Altoona Curve at Erie Seawolves
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010, 2017 2004, 2010, 2017, 2018 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 160 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 April 10, 2019 -- Game #7, Road Game #7 Altoona Curve (5-1) vs. Erie SeaWolves (3-2) RHP Dario Agrazal (1-0, 7.50) vs. RHP Matt Manning (1-0, 1.80) 12:05 p.m. | UPMC Park | Erie, Pa. Radio -- WKMC 96.1 FM & Curve Radio Network | TV -- MiLB.TV UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Thurs., April 11 Akron 6 p.m. TBD vs. LHP Cam Vieaux (0-0, 0.00) Fri., April 12 Akron 6 p.m. TBD vs. RHP Scooter Hightower (0-0, 3.00) Sat., April 13 Akron 4 p.m. TBD vs. RHP Pedro Vasquez (1-0, 1.50) Sun., April 14 Akron 2 p.m. TBD vs. RHP James Marvel (1-1, 3.09) YESTERDAY: Altoona's opportunity to set a new franchise record for the most consecutive wins to start a season 2019 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS was wiped out in a 4-3 loss to Erie on Tuesday night. The SeaWolves touched up starter James Marvel for three Team W-L PCT GB Today runs in the sixth inning to claim the lead as Jose Azocar's two-run single put Erie on top. All three Curve runs came Altoona 5-1 .833 -- @ ERI as a result of solo homers by Hunter Owen, Robbie Glendinning and Mitchell Tolman. Harrisburg 5-1 .833 -- vs. HFD TONIGHT: The 21st season of Altoona Curve Baseball continues at UPMC Park in Erie, Pa. as the back-to-back West- Richmond 3-2 .600 1.5 vs. BOW ern Division champions face the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, in the rubber match of Erie 3-2 .600 1.5 vs. ALT a three-game series. This is the final contest on the season-opening road trip before the Curve return to Altoona for Bowie 2-3 .400 2.5 @ RIC their home opener on Thursday against the Akron RubberDucks. Akron 0-6 .000 5.0 vs. TRN THE CURVE: Altoona started the season 5-0 for the second time in team history, matching the record set by the 2019 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS 2006 club. Entering 2019, the Curve own the longest active streak for reaching the Eastern League postseason as Team W-L PCT GB Today the only club to make the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. Four consecutive playoff appearances is also tied Reading 4-1 .800 -- @ NHM for the longest streak in franchise history (2003-06). Over the last four years, the Curve have the best record in the Trenton 3-2 .600 1.0 @ AKR Western Division (302-258) while only the only teams in the league with better records are Trenton (329-235) and Binghamton 2-2 .500 1.5 @ POR Reading (305-254). New Hamp. 2-3 .400 2.0 vs. REA THE SEAWOLVES: Erie completes a six-game homestand at UPMC Park after claiming two-of-three against the Portland 1-3 .250 2.5 vs. BIN Trenton Thunder before splitting the first games of the series with the Curve. Erie departs on a seven-game road Hartford 1-5 .167 3.5 @ HBG trip to Binghamton and Bowie after Wednesday's homestand finale. The SeaWolves scored a league-high 29 runs through three games to open the homestand. The Tigers Double-A squad finished fifth in the E.L. Western Divi- 2019 CURVE AT A GLANCE sion with a 63-77 record. The Curve won the 2018 season series, 11-9, while going 6-4 at UPMC Park. Managed by Overall Record ............................................ 5-1 former Tigers catcher Mike Rabello, the SeaWolves 2019 roster includes Top 30 Tigers prospects Matt Manning (No. Home ................................................... 0-0 2), Isaac Paredes (No. 4), Alex Faedo (No. 10), Jake Rogers (No. 13), Sergio Alcantara (No. 15), Logan Shore (No. 16), Road .................................................... 5-1 Anthony Castro (No. 24) and Jose Azocar (No. 30). Place (E.L. Western) ...............................T-1st ................................... -- FOR ALTOONA: Right-hander Dario Agrazal climbs the hill for the Curve for his second start of the season and of Games Ahead/Behind the road trip. In his last start, he fought through six innings to earn the win on Friday despite falling behind Akron, Streak .............................................................L1 5-2, with three homers allowed through the first three innings. Wednesday's start is Agrazal's third in his Double-A Last 5............................................................ 4-1 career against Erie. He picked up his first win of 2018 at UPMC Park with two runs allowed over five innings and Last 10 ......................................................... 5-1 lasted 6.2 innings two starts later on April 25 in Altoona and received a no decision after three runs (two earned) crossed home. A native of Panama, Agrazal was signed by 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. 2019 vs. Erie .............................................. 1-1 at Altoona ........................................... 0-0 FOR ERIE: Right-hander Matt Manning makes his second start of the season for the SeaWolves after a stellar at Erie ................................................. 1-1 season debut. Erie's Opening Day starter held Trenton to one hit over five frames, allowing one run with three walks All-time vs. Erie .................................212-195 and five punch outs. Manning reached Double-A for the first time late in the 2018 season and made two outings with at Altoona .......................................98-96 Erie, including a six shutout innings with eight strikeouts in his debut on August 29. Manning has faced a Pirates at Erie ...........................................114-99 minor league affiliate just one previous time in his career and earned the win on July 11, 2018 for A-Adv. Lakeland against Bradenton. Baseball America ranks Manning as Detroit's No. 2 overall prospect and own's the "Best Fast- ........................ 297,118 ball" tool in their system. ‘18 Home Attendance Home Openings ............................................65 MOUND MATTERS: Altoona's pitching staff has issued just 10 walks through the first six games of the season, which Average Attendance ............................... 4,571 is the fewest walks by any pitching staff in Minor League Baseball. Curve starters have issued just one free pass through 32.1 innings, which is the fewest among all starting staffs in the minors. Altoona's bullpen has surrendered three runs through six games, tied for the second-fewest across Double-A. KING OF THE HILL: After starting 1-for-8 at the plate through the first three games,Logan Hill has gone 8-for-13 with one homer, three doubles and three RBIs over the past three games. Hill's offensive outburst has propelled him to second among Eastern League hitters with a .429 batting average and sits tied for the league lead with nine total hits and three doubles. BLIGH GUY: With his first Double-A homer and team-best third multi-hit game on Monday, Bligh Madris has soared into the Eastern League leaderboards in several categories. His nine total hits and three doubles are tied for tops on the circuit while his six runs scored and four extra-base hits are second-best. Madris is also one of just three hitters BROADCAST INFORMATION in the league to have hit safely in six games this season, the longest active hitting streak in the league. PROSPECT WATCH: The Curve roster features three of Baseball America's Top 30 Pirates prospects: Jared Oliva (No. 19), Gage Hinsz (No. 28) and Dario Agrazal (No. 29). Two of those players are featured on MLB.com's Top 30 Pirates prospects list: Oliva (No. 12) and Agrazal (No. 29). Oliva was also ranked by B.A. as the "Best Defensive Outfielder" in Pittsburgh's system. Garett Mansfield and Michael Marcantonini will call the action of the 2018 season on DOING THE SPLITS: For the first time since the Curve joined the Eastern League in 1999, the Eastern League will play a split-season format beginning in 2019. Playoff berths will be awarded to the division champs in each half the flagship of the Curve, Talk Radio 98.5 and will set the stage for the first round of the postseason. The last time FM/1240 AM WRTA in Altoona. Pregame ON THE ROAD TRIP the Eastern League played a split season was in 1982, which was the end of coverage begins 15 min. before all games. Games .....................................................................6 a five-year run from 1978-82. The league also implemented a split-season The Curve can also be heard on the following af- format during the 1934-35, 1958 and 1975 seasons. Record ................................................................. 5-1 filiate stations for selected games: RYAN'S REIGN: Indiana, Pa. native Michael Ryan returns for a third season - WKMC 96.1 FM/1370 AM in Roaring Spring Average.......................................... .259 (52/201) as Curve manager in 2019. Over the last three years, the Curve have gone - WPHB 1260 AM in Centre County Runs/Runs Per Game ..............................26/4.3 157-127 under Ryan's direction and won back-to-back Western Division titles - Online streaming at AltoonaCurve.com pro- for the first time in club history. Ryan's .547 winning percentage entering the Home Runs ............................................................6 2019 season is second-best all-time among Curve managers behind Tony vided by TuneIn Radio RISP .................................................. 308 (16/52) Beasley's .569 mark (161-122) during the 2004-05 seasons. His 157 wins - Via the TuneIn Radio App and the MiLB First Errors ......................................................................1 rank fourth all-time in team history (3rd - Tony Beasley, 161). Ryan joins elite Pitch App company with Dale Sveum (2001-03) and Tim Leiper (2006-08) as the only managers to hold the post for three seasons.