Curve eliminated with 9-0 loss to 'Ducks
CURVE, Pa. - The Eastern League Western Division champion Altoona Curve were knocked out of postseason play with a 9-0 loss to the Akron RubberDucks on Saturday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
CURVE, Pa. - The Eastern League Western Division champion Altoona Curve were knocked out of postseason play with a 9-0 loss to the Akron RubberDucks on Saturday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Out of nine total playoff appearances, the Curve have been bounced from the Eastern League playoffs five times by the RubberDucks. After winning three-of-four, Akron advances to play the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, in the Eastern League Championship Series. Akron has won five Eastern League titles, most recently in 2016. The Fisher Cats' lone Eastern League championship was won in 2004 over the Curve.
Akron jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning with three singles off
In the third inning, Calica slugged a two-run homer that boosted Akron's lead to 4-0. Krieger began the inning with a single and scored on the blast that went over the wall in the right field corner.
Agrazal's day ended after he walked the next two hitters. The Curve starter lasted 2.1 innings, allowed six hits, three walks and struck out two while he was charged with five runs.
Sendelbach fired 2.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to keep the Curve within five before he gave way to
Akron opened the game up with four runs in the seventh, all charged to Keselica. Three weak singles by
Altoona went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven on base in the shutout loss.
The loss goes down as the second-largest defeat in the Curve's postseason history, trailing a 12-0 loss to Akron in game two of the 2006 ELDS.
The Curve's 20th season closes after a fourth division title and the team's fourth consecutive playoff appearance. Altoona's three previous division champions (2004, 2010 and 2017) reached the Eastern League Championship Series.
The Curve return to action with the beginning of the 2019 season, which opens in Akron on April 4. The 2019 home opener at Peoples Natural Gas Field is also against the RubberDucks on Thursday, April 11. For tickets or more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office.
-CURVE-