Delaney Leads Curve To 8-4 Win In Road Opener
Published on April 11, 2008 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
READING, PA- Jason Delaney went a perfect 3-for-3, including his first home run of the season and a key two-run double in the seventh inning to lead the Altoona Curve to an 8-4 win over the Reading Phillies in the opener of a six-game road trip Friday night.
Delaney reached base in each of his five plate appearances and scored three runs to lead the Curve to a season-high eight runs. In the fifth inning, the Altoona first baseman added to a one-run lead with his first longball of the season -- a towering fly ball, which just got over the center field wall. In the seventh, Delaney helped ice the game away with a two-run double to right-center which scored Shelby Ford and Anthony Webster and gave the Curve an 8-3 advantage.
Right-hander Jimmy Barthmaier worked the required five innings to pick up his first win of the season and the first victory by any Curve starter. Barthmaier (1-0), who was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh from the Houston Astros last November, allowed three runs -- all on a third-inning homer by Reading third baseman Neil Sellers -- and three hits to notch the win. The Georgia native walked four batters, hit one and struck out three.
Former Curve starter Kip Bouknight (1-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs -- four earned -- on five hits over five innings of work. Bouknight, who won 11 games for Altoona in 2007, uncharacteristically walked five batters in the contest. Among his five free passes was a bases loaded walk to James Boone in the top of the fourth inning, which allowed Altoona to take a 4-3 lead which it would not relinquish.
Overall, Reading pitching walked eight batters and the Phillies' defense committed four errors.
Anthony Webster, starting in left field for the Curve, hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the top of the third inning which gave Altoona a 3-0 advantage. Ford, who was playing in his first game since last Friday because of a hip flexor, returned to the lineup and went 2-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored.
Altoona (3-5) has now won consecutive games after a 1-5 start, which included losses in three of four games to the R-Phils (4-4) last weekend at Blair County Ballpark.
The Curve and R-Phils will play the middle game of their three-game series Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. Radio air time is set for 1:50 on Real Oldies 93.5 FM and the Curve Radio Network. Altoona will send right-hander Yoslan Herrera (0-0, 3.00) to the mound for his second start of the season against Reading left-hander Fabio Castro (0-0, 1.80). Those two matched up last Sunday at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona's 3-2 victory. Neither pitcher factored into the decision.
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