Reading Relievers Hold Down Curve on Friday
August 2, 2019 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
READING, Pa. - The Altoona Curve were stifled by the Reading Fightin Phils bullpen despite taking an early lead and dropped their series opener, 5-3, at FirstEnergy Stadium on Friday.
The Curve (55-55, 19-23) jumped out to a 2-0 lead with three extra-base hits off Fightin Phils (65-46, 26-18) starter Spencer Howard. Oneil Cruz laced a line drive to right-center and legged it out for a triple with one out in the first. The next batter, Darnell Sweeney, brought Cruz home on an RBI ground out for the game's first run. In the second, Jerrick Suiter and Brett Pope each doubled to add another run.
Reading responded in their half of the second with back-to-back triples from Josh Stephen and Jose Gomez. However, Curve starter Sean Brady (Loss, 3-10) buckled down to keep the tying run at third with a strikeout and a ground out. The Fightin Phils attempted to tie the contest again in the third with consecutive infield singles by Howard and Luke Williams but a pair of ground balls, including an inning-ending twin killer, got Brady out of the third frame without a run passing.
Gomez was in the middle of the action that tied the game and later gave Reading the lead. After two quick outs in the fourth, Gomez reached when Suiter was pulled off first base by Mitchell Tolman's throw to keep the inning alive. Brady walked the following hitter, Arquimedes Gamboa, to extend the inning for Henri Lartigue, who plated Gomez on a single to center. Gomez came through with a two-out single to center in the sixth to lift the R-Phils to their first lead.
Cody Ponce made his Pirates organization debut in the seventh inning. Ponce walked his first batter and hit another with one out that set up a two-run double to left-center by Mickey Moniak to open up a 5-2 lead for Reading.
Brady took the Curve through the first six on 67 pitches, limiting the R-Phils to three runs, two earned. Joel Cesar held down a scoreless eighth inning despite starting the frame with a hit batter and a double. He bounced back with three straight strikeouts to escape the second and third, no out jam.
Altoona chased Howard early on when he needed 73 pitches to throw 3.1 innings in his first home start at Double-A. However, three left-handed relievers kept the Curve hitless until the eighth. Jonathan Henigan (Win, 3-3) tossed 2.2 perfect innings with six strikeouts before a 1-2-3 seventh for Garrett Cleavinger.
Robbie Glendinning broke up the hitless string when he delivered a pinch-hit single to center to start the eighth against Jakob Hernandez (Save, 2). Glendinning advanced on an error by Moniak and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Sharpe.
The weekend series in Baseballtown continues on Saturday with a 6:45 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander Cody Bolton (1-1, 4.91) will get the ball for Altoona opposite southpaw David Parkinson (7-7, 3.31) for Reading.
The Curve return to Altoona on Monday for a seven-game homestand against the Richmond Flying Squirrels and Reading Fightin Phils. For tickets or more information about upcoming promotions, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office. Additionally, the Stockyard Team Store is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during every home game and online 24/7/365.
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