EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010, 2017 2004, 2010, 2017, 2018 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 169 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 June 29, 2019 -- Games #77/78, Second Half Games #10/11, Home Games #38/39 Binghamton Rumble Ponies (39-36, 4-7) vs. Altoona Curve/Allegheny Yinzers (40-36, 5-4) RHP Mickey Jannis (3-1, 2.83) vs. LHP Brandon Waddell (0-0, 3.38) RHP Joe Zanghi (2-1, 1.17) vs. LHP Sean Brady (3-7, 5.09) 4:30 p.m. | Peoples Natural Gas Field | Altoona, Pa. Radio -- WRTA 98.5 FM & Curve Radio Network | TV -- MiLB.TV UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Sun., June 30 Binghamton 6 p.m. TBD vs. RHP James Marvel (8-5, 3.21) Mon., July 1 at Akron 7:05 p.m. RHP Cody Bolton (0-1, 8.31) vs. TBD Tues., July 2 at Akron 7:05 p.m. LHP Domingo Robles (2-1, 4.13) vs. TBD Wed., July 3 at Akron 7:05 p.m. RHP Pedro Vasquez (6-1, 2.30) vs. TBD THE LAST TIME OUT: A wild back-and-forth in the late inning saw Binghamton deliver the last big blow with a 2019 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS two-run ninth to beat the Curve, 7-5. Quinn Brodey connected on a go-ahead, RBI double off Angel German followed by a solo homer by Will Toffey to pad the late lead. Altoona built a 4-1 lead with a four-run fifth, highlighted by RBI Team 2nd Half Overall GB Today hits from Mitchell Tolman, Jared Oliva and Robbie Glendinning. Binghamton charged back with two-run homers by Erie 8-2 39-37 -- vs. HBG Patrick Mazeika and Barrett Barnes to take a 5-4 lead. Alfredo Reyes and Brett Pope hit back-to-back doubles in the Bowie 8-2 38-40 -- vs. AKR home half of the eighth to tie the game, 5-5. Richmond 6-4 29-48 2.0 vs. HFD TODAY'S GAME: The 21st season of Altoona Curve Baseball continues as the Curve play the third and fourth games Altoona 5-4 40-36 2.5 vs. BNG of five-game series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets. Today's double- Akron 4-7 38-42 4.5 @ BOW header will make up a rain out on Father's Day at NYSEG Stadium and is the fifth twin bill of the season for Altoona. All four double-headers for the Curve have been one-sided with Altoona sweeping two and being swept two other x-Harrisburg 3-6 45-34 4.5 @ ERI times. The current series will complete the 10-game season series against Binghamton and is the only visit to Altoona for the Rumble Ponies. Binghamton took 2 of 3 in mid-May at NYSEG Stadium before the Curve returned 2019 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS to sweep the abbreviated, two-game set two weeks ago. The Curve are playing the 14th and 15th of 16 straight Team 2nd Half Overall GB Today National League-style games through the end of June before the designated hitter returns for all but four games in Reading 6-5 45-33 -- vs. POR July. x-Trenton 5-5 43-32 0.5 vs. NHM THE CURVE: The Curve are 17-8 in June, trailing only Bowie (19-6) for the best record in the Eastern League this Hartford 4-6 41-36 1.5 @ RIC month, and have won 6 of their last 7 series. The club is poised to have one of the winningest months in team his- tory, which has been done with 20 wins on three occassions: August 2018, August 2010 and June 2004. The Curve New Hamp. 4-6 35-42 1.5 @ TRN have won at least 18 games in a month 15 times in team history and reached 19 wins in a month on seven occa- Binghamton 4-7 39-36 2.0 @ ALT sions. The last time the Curve won at least 17 games in June was 2010. Altoona is third in the league in hitting Portland 3-6 30-46 2.0 @ REA (.253) this month and have gone deep 18 times after a league-low 30 home runs in April and May. Altoona has the best intra-division record (31-21) in their half of the league but are 9-15 against the Eastern Division. The Curve 2019 CURVE AT A GLANCE have reached the E.L. Playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the longest active streak in the league and tied for the longest run in franchise history (2003-06). Overall Record ........................................40-36 First Half ........................................35-32 THE RUMBLE PONIES: Binghamton, a league-worst 8-17 in June, is in the midst of playing or completing nine Second Half ........................................ 5-4 games in six days. They finished a suspended game against Erie on Monday before playing a double-header on Home ...............................................19-18 Wednesday. The Rumble Ponies have lost 7 of 9, including a three-game sweep to Richmond and losing 3 of 4 to ................................................21-18 Erie on their latest homestand. Binghamton is the best road team in the league with a 27-13 mark away from NYSEG Road Stadium. The Rumble Ponies lead the Eastern League with 4.3 runs per game and rank second in total team batting Place (E.L. Western) .................................. 4th average (.245) and second with runners in scoring position (.262) but have hit the fewest homers (44) on the circuit. Games Ahead/Behind ............................... -2.5 The pitching staff ranks 11th with a 3.86 ERA. Streak .............................................................L1 Last 5............................................................ 3-2 FOR ALTOONA: Left-handed pitcher Brandon Waddell will make his third start of the season with the Curve after ......................................................... 6-4 be made 21 relief outings with Triple-A Indianapolis to start the year. Waddell struck out four and allowed two runs Last 10 over four innings of a no-decision in his last outing in Richmond. A native of Houston, Waddell has spent the major- ity of his pro career with Double-A Altoona by pitching 245.2 innings of 418.2 career frames in a Curve uniform. He 2019 vs. Binghamton ................................ 4-3 reached Double-A in his first full season in 2016 and went 12-13 with a 3.64 ERA over 46 outings before his first at Altoona ........................................... 1-1 Triple-A promotion at the end of May 2018. He was originally drafted by the Pirates in the fifth round of the 2015 at Binghamton ................................... 3-2 draft out of the University of Virginia and pitched the clinching game for the Cavaliers in the 2015 College World All-time vs. Binghamton .......................99-88 Series...For more on Waddell, see page two. at Altoona .......................................50-41 Left-handed pitcher Sean Brady will make his 10th start for the Curve and 15th outing overall in 2019 during game at Binghamton ...............................49-47 two. He picked up the win in his last start at Hartford, allowing only a solo homer last Sunday at Hartford over sev- en innings. Today marks his 40th Double-A start, owning a 10-14 record and 4.72 ERA. He spent the first six years ‘19 Home Attendance ........................ 145,984 of his professional career in the Indians organization and was released by Cleveland on May 1 and signed with the Home Openings ............................................35 Pirates on May 6. He was originally drafted by the Indians in the fifth round of the 2013 draft out of high school...For more on Brady, see page three. Average Attendance ............................... 4,171 FOR BINGHAMTON: Knuckleballer Mickey Jannis takes the hill for his 10th appearance overall and ninth with ON THE HOMESTAND Binghamton. He started the season on the injured list before he allowed just one run over his first 15 innings this Games...............................................................2 season. He appeared in one game for Triple-A Syracuse and surrendered 14 runs over 3.1 innings and returned to Record .......................................................... 1-1 Binghamton. He last worked 10 days ago in New Hampshire and allowed one run in 5.1 innings. Originally a 44th- round pick by the Rays from Cal State Bakersfield in 2010, the 31-year-old from Carson City, Nev. spent parts of four years playing independent baseball before signing with the Mets in July 2015. He makes his 80th start for Bingham- Average ....................................... .273 (18/66) ton and is 24-27 with a 4.13 lifetime ERA in the Eastern League. Runs/Runs Per Game .......................... 11/5.5 Home Runs ......................................................2 Right-hander Joe Zanghi takes the hill for his second career start and 18th outing overall with Binghamton. He also RISP. .............................................. .316 (6/19) made five outings in relief for Triple-A Syracuse this year. In his last appearance, he pitched four scoreless innings against Erie during the first start of his professional career. He was signed by the Mets as an undrafted free agent in Errors ...............................................................3 2016 and is in his second Double-A season. ERA... .................................4.50 (9 ER/18.0 IP) NO OFFENSE: The Eastern League batting average stands at .237 while teams are scoring 3.96 runs per game. The Starter W-L ................................................. 1-0 last time the league average finished under .250 and 4.0 runs per game was in 1989 (.249/3.95). The last time the Starter ERA ......................3.75 (5 ER/12.0 IP) E.L. saw offenses hit below .240 and score fewer than 4.0 runs per game was in 1971 (.234/3.57). Reliever W-L ..............................................