CURVE, Pa. - Mitch Keller held the opposing lineup in check on Sunday at Peoples Natural Gas Field as the Altoona Curve scored a season-best 12 runs on 17 hits to beat the Portland Sea Dogs, 12-3.Keller (Win, 5-2) struck out seven batters for the second straight start and allowed
CURVE, Pa. - Mitch Keller held the opposing lineup in check on Sunday at Peoples Natural Gas Field as the Altoona Curve scored a season-best 12 runs on 17 hits to beat the Portland Sea Dogs, 12-3.
Keller (Win, 5-2) struck out seven batters for the second straight start and allowed two runs on five hits over 6.2 innings as the Curve (21-18) won their second straight over the Sea Dogs (15-26).
After driving home three runs on Saturday night, Will Craig erased an early 1-0 deficit with a two-run homer to left-center field and totaled four RBIs for Altoona. Craig knocked home a run in the sixth inning on a single and later came through with a sacrifice fly during the eight that plated the last run of the day for the Curve. Craig has notched at least one RBI in his last seven games for a total of 14.
Christian Kelley and Logan Hill also smacked homers in the lopsided victory. Kelley launched his fourth of the year into the left field stands while Hill sent his sixth of the campaign, a two-run blast, beyond those same seats.
With consistent run support throughout the day, Keller retired ten straight Portland hitters after a two-out, RBI double off the right field wall by Josh Ockimey in the first inning. That string was broken up on a double in the fifth by Luke Tendler. Both Portland runs against the Pirates' top prospect were a result of his two walks. Janzten Witte got aboard and stole second base before Ockimey's two-bagger while Danny Mars led off the sixth with a free pass and scored.
Tate Scioneaux relieved Keller with two outs in the seventh and his first pitch of the day was belted over the wall in left field by Jeremy Rivera. Scioneaux then retired the next four hitters he faced with a pair of strikeouts while Sean Keselica held Portland scoreless in the ninth.
The Curve had baserunners in all nine innings and all nine batters had at least one hit in the win. Cole Tucker recorded three hits, scored three times and stole two bases. Craig ended the day 3-for-4 with four RBIs in addition to multi-hit games from Ke'Bryan Hayes (2-for-4, double, 2 RBIs), Jordan George (2-for-5), Bralin Jackson (2-for-4, two runs) and Kelley (2-for-4). Jason Martin went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and pushed his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest of the season for any Curve player.
The Curve will have an off day on Monday and return to action in Bowie on Tuesday night. Altoona will turn to left-hander Taylor Hearn (1-3, 4.46) in the series opener and the Baysox will go with a lefty of their own, Keegan Akin (4-4, 3.22)
After seven games on the road in Bowie and Harrisburg, the Curve will return home on May 29 for three games against the Akron RubberDucks.
For tickets or more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office.
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