CURVE, Pa. - After the Altoona Curve built a 7-0 lead and the Portland Sea Dogs stormed back to a 9-7 advantage, Luke Tendler drilled a three-run homer to push Portland to a 12-9 win in ten innings on Thursday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.The Sea Dogs (14-24) scored all
CURVE, Pa. - After the Altoona Curve built a 7-0 lead and the Portland Sea Dogs stormed back to a 9-7 advantage, Luke Tendler drilled a three-run homer to push Portland to a 12-9 win in ten innings on Thursday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
The Sea Dogs (14-24) scored all 12 of their runs against the Curve (19-17) bullpen with the help of 13 hits off of Curve relievers. Portland's first 16 hits of the game were all singles prior to Tendler's tenth-inning blast.
Altoona loaded the bases in each the ninth, trailing 9-7, and the tenth, down 12-9. With two outs in the ninth inning, Logan Hill belted a ground-rule double to left-center with the bases full to tie the game 9-9 and force extra innings.
Taylor Hearn began the game on the mound for Altoona used five strikeouts to work around baserunners in each of his five innings. He walked a pair and allowed four singles while only one runner reached second base against the southpaw. Over his last two starts, Hearn has surrendered one run over his 10 innings pitched.
Bret Helton tossed a scoreless sixth in relief of Hearn before the shutout was eliminated during a two-run, four-hit seventh for Tate Scioneaux . Yeudy Garcia surrendered four more hits in relief and Portland scored three in the eighth. Gripping a 7-5 lead entering the ninth inning, Portland scored four unearned runs on four hits against Geoff Hartlieb (Loss, 4-2) after a lead-off error committed by Josh Harrison .
The Curve scored first in the second after a two-out walk, a wild pitch and the first of three hits by Elvis Escobar brought Hill to score. Altoona's lead over the Sea Dogs increased on a line-drive, solo homer by Ke'Bryan Hayes , his first at Double-A. Altoona's five-run fifth swelled their lead to 7-0 that was highlighted by a two-run double by Jin-De Jhang and a run-scoring single from Hill.
Harrison went 1-for-5 and struck out twice in the second game of his Major League rehab assignment. Escobar broke an 0-for-19 collar at the plate with a 3-for-5 night and an RBI. Jordan George (3-for-5), Jason Martin (2-for-6), Jhang (2-for-5) and Hill (2-for-4, 3 RBIs) also recorded multi-hit games.
The Curve and Sea Dogs continue their four-game series Friday. Right-hander Dario Agrazal (3-0, 1.30) takes the hill for Altoona while Portland will start right-hander Travis Lakins (0-1, 3.18). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Friday night will feature Fireworks Friday, presented by the Altoona Mirror, set to Doo-Wop tunes after the game. The ballpark gates will open at 5 p.m.
For tickets or more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office.
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