2018 Altoona Curve Game Information Page 1 THIS DATE in CURVE
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EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010, 2017 2004, 2010, 2017 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 144 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017 BATTING AVG.: .219 (6th) April 6, 2018 -- Game #2, Home Game #2 BATTING AVG.: .188 (7th) TEAM HR: 0 (T-8th) TEAM HR: 1 (4th) WALKS: 4 (T-5th) Akron RubberDucks (1-0) vs. Altoona Curve (1-0) WALKS: 1 (12th) STRIKEOUTS: 12 (T-2nd) RHP Aaron Civale (AA Debut) vs. RHP Dario Agrazal (2017: 0-1, 4.50) STRIKEOUTS: 12 (T-2nd) TEAM ERA: 5.63 (10th) TEAM ERA: 3.00 (T-6th) WALKS: 1 (12th) 6 p.m. | Peoples Natural Gas Field | Altoona, Pa. WALKS: 4 (T-5th) STRIKEOUTS: 12 (T-2nd) STRIKEOUTS: 12 (T-2nd) () -- EL Rank Radio -- News Talk 1240 WRTA & Curve Radio Network | TV -- MiLB.TV () -- EL Rank UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Sat., April 7 Akron 2 p.m. RHP Michael Peoples (2017: 2-5, 5.58) vs. LHP Brandon Waddell (2017: 3-3, 3.55) Sun., April 8 Akron 2 p.m. LHP Sean Brady (AA Debut) vs. RHP Mitch Keller (2017: 2-2, 3.12) Mon., April 9 Harrisburg 6 p.m. RHP Wirkin Estevez (2017: 4-1, 3.63) vs. LHP Taylor Hearn (AA Debut) Tues., April 10 Harrisburg 6 p.m. RHP Brady Dragmire (0-0, 1.59) vs. RHP J.T. Brubaker (0-0, 1.80) LAST NIGHT: The Curve score six runs in the eighth inning to beat the RubberDucks, 6-5. Trailing 3-0, Cole Tucker hit a two-run double to get the Curve on the board and Stephen Alemais followed with a game-tying single. Logan Hill broke the 2018 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS tie with a three-run homer to give the Curve a 6-3 lead. Akron plated two runs in the ninth, but Geoff Hartlieb worked a flyout from Tyler Krieger to close out the game and pick up a save in his Double-A debut. Curve starter J.T. Brubaker struck out eight Team W-L PCT GB Today over five innings while allowing three runs (one earned). Logan Sendelbach pitched two scoreless innings in his Double-A Altoona 1-0 1.000 -- v. AKR debut. Sean Keselica pitched a scoreless eighth and picked up the win. Erie 1-0 1.000 -- @ REA Harrisburg 1-0 1.000 -- @ BOW TONIGHT: The 20th Season of Altoona Curve Baseball, presented by Stuckey Subaru, continues at Peoples Natural Gas Akron 0-1 .000 1.0 @ ALT Field as the Curve face the Akron RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians in the second of a four-game Bowie 0-1 .000 1.0 v. HAR series. Richmond 0-1 .000 1.0 @ TRN THE CURVE: Heading into the 2018 season, the Curve are the only team in the Eastern League who have qualified for the postseason in each of the last three years. After back-to-back wild card berths, Altoona was the Western Division's top seed 2018 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS heading into the postseason in 2017. With four of the top-six MLB.com Pirates prospects and nine of the top-30, the Curve Team W-L PCT GB Today have the most decorated prospect roster of Pittsburgh's minor league affiliates to start the year. Top-ranked prospect Mitch Binghamton 1-0 1.000 -- v. POR Keller returns after dominating in the E.L. postseason last season. Notable Curve newcomers include 2017 Florida State New Hamp. 1-0 1.000 -- @ HFD League All-Stars Dario Agrazal, Jake Brentz, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Logan Hill, Christian Kelley and Cole Tucker. Bryan Reynolds, Trenton 1-0 1.000 -- v. RIC part of the package of players sent to the Pirates in the Andrew McCutchen trade on January 15, joins Altoona this season. Hartford 0-1 .000 1.0 v. NH Elvis Escobar, who was a standout offensive performer in last year's E.L. postseason, returns for a third year with the Curve, as well as 2017 E.L. All-Star Wyatt Mathisen. Portland 0-1 .000 1.0 @ BIN Reading 0-1 .000 1.0 v. ERI THE RUBBERDUCKS: After falling out of the playoff race late in the 2017 campaign, Akron returns to action in 2018. The RubberDucks hold the most titles in the Eastern League since the Curve joined in 1999 with five (2003, 2005, 2009, 2012 2018 CURVE AT A GLANCE and 2016). The 'Ducks return first baseman Bobby Bradley, ranked as the No. 3 Cleveland prospect by MLB.com heading Overall Record ........................................... 1-0 into the season. He finished second in the E.L. last season with 89 RBIs while belting 23 homers. Fifth-ranked Indians prospect Home ................................................... 1-0 Willi Castro, a shortstop, joins Akron after an All-Star campaign last season in the Carolina League with Lynchburg. Road .................................................... 0-0 FOR ALTOONA: Right-hander Dario Agrazal makes the second start of his Double-A career. He pitched one game for the Curve last season, working four innings and allowing two runs in a loss against Trenton on June 21. He was placed on the Place (E.L. Western) ......................................-- disabled list with a right pectoral strain after the start and missed the remainder of the year. A native of Panama, Agrazal was Games Ahead/Behind ................................-- an All-Star selection in the Dominican Summer League in 2013, the New-York Penn League with the West Virginia Black Bears in 2015 and with the Bradenton Marauders in the Florida State League last season. He is currently ranked by both Baseball Streak ............................................................W1 America and MLB.com as the Pirates' No. 30 prospect. Last 5 ............................................................. 1-0 Last 10 ........................................................... 1-0 FOR AKRON: Right-hander Aaron Civale makes his Double-A debut tonight for Akron. He heads into the 2018 season as the No. 10 Cleveland prospect in MLB.com's rankings. Drafted in the third round in 2016 out of Northwestern, he led the Cleveland minor league system in wins a year ago while pitching for Single-A Lake County and A-Adv. Lynchburg. Last 2018 vs. Akron ........................................... 1-0 August, he went 6-0 in six starts with a 1.93 ERA to earn the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month award. at Altoona ......................................... 1-0 at Akron............................................. 0-0 HAMMERIN' HILL: After finishing second in the Pirates' system with 18 total homers between Bradenton and Altoona All-time vs. Akron ............................180-220 (despite missing the last weeks of the season with a left hand fracture), Logan Hill clubbed the first Curve homer of the season at Altoona .................................105-105 on Thursday night. His blast broke a 3-3 tie and capped a six-run eighth inning for Altoona. At the time of his promotion to at Akron .........................................75-115 Altoona last year, Hill led the Florida State League with 16 homers in just 71 games. Dating back to last year, Hill is currently riding an 18-game on-base streak, which is the second longest in the Eastern League. ‘18 Home Attendance ..........................5,024 COLE TRAIN: Dating back the end of the 2017 regular season, Cole Tucker currently holds a 17-game on-base streak. In Home Openings ............................................1 that span, the switch-hitter is batting .358 (24/67) with five doubles, two triples, two homers, 14 RBIs and 12 runs scored. Average Attendance ............................5,024 COMEBACK CURVE: The Curve rallied to overcome a three-run deficit entering the eighth inning in Thursday night's season opener. Last season, Altoona went just 2-45 when trailing after seven completed innings. In 2016, they had eight total wins after trailing through seven innings, the most in the Eastern League. BROADCAST INFORMATION RISP-ECT: The Curve did not see a runner reach second base until the eighth inning in Thursday night's game, but finished the night a perfect 3-for-3 with runners in scoring position (Tucker two-run double, Alemais RBI single, Hill three-run home run). In 2017, the Curve hit .262 with runners in scoring position. ROSTER: The 2018 Curve roster has 14 players who have worn an Altoona uniform prior to this season. 11 will be playing Trey Wilson, Nate Bowen and Garett Mansfield at the Double-A level for the first time. There are 13 pitchers and 12 position players on the roster. 21 of the 25 players were will call the action of the 2018 season on the originally signed or drafted by the Pirates. flagship of the Curve, News Talk WRTA 98.5 RYAN RETURNS: Indiana, Pa. native Michael Ryan returns for a second season leading the Curve in 2018. Last season, FM/1240 AM in Altoona. Pregame coverage he picked up his second straight championship as a manager after winning the Florida State League title in 2016 with the Bra- begins 15 min. before all games. denton Marauders. He served as a coach with the Curve in 2012 and went on to manager the Single-A West Virginia Power The Curve can also be heard on the following affiliate the following two years. He managed Bradenton from 2015-16. As a player, Ryan was drafted by the Minnesota Twins out of Indiana Area High School in 1996 and went on to play 15 professional seasons, stations for selected games: including four in the majors with the Twins from 2002-05 and one with the Angels - WKMC-AM 1370 in Roaring Spring ON THE HOMESTAND in 2010. He is joined on his staff by second-year pitching coach Bryan Hicker- - WPHB 1260 AM in Centre County Games ........................................................................ 1 son, new hitting coach Keoni De Renne and coach Stephen Morales.