Late Rally Not Enough in Loss to Rock Cats
Published on August 4, 2012 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - A three-run ninth inning rally wasn't enough to fight off a fifth straight defeat on Saturday night with the Rock Cats hanging on to defeat the Curve, 8-6. Adalberto Santos, the reigning Eastern League Player of the Week, was 3-for-5 with one RBI in the loss.
Altoona entered the ninth inning down five after New Britain scored six unanswered runs to storm back from a 3-2 deficit. Jarek Cunningham singled and Stefan Welch doubled off the new Rock Cats reliever Edgar Ibarra to place runners at second and third with no one out. Quincy Latimore followed suit and singled in Cunningham to pull the Curve within four at 8-4. Welch moved to third on Latimore's single and scored a batter later on Drew Maggi's sac fly.
With the deficit down to three, Brock Holt flew out for the second out of the inning before Santos was scheduled to come to the plate. Ibarra was then removed from the game in favor of Matt Hauser to face the hot-hitting Santos. Latimore moved to second on defensive indifference during Hauser's at bat with Santos before the Curve DH looped a single to right-center to bring Latimore home and pull the Curve within two.
Ramon Cabrera, who walked three times and singled twice to reach base five times in total on the night, grabbed his second hit of the game in the ninth and Altoona had the tying run at first with Santos at third. Oscar Tejeda worked a full count before being called out on strikes to end the game.
Curve starter Kris Johnson (0-1) pitched the first five innings and gave up four runs (two earned) to be charged with his first loss in Double-A this season. Nathan Baker and Hunter Strickland also pitched in relief for the Curve with both allowing a pair of runs.
Tejeda finished the day 1-for-4 to run his hitting streak to six games while Latimore also had a hit to extend his hit streak to five games.
Having lost five straight, the Curve (54-58) will aim to stop the skid in Sunday afternoon's 1:35 p.m. tilt with the Rock Cats (61-52) before heading back to Curve, Pa. on Monday. Pirates' top prospect RHP Gerrit Cole (2-4, 3.94) takes to the hill in the finale for the Curve and will face the Rock Cats for the first time since making his Double-A debut against the 'Cats back on June 20th. The 'Cats will counter with RHP B.J. Hermsen (8-5, 3.20) in the finale.
Airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. For tickets and more information on the upcoming Curve homestand that begins Monday night with postgame fireworks and a Mirror Monday, call 877.99.CURVE, visit AltoonaCurve.com or stop by the box office windows at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
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