Six scoreless by Waddell,Craig's three RBIs push Curve past Portland

CURVE, Pa. - Brandon Waddell held the Portland Sea Dogs off the scoreboard for six innings on Saturday and Will Craig produced three two-out RBIs to lead the Altoona Curve to a 6-3 win at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
For the third time in his minor league career and the first time as a member of the Curve (20-18), Waddell (Win, 2-0) racked up a career-best eight strikeouts and limited the hot-hitting Sea Dogs (15-25) to three hits and walked three.
Craig landed a single to bring around the first run of the game with two outs in the sixth and later capitalized on a two-out single during the Curve's four-run seventh to plate two more as the lead swelled to 5-0. Over his last six games, Craig has recorded at least one RBI and a total of 10.
The Curve loaded the bases in the seventh and Cole Tucker was hit by a pitch to bring one run home. Ke'Bryan Hayes singled into left for to bring around a second run and the bases remained loaded for Craig to hit next.
Portland threatened to get on the board early in the second and third frames against Waddell. The first two hitters got aboard in the second before Waddell got a strikeout and double play to escape trouble. After the Sea Dogs loaded the bases with two outs in the third, he kept the Sea Dogs subdued with his fourth strikeout to finish the third inning. Waddell faced the minimum over his last three innings of work.
The shutout disappeared in the eighth inning when Portland's Chad De La Guerra launched a two-run homer to left off reliever Logan Sendelbach . After a scoreless seventh, Sendelbach walked a pair during the eighth. Danny Mars scored on De La Guerra's homer and Janzten Witte got around the bases on a walk, wild pitch and two groundouts to trim Altoona's lead down to 5-3. Jesus Liranzo (Save, 4) finished the eight and continued with perfect ninth inning for the save.
On offense, Stephen Alemais broke an 0-for-25 slide at the plate over his previous nine games with a 3-for-4 performance that included a double and one RBI. Logan Hill led off the Altoona portion of the eighth inning with a triple and scored on an Alemais single. Craig ended the night 2-for-4 with his three RBIs and knocked home Bralin Jackson twice. Jason Martin singled in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to ten games.
The Curve and Sea Dogs complete their four-game series on Sunday. Pirates' top prospect Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.07) will start for the Curve and Portland will start left-hander Dedgar Jimenez (1-2, 5,34). First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Sunday is another Ritchey's Dairy Curve Kids' Club Game and there will be an appearance by Troll characters Poppy and Branch, presented by The Comics Vault. The ballpark gates will open at 1 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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