Altoona Drops Fifth-Straight Game on Wednesday
CURVE, Pa. – Kervin Pichardo knocked his first home run of the season for Altoona on Wednesday afternoon, but the late surge from the Curve was not enough to avoid dropping a fifth-straight game in an 8-7 loss to the Akron RubberDucks at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The Curve have
CURVE, Pa. – Kervin Pichardo knocked his first home run of the season for Altoona on Wednesday afternoon, but the late surge from the Curve was not enough to avoid dropping a fifth-straight game in an 8-7 loss to the Akron RubberDucks at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
The Curve have now lost nine of their last 10 games played and have dropped five in a row for the first time since August of 2021, when Altoona lost seven consecutive games.
The Curve scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, after Tsung-Che Cheng drew a bases-loaded walk and Joe Perez reached on an infield single against RubberDucks starter Tommy Mace, who earned the win after tossing 5.1 innings in his longest start of the season. In the sixth, Jase Bowen scored from third base after relief pitcher Andrew Walters dropped a throw back from the catcher Kody Huff, making it an 8-4 game.
Pichardo’s home run came in the eighth inning and scored three runs, after Bowen and Seth Beer each singled to open the frame. Beer picked up Altoona’s first four-hit game of the season with a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate.
Bubba Chandler took the loss after he walked a pair and hit a batter before hitting his hard pitch limit in the first inning of 34 pitches. Chandler picked up one strikeout and left with the bases loaded and two out. Valentin Linarez permitted two inherited runners to score on a base hit from Milan Tolentino to take an early 2-0 lead for the RubberDucks.
Linarez tossed 2.1 innings out of the Curve bullpen and contributed three strikeouts to Altoona’s 11 total in the game. Justin Meis struck out four in 3.0 innings of relief, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk. Isaac Mattson fired 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, his longest outing of the season, to hold the line as Altoona built their comeback bid. Trey Benton earned a save for Akron with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Altoona continues its six-game series with the Akron RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, on Thursday afternoon at 6:00 p.m. Altoona will send RHP Sean Sullivan to the mound to face LHP Rodney Boone for Akron.
For tickets and more information on the 2024 Altoona Curve Season, presented by Stuckey Automotive, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office. Additionally, the Stockyard Team Store is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during every home game and online 24/7/365.
Curve pitchers struck out 11 batters today. Watch them all here with today's highlights!https://t.co/fX94e3SCo4
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 24, 2024