It's Not Worth Winning if You Can't Win Big: Curve Blast Ducks, 7-2
AKRON, Ohio - Keon Broxton had a huge day at the dish as he went 4-for-4 with two opposite field homers to pilot the Curve to a, 7-2, win in a rain-shortened game at Canal Park. It is the second multi-homer game of the season for Broxton, who also hit a pair on May 8 here in Akron, and the third of his career.
Alen Hanson gave the Curve a jolt right out of the gate with a homer off Will Roberts to lead off the game. The homer, which was the 11th of the season for Hanson, was the second he's hit off Roberts this season after homering off him here in Akron on May 11. The homer also ran Hanson's on-base streak to 17 games, one shy of the team high set by Elias Diaz before he was promoted.
The RubberDucks tied it in the bottom of the first with an unearned run off Jhonathan Ramos (5-5) but the Curve got it back in the third. Dan Gamache, who made the error in the first, blasted his fourth Double-A homer to right-center and once again the Curve were up, 2-1.
Like in the first inning, Akron had an answer in the bottom of the third when Joe Wendle hit a sac fly to score Ollie Linton. That run was the last the 'Ducks scored on Tuesday night.
Broxton smashed his first home run of the game, 12th of the season, with two down in the sixth off reliever Giovanni Soto (0-2) to put the Curve in front for good. Hanson tripled to start the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Soto later in the inning to bring the lead to, 4-2.
Ramos finished his six innings and turned in another quality start (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) before turning it over to Matt Nevarez for his Pirates' organizational debut.
Things started out a little shaky for Nevarez, who walked the first two men he faced in the seventh and then Linton bunted his way on to load the bases. Nevarez zeroed in from there to strike out Justin Toole, get a fly out from Wendle and then struck out Anthony Gallas on a 3-2 pitch to end the seventh.
Broxton's second homer of the game that dealt the deciding blow came just before the rain delay in the eighth. With Andy Vasquez on at third and Kelson Brown at first, Broxton hooked the pitch from Adam Miller around the foul pole in right to put the Curve squarely in front, 7-2.
Every member of the Curve lineup reached base on Tuesday night and eight of the nine had at least one hit. Broxton's four-hit day was the sixth four-hit game of the season for the Curve.
With the losing streak kicked to the curb, the Curve (55-74) aim to make it two straight at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday night when they mix it up with Akron (70-59). RHP Angel Sanchez (0-1, 4.50) gets the start for the Curve in his first outing versus the RubberDucks. He'll be opposed by Akron's Cody Anderson (4-9, 4.57).
Airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. The final homestand of the year in Curve, Pa. is August 22-28 with a pair of jersey auctions, an appearance from Craig Adams thanks to Planet Ice & WTAJ-TV, four fireworks shows and our final giveaway of the season. For more information, call 877.99.CURVE, visit AltoonaCurve.com or stop by the ticket windows at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
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