Shaffar Outduels Guthrie, Curve Downs Akron, 3-1
Published on May 8, 2003 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
(AKRON, OH)- The Altoona Curve knew entering Thursday's game that if it was going to complete the three-game sweep of the Akron Aeros, it would have to go through one of the best pitchers in the minors to do so.
Compounding the task was the fact that Aeros' right-hander Jeremy Guthrie had already shut down the Curve bats on an earlier occasion this season.
But on this afternoon, the Curve offense was able to squeeze out two runs off of the Indians' 2002 first rounder and Ben Shaffar allowed just one unearned run on one hit in six innings of work as the Curve defeated Akron 3-1 on Thursday afternoon at Canal Park in Akron, OH.
The win completed the Curve's second three-game sweep on its season-long 11-day, nine-game road trip, as the club finished its swing with a 7-2 record. Altoona also swept the Bowie Baysox in the first three games of the trip April 29-May 1.
The victory also ensures that the Curve (17-14) will return home to Blair County Ballpark in first place in the Eastern League's Southern Division standings.
The Curve got on the board against Akron in the top of the first inning when Shawn Garrett singled home Jose Castillo with the game's first run.
That run alone was more than the Curve offense mustered against Guthrie on April 27th at Blair County Ballpark, when he tossed a three-hit shutout in a 4-0 Aeros' win.
In the fifth, the Curve would tack on a second run against Guthrie, who entered the game with a 4-0 record and a 1.30 ERA. Ray Navarrete led off the frame with a double down the left-field line and then scored when Shaun Skrehot bunted a ball up the first-base line that was fielded by Akron first baseman Eric Crozier and subsequently thrown down the right-field line.
Altoona also notched a key insurance run in the ninth inning when Skrehot singled home Kevin Nicholson to extend the Curve lead to 3-1.
Meanwhile, the story quickly began to shift to Shaffar (1-1), who had been winless in his first six starts of the season. The right-hander yielded just one hit, walked two and struck out four in his six innings of work to earn his first win of 2003. The lone run he allowed came in the sixth inning, when the Aeros scored a run on a Shaffar throwing error to first base.
After Shaffar left the game in the seventh, the Akron offense put men in scoring position in each of the game's final three innings, but couldn't push across a run.
In the seventh, the Aeros had two men on with two outs, but Jeff Bennett got Maicer Izturis to ground out to end the frame.
In the eighth, Bennett, Rick Palma and Todd Ozias combined to hold Akron off the board. With two men on and two outs, Ozias struck out Tyler Minges for the big out in the inning.
In the ninth against Ozias, the Aeros put men at the corners with one out, but Izturis struck out swinging and Luis Gonzalez flew out to left to end the ballgame.
Ozias notched his team-leading sixth save of the season and his fourth in as many outings on the trip.
Guthrie (4-1) was tagged with the loss after going eight innings allowing just two runs (one earned) on six hits, walking none and fanning seven. With several of the Indians' top brass in attendance, Guthrie could be just days away from a call up to the Indians' starting rotation or, at the very least, a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo.
The Curve will return home Friday to open a six-game homestand with the first of a three-game series against the Erie SeaWolves. The homestand will continue Monday through Wednesday with a trio of games against the Reading Phillies.
In Friday's contest, left-hander Sean Burnett (2-2, 2.87) will take the mound for his seventh start of the season. He'll be opposed by Erie right-hander Jeremy Johnson (3-2, 2.86). Game time is set for 6:35 p.m.
NOTEBOOK: With the Curve's win earlier in the afternoon, entering play Thursday night all four of the Pirates' minor league affiliates currently in action were in first place in their respective divisions. Lynchburg (A/Carolina League) and Hickory (A/South Atlantic League) each own their league's best overall record... After further review, Curve SS Jose Castillo didn't record a five-hit game on Wednesday afterall. The Aeros' official scorer reversed the scoring decision on Castillo's fifth hit of Wednesday's contest prior to the game on Thursday. That also lowers the team hit total for Wednesday's game to 20--one shy of the franchise-record that the club thought it had equaled... OF Josh Bonifay went 1-for-4 in Thursday's game to extend his hitting streak to nine games. That's the longest hitting streak of the season for a Curve hitter... Akron infielder Maicer Izturis went 0-for-5, ending the Eastern League's longest hitting streak of the season at 18 games... At 12-9 the Curve is off to its best start in team history away from Blair County Ballpark.
Eastern League Stories from May 8, 2003
- Standing Room Only For This Weekend - Trenton Thunder
- Shaffar Outduels Guthrie, Curve Downs Akron, 3-1 - Altoona Curve
- Mother's Day Road Race - Portland Sea Dogs
- Gloves and Moms Featured - Harrisburg Senators
- Aeros Dynamics - Akron RubberDucks
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