CURVE, Pa. -- Bligh Madris delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in the sixth inning and the Altoona Curve held on for a 3-2 win over the Erie SeaWolves on Sunday at Peoples Natural Gas Field. It was the Curve's fourth series sweep of the season and first at home as
CURVE, Pa. -- Bligh Madris delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in the sixth inning and the Altoona Curve held on for a 3-2 win over the Erie SeaWolves on Sunday at Peoples Natural Gas Field. It was the Curve's fourth series sweep of the season and first at home as they took all three games from Erie heading into the All-Star Break.
The Curve (47-38, 12-6) struck out a season-high 17 times, but SeaWolves (44-40, 13-5) pitchers issued five walks on the afternoon which led to all three Curve runs. Trailing 2-1 in the sixth, Erie reliever Anthony Castro (Loss, 3-2) walked Jared Oliva and Logan Hill walked with two outs to set up the clutch double to left by Madris. The sinking fly ball scooted past Erie left fielder Cam Gibson that allowed both runners to score as the Curve grabbed a 3-2 lead.
Blake Cederlind (Win, 3-0) took the hill in the sixth for Yeudy Garcia , who allowed an RBI double to Gibson with two outs to break a 1-1 tie. Cederlind struck out Luke Burch to end the SeaWolves' threat and worked a scoreless seventh.
Matt Eckelman (Save, 16) closed out the win with a 1-2-3 ninth and moved into a tie for third place on the Curve's all-time saves list with 27. Angel German bridged the one-run game from Cederlind to Eckelman with a shutout eight.
Domingo Robles started for the Altoona and gave up just one unearned run during the first inning on five hits in five innings. He struck out four, walked one and retired eight of the last 10 batters he faced. His one run allowed in the first scored on a two-out error at shortstop by Gift Ngoepe .
Tarik Skubal made his Double-A debut for Erie and struck out 11 batters and walked two over five innings. His throwing error in the fourth led to the first run of the game for the Curve after he threw the ball away on a pick off attempt with Oliva at first base. Moments later, he surrendered his only hit allowed, an RBI single from Madris.
Madris had both of the Curve hits in the ballgame and knocked in all three. Oliva got on base three times to steal two bases after a pair of walks and was hit by a pitch.
The Curve head into the All-Star Break with the best overall record in the Western Division and return to action with a four-game series with the SeaWolves on Thursday, July 11 at 7:05 p.m.
The Curve then return home on Monday, July 15 to battle the Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, starting on Monday, July 15 at 6:30 p.m. For tickets or more information, 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.
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