EL1 Altoona Curve

Curve Swept by B-Mets on Sunday, 5-2

Published on June 9, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. -The Altoona Curve lost a hard-fought game to the Binghamton Mets, 5-2, on Sunday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field in front 5,409 fans. The game, which was the last of a three-game series between the teams, was tightly contested until the ninth inning before Binghamton sprung ahead for the late-inning victory. Justin Howard went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and an RBI single to provide all the Curve offense in the loss.

The Curve scored early and led for most of the game. After a Drew Maggi groundout to lead off the second inning, Howard smacked a crisp homer over the right-center field wall to put the Curve in front, 1-0. It was the second home run of the year for Howard and his first this season at home.

Altoona manufactured another run to extend the lead in the fourth inning. Alex Dickerson singled on a bloop to shallow right field. Maggi dinked a sacrifice bunt toward first base, moving Dickerson to second. Howard followed up with a single of his own into right, driving Dickerson in from second to extend the lead to, 2-0.

Binghamton closed the gap to one in the fifth inning when B-Met Allan Dykstra smacked a solo home run over the right field wall, moving the score to 2-1. In the seventh inning, Josh Rodriguez singled into left to start the frame. After a Kenn Kasparek strikeout, Dykstra singled into shallow left-field, putting runners on first and second base. Travis Taijeron followed with a sharp line drive to center field for a single, driving in Rodriguez to tie the game at two.

The tie game took a possible win away from Ethan Hollingsworth, who turned in a strong pitching performance in a spot starting role on Sunday. He pitched five steady innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out two and walking none. He retired the first nine men in the game in order and had faced the minimum through the first four innings before Binghamton had a pair of hits in the fifth.

Both teams' pitching and defense took over for the next several innings, with neither team allowing a run until the top of the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth, Rodriguez singled up the middle past a laying-out Maggi. Puello grounded into a fielder's choice. Dykstra continued his strong night, dropping a single into right-center field that moved Puello to third. Taijeron came to the plate and hit a three-run homer off Jason Townsend (1-3) to put Binghamton in front for good.

Mel Rojas, Jr. was 2-for-4 in the loss and extended his season-best hitting streak to eight games while Dickerson and Howard had the other multi-hit games.

After a day off on Monday, the Curve (25-37) head to New Britain to face the Rock Cats (AA - Twins) in a three-game series beginning at 6:35 p.m. from New Britain Stadium. RHP Stolmy Pimentel (3-3, 3.84) will start for the Curve on Tuesday in the lid lifter with the 'Cats. The Rock Cats will start lefty Pat Dean (3-6, 4.81) in the first-of-three.

Airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Altoona returns home to start a six-game homestand beginning Friday, June 14 with a Tillman Tinkerson Bobblehead to the first 1,000 fans thanks to the Altoona Mirror. For tickets and more information on the next Curve homestand, call 877.99.CURVE, visit AltoonaCurve.com or stop by the ticket windows at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

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Eastern League Stories from June 9, 2013


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