EL1 Altoona Curve

Reading Walks Off With Game One Victory

Published on July 25, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


Win: Mike Cisco (6-0)

Loss: Noah Krol (3-4)

Save: --

TOG: 2:51 (1:42 delay)

Attendance: 4,428

READING, Pa. - Altoona battled back to take a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning but couldn't hold the line as Reading walked off with a, 5-4, victory in the first game of a three-game series on Monday night in Baseballtown. Carlos Rivero drove a ball to the wall in left field for the walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth off closer Noah Krol (3-4) to seal victory for Reading.

The ninth inning began with Altoona leading 4-3 after Starling Marte blasted his sixth home run of the season in the top of the eighth to put Altoona in front, 4-3. Andrew Lambo, who came in to the game as part of a double-switch in the seventh inning, helped preserve the lead in the last of the eighth when he threw out pinch runner Derrick Mitchell trying to score the tying run on a shallow fly ball to right off the bat of Paco Figueroa.

Krol issued a leadoff infield single to Fidel Hernandez to start the ninth and Reading had the tying run on at first. Catcher Tim Kennelly, who also was a late-game substitution, failed to put down the sac bunt twice before doubling off the wall in left field to score Hernandez from third and place the go-ahead run at second base with no one down.

Altoona's closer retired Freddy Galvis on a pop out to center that kept Kennelly at second base but he then hit Michael Spidale and Matt Rizzotti back-to-back to load the bases with one out for Rivero.

The Curve knotted the game in the seventh when it seemed like starter Tyler Cloyd would continue to cruise as he had set down 17 in a row leading in to the seventh. Brock Holt, who had the game's only hit for Altoona prior to the seventh, led off the inning with a hard-hit double into right field. Josh Rodriguez followed with a fielder's choice as Galvis tried to go to third with the ball to get Holt but dropped the baseball.

With two on, Matt Curry came to the plate and singled through the left side to bring Holt home and place Altoona on the board. Cloyd was removed from the game in favor of Josh Zeid who allowed a sac bunt to Tony Sanchez to move up the runners. Quincy Latimore delivered a sacrifice fly to bring Rodriguez in from third and Altoona was within one at, 3-2.

Yunesky Sanchez followed Latimore's sac fly with a two-out, game-tying RBI single into center that scored Curry from second and the game was tied at three.

Neither starter ended up factoring in the decision as Kyle McPherson finished five innings and allowed three runs on six hits. Cloyd wound up allowing all three runs in six plus innings of work.

Aaron Thompson, Mike Colla and Michael Dubee all had scoreless outings out of the ‘pen for Altoona in the loss. Holt was the only member of the starting lineup to register a multi-hit game.

Altoona (42-59) and Reading (54-48) will continue the three-game series at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday from FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading. RHP Aaron Pribanic (6-8, 4.30) will look to win back-to-back starts as he takes the ball for Altoona in his second start this year vs. the R-Phils. Reading counters with RHP Joe Esposito (3-2, 5.10) in the middle game of the three-game set.

Airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

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Eastern League Stories from July 25, 2011


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