Bullpen Falters in Extra Inning Loss at Harrisburg

Curve Fall to Senators 5-4 in Last Game Before All-Star Break

By Mike Baggerman

July 14, 2014

Harrisburg, Pa. - The Altoona Curve bullpen had a tough time late in the game and the Curve ultimately fell to the Harrisburg Senators 5-4 in ten innings on Monday afternoon at Metro Bank Park in Harrisburg. With the loss, the Curve enter the All-Star Break with a 37-61 record in the Eastern League.

The Curve fell behind early in the game thanks to a run by the Senators in the third. After former Curve outfielder Quincy Latimore lined a single, he advanced to second on an error, and later scored on an RBI single by Caleb Ramsey.

Altoona took the lead in the fifth. Andy Vasquez barreled his second home run of the series with a solo blast which lead off the inning and Jarek Cunningham followed with two outs on a solo shot to left. The home runs gave Altoona a 2-1 lead and it was their ninth and tenth home runs of the series.

Harrisburg got two back in the fifth and took the lead thanks to a pinch-hit two-run home run by Adrian Sanchez but the Curve continued to battle in the sixth. With one out, Gift Ngoepe pulled a home run to left that tied the game at three and gave Altoona 11 long balls in the series.

Altoona took their final lead in the seventh. Carlos Paulino tapped a slow-rolling ball up the middle to beat out the infield single and Cunningham followed with a walk. With two on and one out, All-Star Elias Diaz entered the game as a pinch hitter and laced an RBI double down the left field line that gave the Curve the 4-3 lead.

The late-innings plagued the Curve bullpen again. In the ninth, Jeff Inman walked the leadoff batter Cole Leonida who advanced to second on a groundout. With the Senators down to their last strike, Jose Lozada tied the game with a single to right but was retired trying to advance to second after the run scored. With the game knotted up in the bottom of the tenth inning, Latimore drove home Matt Skole to give Harrisburg the walkoff victory.

The Curve will return to Peoples Natural Gas Field on July 17 immediately following the Eastern League All-Star Stop Presented by UPMC Health Plan. Taking the bump in Thursday's game will be LHP Orlando Castro (0-0, 21.00) for the Curve and he will be opposed by a Bowie pitcher who is to be determined. Tickets for the All-Star festivities and upcoming homestand are still available by calling 877.99.CURVE, visiting AltoonaCurve.com, or by stopping by the box office at Peoples Natural Gas Field.