BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - James Marvel threw a third straight quality start and delivered a go-ahead RBI single while the Altoona Curve held off a late charge by the Binghamton Rumble Ponies to win, 5-4, on Monday at NYSEG Stadium.
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - James Marvel threw a third straight quality start and delivered a go-ahead RBI single while the Altoona Curve held off a late charge by the Binghamton Rumble Ponies to win, 5-4, on Monday at NYSEG Stadium.
The Curve (68-55) regained the lead in sixth after the Rumble Ponies (60-66) briefly tied the game, 1-1, in the previous half inning. Marvel drove home the go-ahead run on a two-out single that he tucked between the first baseman and the first base line. Arden Pabst got the two-out rally started with a double, his third hit of the game, and beat the throw home from right fielder Jhoan Urena. The outfielder's throw skipped away from Binghamton's catcher that allowed Alfredo Reyes to score all the way from first base after Marvel's single.
On the mound, Marvel (Win, 2-1) threw a third straight quality start to begin his Double-A service time with two runs allowed over 6.1 innings. The right-hander struck out five for the third straight start. Two of his three walks led to Binghamton's second run of the game in the seventh when he loaded the bases with a free pass and issued an RBI-walk to pinch-hitter John Mora.
Tate Scioneaux (Hold, 4) inherited the bases loaded and extinguished the Rumble Ponies' threat with a strikeout and flyout to finish the seventh. Joey Terdoslavich hit a solo homer off Scioneaux to start the eighth before the right-hander navigated through the rest of the inning unharmed.
Geoff Hartlieb (Save, 8) took over in the ninth and retired the first two batters before a single, walk and a fielding error led to an unearned for Binghamton. With runners at second and third, Terdoslavich flew out to center on the first pitch he saw from Hartlieb to end the game.
Will Craig padded Altoona's lead in the seventh with a two-run homer to left, his 20th of the season, which turned out to be the difference in the game. Craig has homered in all four games the Curve have played at NYSEG Stadium in 2018 and is the ninth player in team history to reach the 20-homer plateau in a single season.
The Curve scored first in the ballgame during the second inning on an RBI single by Reyes. Logan Hill drew a one-out walk and was put in scoring position by Pabst with a single. Pabst compiled back-to-back multi-hit games with a 3-for-4 performance while Hill reached base three times on a 1-for-2 night with two walks.
The Rumble Ponies needed only four pitches in the fifth inning to tie the game, 1-1. Kevin Taylor tripled into the right field corner on the second pitch of the inning and scored two pitches later on a sacrifice fly to center by Jhoan Urena.
Altoona's offense started the night 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and failed to score with Cole Tucker in scoring position with one out twice over the first five innings. Curve hitters also struck out 13 times including four by Bryan Reynolds in an 0-for-5 game to halt his on-base streak at 14 games.
The win for the Curve puts the team 13 games over .500 for the first time since they were 75-61 on September 1, 2016. Altoona also earned the fifth win of the road trip and are now 4-0 in Binghamton this season.
The Curve and Rumble Ponies will wrap up their two-game series on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. with right-hander Eduardo Vera (6-3, 4.48) taking the hill for Altoona against Binghamton righty Harol Gonzalez (0-6, 8.47).
The Curve return home on Wednesday to open the final homestand of the regular season against the Harrisburg Senators, Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. For tickets or more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office.
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