EL1 Altoona Curve

Dandy debut: Sanchez wins first Double-A start

Published on July 5, 2005 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ALTOONA-- 21-year old Romulo Sanchez pitched out of two bases loaded jams and worked five strong innings to earn the victory in his Double-A debut as the Altoona Curve regained first place in the E.L. South with a 3-1 win over Erie Tuesday night at Blair County Ballpark.

Altoona (45-38) had dropped out of first in the Southern Division after losing to Erie in Monday's series opener, but moved back into first with Tuesday's victory. The SeaWolves, who had been 18-7 in their previous 25 games at Blair County Ballpark, fell to 45-39 with the loss.

Sanchez (1-0), one of the more inexperienced pitchers to make his debut with the Curve, having made just two career appearances on U.S. soil, twice faced bases loaded, no out jams, but allowed just one total run. In the second inning, the Venezuelan native loaded the bases, but Erie managed just one run on a sacrifice fly from Chris Maples.

In the fifth, after the Curve had grabbed a 2-1 lead, the SeaWolves again packed the bases with no outs, but Sanchez struck out his first two batters of the game--Juan Tejeda and Kurt Airoso--before getting Byron Gettis to ground out.

In five innings, Sanchez allowed just one run on six hits, walked three and struck out two. The right-hander had pitched in just two games with the Gulf Coast League Pirates this season after having previously pitched in the Dominican Republic and his native Venezuela.

Curve relievers Shane Youman and Ben Shaffar secured the lead by combining to work four scoreless frames. Shaffar pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to notch his second save of the season.

Erie starter Nate Cornejo (4-9) was on the mound for all three Curve runs and was tagged with his ninth loss of the season to equal the most in the Eastern League.

Altoona scored runs in the second and third innings on RBI doubles by Ray Sadler and Jose Bautista, then tacked on an insurance run in the fifth when Javier Guzman singled home Craig Stansberry, who had led off the inning with a triple.

Bautista led the Curve offense by going 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Guzman added two hits.

Altoona and Erie will play the third game of their four-game set Wednesday night at 7:05 PM. Curve right-hander Paul Stewart (4-8, 4.78) will take the mound against Erie righty Humberto Sanchez (2-2, 5.97).

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Eastern League Stories from July 5, 2005


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