Curve force Game 5 in EL playoffs
Izquierdo (1-0) held the Aeros to three runs on five hits. The right-hander struck out five and did not issue a walk before Brady Borner and Matthew Capps retired eight straight batters. Capps worked the ninth for the save.
The 28-year-old Izquierdo went 10 innings on Monday, when Altoona posted a 4-1, 15-inning win over Bowie. The Curve completed a four-game sweep of the Baysox the following night to secure their third straight playoff berth.
Bonifay, who homered in Altoona's 3-0 win on Friday, delivered a run-scoring single with two outs in the fifth inning to make it 4-1. After Akron scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, the first baseman smacked a two-run homer in the bottom half to restore a three-run cushion.
Altoona grabbed an early lead for the second straight night. Aeros starter Jake Dittler (0-1) issued consecutive one-out walks to Tom Evans and Adam Boeve in the second before Jorge Cortes reached on an infield hit to load the bases. Carlos Maldonado grounded into a forceout to plate Evans, and Javier Guzman singled to left field to score Boeve for a 2-0 lead.
The Aeros cut the deficit in half on an RBI single by Eider Torres with two outs in the third.
Akron did not get another runner into scoring position until Ryan Mulhern led off the sixth with a drive over the center-field fence for his first homer of the series. One out later, Shaun Larkin hit his second homer to cut the deficit to 4-3 and chase Izquierdo.
Borner, the losing pitcher out of the bullpen in Game 2, came on and retired Jonathan Van Every on a groundout before striking out Javi Herrera to end the seventh.
Dittler went 6 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on 12 hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Game 5 is 7:05 p.m. on Sunday in Akron, with Shane Youman getting the ball for the Curve against Tom Mastny.