Curve shut down by McGowin, Senators

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Harrisburg Senators halted a four-game winning streak for the Altoona Curve in a 4-1 decision at FNB Field on Friday.
Senators (73-63, 31-35) starter Kyle McGowin (Win, 1-1) stifled the Curve (69-68, 33-36) through seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and struck out 11 without walking a batter. Brett Pope and Oneil Cruz connected for singles in the first, but McGowin retired 11 straight hitters until Chris Sharpe hit a lead-off single in the fifth. After Sharpe's base hit, McGowin sat down nine of his last 10 hitters.

The Curve broke up the shutout in the eighth on an RBI single from Pope, who went 2-for-4 in the game. Adrian Valerio greeted Jacob Condra-Bogan out of Harrisburg's bullpen with a single to right and Bralin Jackson was hit by the next pitch. Pope then dropped a two-strike pitch halfway down the left field line to bring in Valerio for Altoona's lone run.
The Senators grabbed three runs in the first while facing Altoona starter Beau Sulser (Loss, 8-3). Andrew Stevenson and Luis Garcia each singled to start the home half of the inning. Dante Bichette Jr. tried to bunt the runners over but Sulser fielded the ball hit in play and fired a strike to third, forcing out the lead runner Stevenson.
The next batter, Ian Sagdal, bounced one back to the mound and appeared to be a tailor-made, inning-ending double play. However, Sulser's throw to second base tipped off Cruz's glove and trickled into center field to score Garcia for the game's first run. Nick Banks followed with an RBI single and back-to-back walks by Sulser to David Masters and Rhett Wiseman led to the third run of the opening frame.
Harrisburg grabbed another run in the fourth when Garcia doubled and scored on a single by Sagdal.
Sulser settled in and got the Curve through six innings, tying a career-long outing, and allowed a total of six hits, walked three and struck out six. Three of his four runs allowed were earned to result in his second career quality start and sat down his last seven hitters.
Joel Cesar faced the minimum in two scoreless innings behind Sulser. Bichette Jr. connected on a lead-off single in the seventh but was erased on an inning-ending double play prior to a 1-2-3 eighth for the Curve reliever.
Jhonathan German (Save, 1) closed out the final three outs on the mound for Harrisburg and struck out two in a perfect ninth inning.
The series continues in Harrisburg with a 6 p.m. first pitch. Left-hander Domingo Robles (4-6, 4.13) will start for the Curve opposite Harrisburg right-hander Tyler Mapes (6-7, 4.88).
Season tickets for the 2020 season are now on sale. For tickets or more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office. Additionally, the Stockyard Team Store is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during every home game and online 24/7/365.
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