Ryan sets all-time wins record as Curve manager

CURVE, Pa. -- Altoona Curve manager and Indiana, Pa. native Michael Ryan notched his 214th victory as the team's manager, setting a new franchise record, when his ballclub defeated the Bowie Baysox, 5-4, in comeback fashion on Sunday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
His latest victory broke the previous mark of 213 wins that was shared by Dale Sveum and Tim Leiper during their three seasons managing the Curve (62-63, 26-31).

Ryan led the Curve to their second Eastern League Championship in 2017, his first year on the job. The club went 74-66 in the 2017 regular season before he guided the team to a 78-60 mark during the 2018 season. In his seven-year managerial career, Ryan is 494-458 and also won the 2016 Florida State League title with the Pirates' A-Adv. affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders.
In the game, the Baysox (68-57, 38-19) took a 3-0 in the third before the Curve put up four in the sixth. Altoona lost that 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth and the game went into the bottom of the eighth tied, 4-4.
Brett Pope led off the Curve half of the eighth with a double into the right field corner off Baysox reliever Jay Flaa (Loss, 0-1). Chris Sharpe was up next and dropped down a bunt in front of the pitcher's mound, which Flaa fielded and threw toward third base in an attempt to cut down the runner Pope. Flaa's throw sailed down the left field line, Pope scored to put the Curve ahead, 5-4, and Sharpe got all the way to third on the play. Flaa later loaded the bases but stranded all three runners and held the Curve to just the one run.
Blake Cederlind (Save, 2) entered for the top of the ninth and allowed a lead-off single to Ryan McKenna. Preston Palmeiro followed with a fielder's choice grounder, which Curve second baseman Adrian Valerio made a diving stop on, then T.J. Nichting hit a single to put runners at first and second for Bowie. But Cederlind retired the next two batters to lock down the one-run win for Altoona.
The comeback win came after the Curve lost a one-run lead in the top of the eighth. After reliever Elvis Escobar (Win, 1-0) worked a scoreless seventh, Cedric Mullins singled to start the eighth before Anderson Feliz ripped a game-tying, RBI double to right-center. But Escobar struck out the next three batters and kept the game tied.
Before scoring the game-winning run in the eighth, the Curve got their first four runs in the sixth off Bowie starter Alex Wells, who held the Curve to just two hits through his first five frames. Valerio and Pope started the fourth with consecutive singles and Sharpe reached on catcher's interference to load the bases with no outs. Jared Oliva followed with a sacrifice fly to right to bring home the first run and Oneil Cruz tied the game with a two-run double to left-center. Logan Hill capped off the inning with a go-ahead, RBI single to left to give the Curve a 4-3 advantage. Wells gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits in seven innings. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.
The Baysox scored their first three runs in the fourth off Curve starter Sean Brady . The left-hander held Bowie hitless through three innings but ran into trouble in the fourth. Mullins led off the frame with a homer to left, Jesmuel Valentín added an RBI, fielder's choice grounder and Ryan McKenna brought home the third run with an RBI single to left. Brady settled back in after that and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in six innings. He racked up a season-high seven strikeouts and logged his team-high 13th quality start.
The Curve continue their six-game homestand on Monday at 6:30 p.m. as the Hartford Yard Goats come to town for a three-game series. The Curve will send left-hander Cam Vieaux (2-3, 2.56) to the mound against Hartford right-hander Antonio Santos (1-2, 5.96).
Gates for Monday's game will open at 5 p.m. It's Mitsubishi Monday, so fans can pick up FREE grandstand tickets at Five Star Mitsubishi for Monday's game, presented by Five Star Mitsubishi of Altoona. For tickets or more information about upcoming promotions, 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.