when Noesi's pickoff attempt at first base went into foul territory down the right field line. Matt Hague then delivered a two-out RBI single through the left side to give the Curve their first lead in the past 39 innings, dating back to Wednesday night's game at Akron. Noesi faced 14 batters and allowed just two base runners through the first 4.0 innings. Eight Altoona batters tagged him for five runs on five hits before Hague's RBI single chased him in the fifth. After Cory Arbiso relieved Hoesi, Hague stole second base and came around to score on Jordy Mercer's broken bat single to left-center, giving the Curve a 6-4 lead.

Hankins gave up a one-out triple in the top of the ninth, but got a groundout and flyout to end the game.

The Curve will hit the road for a seven-game road trip, beginning with Monday night's 7:05 p.m. contest at Erie to begin a three-game series. Left-hander Jeff Locke (1-0, 0.82 ERA) will take the mound for Altoona, while RHP Brooks Brown (8-6, 3.89 ERA) will be on the hill for the Seawolves. Airtime on flagship station ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and Altoona Curve Radio Network affiliates is 6:35 p.m.

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Eastern League Stories from July 25, 2010


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