One-Run Loss Looms Large over Curve again in Harrisubrg
April 14, 2014 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
HARRISBURG - A three-run Curve lead slipped away in the eighth inning before the Harrisburg Senators scored on a bang-bang play in the 10th to walk off with a, 4-3, victory over the Altoona Curve on Monday night. The loss is the fourth in a row for the Curve and the third one-run loss of the road trip.
Leading, 3-0, entering the eighth, the Senators scored three times to tie up the ballgame. The biggest hit of the inning came from Matt Skole, who was 3-for-39 entering the at bat, before he doubled in a pair of runs to tie it.
The Curve looked like they would take the lead right back in the ninth. With two down, Elias Diaz doubled deep to right-center to put the go-ahead run on at second. Keon Broxton followed and chopped a ball towards third making it a tough play for the third baseman Ricky Hague. Broxton beat out the throw to first and by the time the ball was at first Diaz was breaking for home.
Diaz attempted to slide to the backside of home plate but was ruled out for the final out of the inning. Manager Carlos Garcia came out to dispute the play to no avail and the game continued without Diaz, who was ejected for arguing the same play.
In the 10th, catcher Brandon Bantz doubled off Brandon Mann (0-1) to start the inning but the Curve appeared to catch a break when pinch hitter Sean Nicol's grounder hit Bantz in the foot as he was running from second to third. Bantz was out and Nicol stayed at first. After Mann disposed of Michael Taylor for the inning's second out, he threw a first pitch to Cutter Dykstra only to have it waved off because he was called for a balk.
Now with Nicol at second base and two outs, the Curve elected to walk the right-handed hitting Dykstra to get to the left-handed hitters Skole. Skole floated a single to center and Broxton came up gunning towards home plate. The ball appeared to beat Nicol to the plate but when the dust settled he had been ruled safe, giving the Senators the victory.
The loss nullified a solid outing from starter Zack Dodson, who worked 5.2 innings and struck out five without allowing a run. Willy Garcia homered for the Curve, his third, in the loss while Gift Ngoepe and Mel Rojas, Jr. both extended their hitting streaks to seven games.
Having lost four straight, the Curve (3-7) will look to Adrian Sampson (1-1, 2.45) to stop the slide on Tuesday night in Harrisburg when he takes the ball in the 7 p.m. game versus the Senators (3-8). Harrisburg counters with Felipe Rivero (0-2, 4.50) on Tuesday.
Airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
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