Around the Curve | Curve in the Majors - Vol. 6
CURVE, PA. – Altoona has been a pipeline to the Major Leagues for nearly 26 years, with the current alumni count at 215 players achieving their dreams of becoming a big leaguer. This season, we want to look at some of the exciting accomplishments our alumni are achieving at the
CURVE, PA. – Altoona has been a pipeline to the Major Leagues for nearly 26 years, with the current alumni count at 215 players achieving their dreams of becoming a big leaguer. This season, we want to look at some of the exciting accomplishments our alumni are achieving at the Major League level. Every week, we will spotlight a handful of players who are succeeding at the next level and reflect on their time with the Curve, here on the Around the Curve Blog! Here is the sixth edition of: “Curve in the Majors.”
1. OF - Bryan Reynolds - Pittsburgh Pirates
Season Stats: .279, 80 games, 13 HRs, 46 RBIs, 23-game hitting streak
What are two things that are constant in June? The heat and Bryan Reynolds getting a hit in each of his last 23 games. That’s right, you read that correctly. In the month of June, he has reached base safely 42 times! If that somehow didn't draw your attention, in June, Reynolds is currently leading the team in categories such as hits (33), total bases (60), RBI (16), SLG (.638), doubles (7) and home runs (6). Thanks in part to his clutch hitting and others around him rallying their bats, the Pirates currently find themselves just two games out of a wild card spot.
After being acquired in the Andrew McCutchen trade in 2017, Reynolds quickly made his way to the Curve roster. He went on to play 88 games with Altoona, dropping an impressive .302 average with seven home runs and 46 RBIs.
2. C - Jason Delay - Pittsburgh Pirates
Season Stats: .200, 7 games, 3 2B, 6 RBI
Jason Delay has once again found himself in the big leagues for a third straight year. While the catching situation has been an ever-moving player carousel, Delay looks to hold down the spot. Since being recently recalled just a few weeks ago, he’s found himself in the lineup for a total of seven games. Within the seven games, he’s appeared in, he’s slashed a total of six hits giving himself a crisp batting average of .200. On Tuesday, he knocked two doubles in a big win over the Reds.
While he wasn't in Altoona for an entire season, Delay was still involved a great deal with the Curve throughout the 2019,2021, and 2022 seasons. Throughout his 86-game appearances delay was able to knock 62 hits for a batting average of.208. Outside of that, he was able to compile 40 RBIs and eight home runs.
3. RHP - Luis Ortiz - Pittsburgh Pirates
Season Stats: 4-2 3.23 ERA, 22 Games ( 1 Start) 53 IP, 18 BB, 43 K
Luis Ortiz is coming off his best outing of the year with a season-long six-inning start on Wednesday, June 26. During the start versus the Cincinnati Reds, he was able to strike out seven batters along with allowing one run on four hits. Outside of that start, Ortiz has become a solid pitcher for the Pirates. This season he's appeared in 22 games, repping a 3.23 ERA with 43 strikeouts.
Ortiz was one of many big arms on Altoona’s pitching staff in 2022, along with Mike Borrows and Quinn Priester. That season, Ortiz was able to collect five wins and struck out 126 batters in 114.1 innings pitched, the most by a Curve arm that year.
4. C - Elias Díaz- Colorado Rockies
Season Stats: .303 AVG, 55 games, 5 HRs, 28 RBIs, .352 OBP
Former Pirates prospect and Curve catcher Elias Díaz has been on fire lately, especially in June. While he hasn't been in a Pirate uniform for quite some time, he’s still gone on to make a solid career for himself. Being signed as a free agent in 2009, he went on to bounce around the Pirates organization until leaving in 2019 for free agency. Quickly after leaving Pittsburgh, he signed with the Colorado Rockies to a minor league deal. Diaz has since become the starting catcher in Colorado and made his first All-Star game in 2023.
This season Díaz has been swinging a career-high .303 batting average. As previously mentioned in June, he’s hitting .357 with a .419 OBP and a .536 SLG making it the best month of his long baseball career. Outside of the month of June, Díaz has been rocking a credible .303 batting average with 12 doubles and 28 RBIs.
Díaz spent the better part of the 2014 season in Altoona, along with a brief rehab assistant in 2016. During his time with the Curve, he made sure to make a dent in the record books. During his ‘16 campaign, he was able to string along a .328 batting average, which is good for third all-time in Curve franchise history (minimum 300 plate appearances.) Outside of a record-setting average, he was able to collect 52 RBIs his entire Curve career.
Other Notes:
- Mike Burrows has begun a rehab assignment with Low-A Bradenton. The right-hander is looking to return from Tommy John Surgery that ended his 2023 season prematurely.
- Nick Dombkowski is staying consistent a month after being called up from Double-A Altoona. Within that month, Dombkowski was able to collect two wins with a 3.96 ERA and 21 strikeouts.
- Former Curve Pitcher Omar Cruz has become a reliable bullpen pitcher for Double-A San Antonio Missions, an Affiliate of the San Diego Padres. This season he’s found himself with three wins and 60 strikeouts in 18 appearances.
- Drew Maggi's baseball story starts a new chapter! As of this week, he and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a minor league deal. Previously with the Staten Island Ferry Hawks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Maggi suited up just 29 times with the team, earning 24 hits with three home runs.
Stay tuned all season long for more exciting content on the Around the Curve Blog!
Bullpen Twirls a Gem in 7-1 Win
CURVE, Pa. – Altoona’s bullpen covered all nine innings in their 7-1 win over the Erie SeaWolves on Sunday night in front of 5,372 fans at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Making his second start of the week, lefty Blake Townsend tossed four scoreless innings in the start. He allowed just
Pichardo Stays Hot in 7-2 Loss
CURVE, Pa. – Kervin Pichardo homered and tripled in a run, but Altoona dropped a 7-2 decision to the Erie SeaWolves on Saturday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field in front of 4,536 patrons. Following an hour and 57 minute rain delay to begin the game, Erie plated two runs
Pichardo, Weatherford Boys Lead Friday Night Victory
CURVE, Pa. – Kervin Pichardo rocked a three-run homer and Weatherford, Texas natives, Brenden Dixon (two hits and a walk) and Beau Burrows (two scoreless innings, save) led a 4-1 win for Altoona over the Erie SeaWolves on Friday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. After Erie starter Carlos Pena
Bombs Away! Three Curve Homers Sink SeaWolves
CURVE, Pa. – Jack Brannigan, Imanol Vargas and Hudson Head each homered in Altoona’s 10-6 win over the Erie SeaWolves in front of 5,679 fans on Thursday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Altoona took their first lead with a three-run third inning. After Brannigan’s two-run shot tied the game
Sixth Inning Sinks Curve
CURVE, Pa. – Despite building an early 2-0 lead, Altoona dropped a 5-2 decision to the Erie SeaWolves on Wednesday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The Curve have dropped seven of their last eight games and are now 25-34 on the season. Altoona scored the first two runs of
Erie Arms Silence Altoona Bats
Four Erie pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout of Altoona on Tuesday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The SeaWolves earned a 3-0 win over the Curve in the series opener. After earning four hits in their first three innings at the plate, the Curve offense was unable to generate
Curve Blast Fisher Cats in Series Finale
MANCHESTER, NH – Altoona salvaged the final game of their six-game series at New Hampshire with a 11-5 win over the Fisher Cats on Sunday afternoon at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. The win broke a five-game losing streak for the Curve. Quiet all week, the Curve offense broke out
Curve Swept Away In Saturday Doubleheader
MANCHESTER, NH – Altoona’s losing streak stretched to five games as they were swept in a doubleheader by the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 4-0 and 5-2, on Saturday night at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. Altoona was shut out for a franchise-record fourth consecutive game in the opener of the
Bats Quiet Again in 2-0 Defeat
MANCHESTER, NH – Altoona was shutout for their third consecutive game at New Hampshire, falling 2-0 on Thursday night at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. It is the first time since August 2-4, 2021 that the Curve have been held without a run in three straight nine inning games. Fisher
Curve Shutout by Fisher Cats on Wednesday Night
MANCHESTER, NH – Despite another strong night from the Altoona pitching staff, the Curve dropped a 3-0 decision to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Wednesday night at Delta Dental Stadium in New Hampshire. Jarod Bayless started the bullpen day for the Curve and was touched for three runs in
Jebb, Cimillo Combine for Four Hits in Series Opening Defeat
MANCHESTER, NH – Mitch Jebb and Nick Cimillo combined for four of Altoona’s five hits in a 4-0 loss to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Tuesday night at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. Alessandro Ercolani dueled away with Fisher Cats starter Ryan Watson for the first four innings on
Johnson, Ross Lead Comeback Win, 7-5
CURVE, Pa. – For a second straight game, Altoona rallied from a late-inning deficit and earned a victory against the Portland Sea Dogs. The 7-5 win for the Curve ensured a series split with the Boston Red Sox affiliate. Termarr Johnson highlighted the comeback with a massive two-run shot in
Dixon’s Walk-off Bomb Highlights 9-7 Win
CURVE, Pa. – After dropping the resumed suspended game, 9-3, Altoona rallied from a 5-0 deficit after the top of the first inning in the nightcap and earned a 9-7 walk-off win over the Portland Sea Dogs. The Curve are 2-3 this week against Portland and can earn a series
Sea Dogs and Curve Suspended in Fifth Inning
CURVE, Pa. – Altoona and Portland were suspended in the fifth inning of their game on Friday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The teams will pick up the suspended game on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and play it to its completion before playing a 7-inning game. Altoona trails the
‘Dogs Sweep Curve In Thursday Doubleheader
CURVE, Pa. – Portland completed a doubleheader sweep of the Curve on Thursday night, 3-0 and 9-6, at Peoples Natural Gas Field. After Thursday’s game, Altoona’s record stands at 22-26. GAME ONE Portland’s David Sandlin tossed a three-hit shutout to lead the Sea Dogs to a 3-0 win over the
Curve Buried At Sea By The Dogs
CURVE, Pa. – Wednesday night’s game between Altoona and Portland was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up on Thursday, May 29, at Peoples Natural Gas Field with a doubleheader consisting of a pair of 7-inning games beginning at 5:00 p.m. Fans holding tickets to Wednesday’s
Cimillo’s Homer Leads Series Opening Win
CURVE, Pa. – Nick Cimillo knocked his second home run of the season as Altoona defeated the Portland Sea Dogs, 4-2, on Tuesday night to begin the week at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Cimillo knocked the solo shot in the seventh inning odd Sea Dogs reliever Jonathan Brand. The Curve
Curve Split Sunday Doubleheader in Akron
AKRON, Ohio – After dropping the first four games of the week in Akron, the Curve split a doubleheader on Sunday night to the RubberDucks at Canal Park, taking game one 1-0 before falling in game two 5-4. GAME ONE Altoona was held scoreless over the first five innings of
Peterson Powers RubberDucks to Second-Consecutive Shutout Win Over Altoona
AKRON, Ohio – For the second game in a row, Altoona was shutout by the Akron RubberDucks on Saturday night at Canal Park, falling by a final of 10-0. Austin Peterson was dominant for Akron, spinning seven scoreless innings and allowing just three hits with four strikeouts. He retired the
Curve Swept in Doubleheader by 'Ducks
AKRON, Ohio – After two nights of rainouts, the Curve managed just five hits over two games of a doubleheader on Friday night as the Akron RubberDucks took both games by finals of 6-3 and 5-0 at Canal Park. GAME ONE Alessandro Ercolani gave up a season-high six runs on
RubberDucks Sneak Past Curve in Tuesday Morning Defeat
AKRON, Ohio – Kervin Pichardo knocked an RBI-double for the Curve in the eighth inning, but Altoona stranded 10 runners on base in a 3-1 loss to the Akron RubberDucks at Canal Park on Tuesday morning. Altoona’s offense was held to just two hits and no walks against Akron starter
Curve and RubberDucks Postponed for Second-Consecutive Night
AKRON, Ohio – The Altoona Curve and Akron RubberDucks were rained out for the second day in-a-row on Thursday night at Canal Park. The game will be made up as a doubleheader on Sunday, May 25 with game one beginning at 4:05 p.m. The night will consist of two seven
Curve and RubberDucks Rained Out on Wednesday Night
AKRON, Ohio – The Altoona Curve and Akron RubberDucks were rained out on Wednesday night at Canal Park. The game will be made up as a doubleheader on Friday, May 23 with game one beginning at 5:05 p.m. The night will consist of two seven inning games. Altoona is 20-20
Senators Snag Series Finale in Altoona
CURVE, Pa. – Jack Brannigan stretched his on-base streak to 23 games on Sunday night with a two-hit performance for the Curve, but Altoona could not hold off the Harrisburg Senators in a 6-4 loss at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Harrisburg capitalized early with a first inning grand slam from
Jarvis, Jebb Jam Senators
Mitch Jebb and Mike Jarvis each picked up three hits in an 8-4 for the Curve over the Harrisburg Senators in front of 4,737 fans at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Saturday night. Altoona earned a series win over the Senators, picking up their fourth win in five games this