EL1 Altoona Curve

Season-high 18 Hits, Strong Pitching Help Curve Past Thunder

Published on August 5, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - Since joining the Altoona Curve on June 10th, Kyle McPherson has been dynamite and he put together another superb performance in an 8-2 victory for Altoona on Friday in the first of a three-game series against the Trenton Thunder at Blair County Ballpark. Not to be out-done, the Curve hitters matched a season high with 18 hits in the victory.

McPherson put together the kind of pitching line fans have come to expect from him this season as he went seven innings and allowed only two earned runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

The Curve jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the second inning as Greg Picart stepped to the plate with Tony Sanchez and Yunesky Sanchez on base. With two down, Picart doubled to the wall in right-center scoring both runners named Sanchez and putting Altoona in front.

The first lead of the game for the Curve would be short-lived though as the Thunder scored on a solo home run from Melky Mesa in the fourth, and later in the inning, on an RBI-single from Addison Maruszak to knot the game at two.

The game remained tied at two until the fifth inning when Starling Marte broke the tie with a solo home run off Thunder starter Steve Garrison (3-8), his eighth of the season, to give the Curve a 3-2 lead. The home run would start a streak of four straight innings with runs scored for the Altoona Curve.

Marte, who extended his hitting streak to match his longest streak of the season of 13 games, added to his RBI count in the sixth inning as he singled with Yunesky Sanchez and Brad Chalk on to drive in two more runs to take a 5-2 lead.

The hits kept coming for the Curve as McPherson continued to deal in the seventh. In the inning, Josh Rodriguez led off with a walk before Andrew Lambo singled. The next batter, Tony Sanchez, with runners at the corners, hit a sacrifice fly and, later in the inning after singles by Quincy Latimore and Yunesky Sanchez, Chalk brought home a run on a groundout to push the advantage to 7-2.

The Curve finished their scoring in the eighth inning on an RBI double by Lambo, which brought home Brock Holt, who singled earlier in the inning to make it 8-2.

All told, the Curve matched their season high in hits with 18 which they achieved on May 11th in Harrisburg. Yunesky Sanchez led the team with four hits in four at-bats while Marte and Lambo each had three hits, Marte added three RBI on the night. Holt and Picart each had two hits for the Curve and the remaining starters added one hit apiece.

After McPherson went seven innings, the most for the righty as a member of the Curve, Michael Dubee pitched two scoreless innings to close out the ballgame to lower his season ERA to 2.26. With the win, McPherson (6-3) joins Curve pitcher Phil Irwin atop the wins list amongst Pirate farmhands with ten across two levels this season.

A giveaway is on tap on Saturday for the Curve's 7 p.m. contest as the Curve will be handing out Mystery Autographed Baseballs to the first 1,000 fans. However, you don't know which one you'll get! Saturday is also a Community Collection Saturday as fans are asked to bring in non-perishable food items to benefit the St. Vincent De Paul Society Soup Kitchen Food Drive. Saturday marks the final Scout Night of the season, too, as the Curve invite scout groups to take in the game at BCB, enjoy a movie on the video board, and camp out overnight on the field. Kids will also get to run the bases following the game.

RHP Aaron Pribanic (7-9, 4.38) will start for Altoona (49-62) on Saturday in game two of the three-game series and he'll be opposed by RHP Craig Heyer (8-6, 3.94) for Trenton. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and great seats for the game are still available by calling the Curve at 877.99.CURVE or by visiting www.AltoonaCurve.com. Pregame coverage on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network will begin at 6:30 p.m.

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Eastern League Stories from August 5, 2011


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