EL Altoona Curve

Sullivan's Brilliance Not Enough in Thursday Defeat

Published on May 11, 2023 under Eastern League (EL)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - Liover Peguero swatted his second home run of the season, but Akron used two ninth inning runs to secure a 4-2 win over Altoona on Thursday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Altoona has dropped a season-high four straight games and are now 13-15 on the season, while the RubberDucks improved to 15-14.

Altoona took their first lead with an RBI single from Connor Scott in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the RubberDucks quickly got a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning when Jose Tena doubled home Joe Naranjo and Connor Kokx, who both picked up hits to begin the inning.

The two runs home in the fifth inning were the lone blemish on right-hander Sean Sullivan's line. He matched the longest start of the season by a Curve pitcher with six innings, scattering seven hits and no walks in the defeat. Sullivan struck out three and needed just 75 pitches to work through his outing. Sullivan's ERA stands at 2.03 after five starts this season.

Peguero rocked a first pitch offering from RubberDucks righty Jack Leftwich in the fifth to tie the game at two, however, the Curve offense was limited to five hits and four walks in the loss.

Cameron Junker spun two scoreless innings of relief working around a leadoff baserunner in each frame to hold the game at two apiece. The RubberDucks managed four hits and two runs off left-hander Tyler Samaniego in the ninth inning. Samaniego had allowed just four hits in 31 at-bats for the entire season before Thursday night.

Matt Gorski added a base hit in the sixth inning and a stolen base, he's picked up a hit in nine straight games. In the month of May, Gorski is batting .343/.385/.629 with 1 2B, 3 HR and 6 RBI in nine games.

Altoona continues its series with the Akron RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. Akron will send RHP Hunter Stanley to the mound with Altoona starting RHP Aaron Shortridge.

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Eastern League Stories from May 11, 2023


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