EL1 Altoona Curve

Seven-Run Sixth Vaults Curve to Victory

Published on July 21, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - After five innings, where the two teams failed to score, the New Britain Rock Cats nabbed the lead in the sixth inning, but the Curve backed that up with a seven-run outburst in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead and go on to an eventual 8-4 victory on Thursday night at Blair County Ballpark.

Aaron Pribanic, for the Curve, battled Deinys Suarez through five scoreless innings, as the Rock Cats scored first with a solo shot from Chris Parmelee in the sixth and added to their lead with a sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 advantage to the bottom of the inning.

The Curve had just one hit through five and the sixth began unsuspectingly with a popped up bunt before Starling Marte was hit by a pitch. With a runner on first and one down, Brock Holt hit a groundball to the left of the Rock Cats second baseman, who turned and tried to get Marte at second, but he airmailed the throw into left, allowing Marte to score from first and Holt to race all the way into third.

With the score at 2-1 and Holt on third with one down, Suarez allowed the game-tying run to score on a wild pitch. After the wild pitch, Andrew Lambo walked before Tony Sanchez singled to right to place two on with one down for Matt Curry. Curry then blasted the ball over the wall in right, his fourth home run of the season, to give the Curve a 5-2 lead.

After the home run, Suarez got the second out of the inning before permitting back-to-back walks. With two on and two down, Greg Picart, who led off the inning, tripled to left-center to score two more runs and balloon the lead to 7-2. The seven runs in the inning are the most for the Curve in a single inning this season. Suarez exited after the triple and he allowed seven runs, four earned, on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

Pribanic, who left the ballgame trailing 2-0, ends up earning his first win since May 31st as he pitched well through six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits with two walks and no strikeouts.

The Rock Cats grabbed a run in the top of the seventh off Bryan Morris, ending his 15-inning scoreless inning streak, but the Curve answered with a run in the bottom-half on an RBI single from Curry to restore the five-run lead at 8-3.

Anthony Claggett came on in the eighth and allowed two walks and an RBI single to cut the lead to 8-4 before Noah Krol worked the final four outs of the ballgame to earn his 15th save of the season.

The Curve have won two straight games and have taken three-of-four from the Rock Cats this season, all at Blair County Ballpark. Curry ended the game going 2-for-4 at the dish with four RBI.

On a Freebie Friday in Altoona at 7 p.m., the Curve celebrate the 2010 season of former Curve MVP Jose Bautista with a Jose Bautista Silver Slugger Figurine Giveaway to the first 1,000 fans thanks to Peoples Natural Gas. The 2011 All-Star led the Major Leagues with 54 home runs in 2010 and earned the American League Silver Slugger Award for his breakout performance with Toronto.

RHP Phil Irwin (3-2, 5.18) will start for Altoona (41-56) on Friday in the second game of the four-game series and he'll be opposed by RHP Bobby Lanigan (5-7, 4.11) for New Britain. 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 July 21, 2011


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