EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010, 2017 2004, 2010, 2017, 2018 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 162 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 April 22, 2019 -- Games #17, Road Games #11 Altoona Curve (8-8) vs. Harrisburg Senators (14-2) RHP Dario Agrazal (1-1, 5.00) vs. RHP Wil Crowe (2-0, 1.69) 6:30 p.m. | FNB Field | Harrisburg, Pa. Radio -- WRTA 98.5 FM & Curve Radio Network | TV -- MiLB.TV UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Tues., April 23 at Harrisburg 6:30 p.m. LHP Cam Vieaux (0-1, 1.08) vs. RHP Erick Fedde (2-0, 2.50) Wed., April 24 at Harrisburg Noon RHP Scooter Hightower (0-2, 5.02) vs. RHP Sterling Sharp (2-1, 3.71) Thurs., April 25 OFF DAY Fri., April 26 Richmond 6 p.m. TBD vs. TBD SATURDAY: The Curve halted a six-game losing streak and swept a double-header in Richmond with two shutout 2019 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS victories, 2-0 and 1-0. Right-hander James Marvel tossed seven shutout innings in the opener and recorded the first Team W-L PCT GB Today complete-game shutout at the Double-A level. He held Richmond to one hit, a second-inning double by Brock Stassi, and added an RBI as part of a two-run fifth. In the second game, Pedro Vasquez tossed six scoreless frames and Harrisburg 14-2 .875 -- vs. ALT also held Richmond to one hit. Scoreless after seven innings, Jared Oliva delivered a go-ahead, RBI single with two Erie 7-6 .538 5.5 vs. BOW outs to plate only run of the game. The last time the Curve swept a double-header with dual shutouts was on June Altoona 8-8 .500 6.0 @ HBG 26, 2018 against Harrisburg at PNG Field and was part of three consecutive scoreless games by Curve pitching. Richmond 7-7 .500 6.0 vs. REA Akron 7-9 .438 7.0 vs. BIN TONIGHT: The 21st season of Altoona Curve Baseball continues as the Curve play the first of a three-game set against the Harrisburg Senators, Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Bowie 3-13 .188 11.0 @ ERI 2019 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS THE CURVE: After a franchise record-matching 5-0 start to the season, the Curve have lost eight of their last 11. Over the last eight games, Altoona has been outscored 33-17 while hitting .213 (48/225). Entering 2019, the Curve Team W-L PCT GB Today own the Eastern League's longest active streak for reaching the postseason as the only club to qualify for the Trenton 10-4 .714 -- @ NHM playoffs in each of the last four seasons. Four consecutive playoff appearances is also tied for the longest streak Binghamton 7-4 .636 1.5 @ AKR in franchise history when the Curve made the playoffs during the 2003-06 seasons. Over that four-year period, the Hartford 8-9 .471 3.5 @ POR Curve have the best record (302-258) among Western Division teams while the only teams in the league with better Reading 6-7 .462 3.5 @ RIC records are Trenton (329-235) and Reading (305-254). New Hamp. 7-9 .438 4.0 vs. TRN THE SENATORS: Harrisburg owns the best record in Minor League Baseball and have won their last five games, Portland 3-9 .250 6.0 vs. HFD including a three-game sweep against the Curve in Altoona last week. Harrisburg's pitching staff leads the league in team ERA (2.28) and batting average against (.190). Offensively, they lead the circuit with 21 homers while rank- 2019 CURVE AT A GLANCE ing second with a .256 team average and 71 runs scored. Despite top marks in scoring and hitting for average, Overall Record ............................................ 8-8 the Senators' offense is 11th in the E.L. with a .203 batting average with runners in scoring position. Harrsiburg is managed by Matt LeCroy, one of four returning managers in the league from 2018 (Altoona's Michael Ryan, Home ................................................... 1-5 Hartford's Warren Schaeffer and Richmond's Willie Harris). The Senators currently carry seven of the Nationals' Road .................................................... 7-3 Top 30 prospects, according to MLB.com: INF Luis Garcia (No. 3), RHP Wil Crowe (No. 5), RHP Sterling Sharp (No. 9), Place (E.L. Western) .............................. T-3rd RHP James Bourque (No. 18), C Tres Barrera (No. 21), LHP Taylor Guilbeau (No. 24) and LHP Ben Braymer (No. 25). Games Ahead/Behind ............................... -6.0 Garcia is also ranked by MLB. com as baseball's No. 73 overall prospect. Streak ........................................................... W2 FOR ALTOONA: Right-hander Dario Agrazal makes his fourth start of the season and his second straight appear- Last 5............................................................ 2-3 ance against Harrisburg. In his previous start, he departed a 1-1 game after he held the Senators to one run over Last 10 ......................................................... 3-7 six innings. Monday's start is Agrazal's 20th Double-A start and his second career appearance against Harrisburg. Agrazal has pitched the most innings (18.0) without a walk in Double-A and is tied with Arizona farmhand Cole Sta- 2019 vs. Harrisburg .................................. 0-3 pler for the most inning with a base on balls in Minor League Baseball. A native of Panama, Agrazal was signed by at Altoona .......................................... 0-3 the Pirates as an international free agent in 2012 and is ranked as the Pirates' No. 29 prospect by Baseball America. For more on Agrazal, see page two. at Harrisburg .................................... 0-0 All-time vs. Harrisburg .....................196-169 FOR HARRISBURG: Right-hander Wil Crowe takes the mound for his fourth start of the season and second career at Altoona .....................................110-69 outing against Altoona. The 24-year-old picked up a no-decision last Monday and held the Curve to two runs over at Harrisburg ...............................86-100 five innings with six strikeouts. Ranked by MLB.com as Washington's No. 5 overall prospect, Crowe was a second- round draft pick in 2017 by the Nationals out of South Carolina. ‘19 Home Attendance ...........................17,779 CURVE COMMAND: Altoona's pitching staff has leaned on pinpoint command at the start of the season. With 35 Home Openings ..............................................5 walks among the group, Curve pitchers have issued the fewest free passes in all of Minor League Baseball. The Average Attendance ............................... 3,556 starting rotation has limited their walks to 12 on the campaign, which is lowest total at Double-a through 86.2 in- nings and the second-fewest in the minors behind Dunedin's (A-Adv. Blue Jays) starting staff with 11 walks in 75.2 innings. SITUATIONAL SLUMP: As a team with runners in scoring position, the Curve hit .321 in the clutch over the first seven games of the season before stumbling to a .161 (10/62) mark over their previous nine games. Altoona's of- fense has bounced into a league-high 14 double plays and has struck out at the fourth-highest rate among teams in the league. The Curve offense has tallied double-digit strikeouts in nine of the first 16 games of the year. STEPHEN UP: Shortstop Stephen Alemais is beginning to swing one of the best bats atop the Curve lineup. The shortstop from the Bronx has hit safely in six of his last seven games with three multi-hit performances. Over the recent stretch, Baseball America's No. 26 Pirates prospect is hitting .346 average (9/26). Alemais hit .310 through his first 15 games in 2018 and would have finished last season with a .298 average if not for an 0-for-26 slide that he BROADCAST INFORMATION experienced from May 5-18. HILLS AND VALLEYS: OutfielderLogan Hill has experienced sharp ups and downs through the campaign's first two weeks. Hill started the season 0-for-6 over his first games then went 9-for-his-next-15 in his next four with three doubles, one homer and four RBIs to boost his average to .429. Over his last 10 games, the Pensacola, Fla. native has gone 4-for-33 with two doubles and three RBIs as his average has dipped to .241. Hill stands tied for seventh in the Eastern League with five doubles and tied for 10th with eight walks. Garett Mansfield and Michael Marcantonini will call the action of the 2018 season on BOUNTY HUNTER: Third baseman Hunter Owen is batting .302 (13/43) with three doubles, two homers and seven the flagship of the Curve, Talk Radio 98.5 RBIs while hitting safely in 10 of his last 13 games. Owen's 12 RBIs are third-most in the league and his three homers on the campaign are fourth- FM/1240 AM WRTA in Altoona. Pregame ON THE ROAD TRIP most in the E.L.. He also ranks in the league's top-10 in extra-base hits (6) coverage begins 15 min. before all games. Games .....................................................................3 and runs scored (9). The Curve can also be heard on the following affiliate stations for selected games: Record ................................................................. 2-1 RYAN'S REIGN: Indiana, Pa. native Michael Ryan is back for his third season as Curve manager in 2019 and joins elite company with Dale Sveum (2001- - WKMC 96.1 FM/1370 AM in Roaring Spring Average............................................. .214 (18/84) 03) and Tim Leiper (2006-08) as the only managers to hold the post for - WPHB 1260 AM in Centre County Runs/Runs Per Game ................................7/2.3 three seasons. During his time as the Altoona skipper, the Curve have gone - Online streaming at AltoonaCurve.com pro- 160-134 under Ryan's direction and won back-to-back Western Division titles Home Runs ............................................................0 for the first time in club history.