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Curve Drop Series to Erie 3-1

The Altoona Curve began a 4-game series against the Erie SeaWolves in Erie with a win on Thursday. Unfortunately, they lost the remaining 3 games of the series. RHP Brian Rogers was promoted from Altoona to Indianapolis today (Sunday), and Derek Antelo was placed on the Disabled List. RHP Christian Castorri and RHP Kyle Pearson came up from Lynchburg to Altoona to fill the roster spots.

Friday: SeaWolves 10, Curve 4
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The Curve and the SeaWolves traded the lead and tied the game 3 times, before the SeaWolves scored 5 runs in the 8th inning to put the game out of reach. With reliever Kevin Roberts on the mound for the Curve, Erie batted around, starting with a walk, a wild pitch, and two ground outs. Then two singles and three consecutive walks brought in four runs, and sent Roberts to the showers. Chris Hernandez came into the game to relieve Roberts, and he gave up another single, scoring the fifth run of the inning before getting a strikeout to end the inning.

Curve starter Corey Hamman pitched 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits. A single, a stolen base, and another single scored Erie’s first run in the 2nd inning. A double and a single scored another run in the 4th inning. Reliever Dave Davidson put down the SeaWolves in order in the 5th inning, but allowed two runs on two singles, a passed ball, and a 2-RBI single in the 6th inning. Davidson started the 7th for the Curve, and Kody Kirkland led off the inning with a solo homer, which again gave Erie the lead. Davidson struck out the next two batters, though the second batter, Freddy Guzman, reached base safely when C Milver Reyes had a passed ball. Kevin Roberts relieved Davidson, and he walked the next batter. Then Roberts picked Guzman off second base, and struck out the next batter to end the inning.

The Curve scored their 4 runs on only 6 hits, though they had some help by the 4 errors committed by Erie. In the 4th inning, 2B Melvin Dorta reached base on catcher’s interference, but was picked off and caught in a run-down. RF Brad Corley singled and advanced to second on a throwing error, and scored when 1B Jason Delaney singled. Altoona added another run in the 5th inning. SS Luis Cruz doubled and went to third on a throwing error made on Milver Reyes’ grounder. Cruz came home on a wild pitch. Yet another throwing error allowed LF Jonel Pacheco to reach base safely to begin the 6th inning, and another wild pitch put him on second base. He moved to third base on DH Anthony Webster’s single. Both Pacheco and Webster scored on Luis Cruz’s 2-RBI double.

Saturday: SeaWolves 9, Curve 3
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Another big inning put Erie ahead of the Curve to stay on Saturday night, as the SeaWolved put up 9 runs on 15 hits.

Altoona got on the scoreboard first with 2 runs in the 4th inning, on doubles by DH Anthony Webster and SS Luis Cruz, plus a passed ball and a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly by 3B Brian Finegan. Erie got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning on a walk, a single, and a double. Then they took a 3-2 lead in the 5th inning, on a double, a single, a ground out, and another double. The Curve tied it up again in the top of the 7th inning. CF James Boone singled, 2B Melvin Dorta walked, and LF Jonel Pacheco singled to bring in Boone.

Then came the bottom of the 7th inning, and the SeaWolves sent 11 batters to the plate. With Curve reliever Ronald Belisario on the mound and one out, Erie got 5 consecutive hits — double, single, single, double, single — to bring in 4 runs. An infield grounder accounted for a force out at second base, but left a runner at first base with two outs. Another single and a throwing error put runners on second and third bases, and brought Patrick Bresnehan in to relieve Belisario. Two more singles brought in two more runs before the third out was made.

Anthony Webster and Luis Cruz had two hits each, both with a single and a double. Belisario took the loss. Starter Kyle Bloom pitched 3.2 innings and allowed one run on 3 hits, while striking out 6 batters.

Sunday: SeaWolves 5, Curve 4
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The Curve lost the final game of the series, but avoided a big inning for Erie. Curve starter Jimmy Barthmaier pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, while walking 5 and striking out 5 batters. One run came in the 3rd inning, on a walk, two ground outs, and a single. A second run came in the 5th inning, on a fielding error, a single, a sacrifice bunt, and a grounder. Barthmaier started the 6th inning, but after giving up a walk and a single, he was relieved by Christian Castorri, who had just been promoted from Lynchburg. Castorri got the next batter to ground out, but a run still scored. A solo home run by Ryan Robertson gave Erie a second run.

The Curve tied the score again with a run in the top of the 7th inning. C Milver Reyes singled, but was forced out at second when 3B Victor Alvarez bunted. Alvarez was safe at first base, and he promptly stole second base, and moved to third base on Melvin Dorta’s single. Jonel Pacheco’s RBI double brought in Alvarez with the tying run.

A solo homer by Wilkin Ramirez gave Erie the go-ahead run and eventually the win in the bottom of the 7th inning. Castorri gave up the homer, and another double and a walk in the 8th inning, as he took the loss.

The Curve return home tonight and will have a day off on Monday before beginning a 3-game series against Harrisburg.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 27th, 2008 at 8:35 pm and is filed under Luis Cruz, Corey Hamman, Kevin Roberts, Anthony Webster, Ron Belisario, Christian Castorri, Melvin Dorta, Kyle Bloom, Jimmy Barthmaier, James Boone, Dave Davidson, Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects, AA - Altoona Curve, Brad Corley, Milver Reyes, Jonel Pacheco, Patrick Bresnehan, Pittsburgh Pirates Minor-League Affiliates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.