Curve Long Ball Rumbles the Ponies in Sunday Victory

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – For the second time in the series, Jared Triolo opened the contest with a first-inning, lead-off home run as Altoona capitalized with four home runs in a Sunday victory over Binghamton, 6-1, at Mirabito Stadium.

Triolo homered on the third pitch of the game back on Wednesday and did so today on the first pitch thrown by Binghamton starter Alex Valverde. Triolo became the second Curve batter to lead-off two games in the same week with a home run, as Allen Hanson did so twice in the same week in 2014. Triolo becomes the ninth Curve player to accomplish the feat more than once in a season, and first since Jonah Davis in 2021. The five lead-off home runs this season for Altoona match the most done by the Curve in any season (2014 – 5.)

Blake Sabol hit his 13th home run of the season off Valverde in the fourth inning. Later in the frame with Malcom Nuñez on first, Andres Alvarez homered off new reliever Josh Hejka to make it a 4-1 game. Endy Rodriguez hit his second Double-A home run in the fifth inning off Hejka. Rodriguez went 6-for-19 (.316) with two home runs and four RBI in his first week on the Curve roster.

The Curve tacked on an insurance run on a Nuñez sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. The Altoona offense recorded eight hits in the outing, with Rodriguez and Sabol each having two. The Curve hit 12 home runs in the series against Binghamton and stole 10 bases.

Luis Ortiz struck out five batters in four innings on the start, allowing one run on three hits and a walk. Ortiz, who is the first Curve pitcher since Taylor Hearn in 2018 to strike out over 100 batters, has 108 strikeouts on the season and is pacing to have a chance at the team’s franchise mark of 142 set by Ian Snell in 2004.

Nick Dombkowski struck out four batters over two scoreless innings without allowing a hit. Enmanuel Mejia, Bear Bellomy, and Colin Selby each tossed a scoreless frame to end the contest for the Curve.

The Curve return home on Tuesday, August 16th at 6:00 p.m. for a six-game series with the Harrisburg Senators, Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. RHP Kyle Nicolas takes the ball for the Curve, with RHP Luis Reyes pitching for Harrisburg.

For tickets and more information about Curve Baseball, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office.

For the second time this week, @JaredTriolo has homered in the first at-bat of the game!! pic.twitter.com/lHJ9fhC6jJ

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) August 14, 2022