2016 Curve at a Glance Broadcast Information This
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EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010 2004, 2010 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015 123 BATTING AVG: .271 (4th) April 14, 2016 -- Game #7, Road Game #1 BATTING AVG.: .279 (1st) TEAM HR: 2 (10th) TEAM HR: 7 (3rd) WALKS: 29 (4th) Altoona Curve (2-4) vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels (2-5) WALKS: 10 (12th) STRIKEOUTS: 36 (9th) RHP Clay Holmes (0-1, 13.50) vs. LHP Adalberto Mejia (0-0, 1.80) STRIKEOUTS: 55 (T-2nd) TEAM ERA: 6.17 (11th) TEAM ERA: 3.20 (10th) WALKS: 41 (12th) 6:35 p.m. | The Diamond, Richmond, Va. WALKS: 20 (5th) STRIKEOUTS: 43 (7th) Radio -- ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM | TV - MiLB.TV STRIKEOUTS: 31 (12th) () -- EL Rank () -- EL Rank UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Fri., April 15 at Richmond 7:05 p.m. RHP Tyler Eppler (1-0, 3.00) vs. RHP Chase Johnson (0-1, 6.75) Sat., April 16 at Richmond 6:05 p.m. LHP Cody Dickson (0-1, 8.10) vs. RHP Joan Gregorio (0-0, 0.00) Sun., April 17 at Richmond 12:05 p.m. RHP David Whitehead (0-1, 11.25) vs. TBD Mon., April 18 at Harrisburg 6:30 p.m. RHP Jason Creasy (1-0, 4.92) vs. TBD LAST NIGHT: Altoona once again avoided a three-game sweep by exploding for five runs in the bottom of the first, 2016 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS capped off by a two-run single byEric Wood against Akron starter Adam Plutko. Five Curve hitters recorded multi-hit Team W-L PCT GB Today nights, led by Erich Weiss, who had a three-hit day, while also scoring three runs. Anderson Feliz also knocked two Akron 5-1 .833 - v. BOW doubles for Altoona, as Jason Creasy picked up his first win of the season. Harrisburg 3-2 .600 1.5 v. REA Erie 3-3 .500 2.0 v. BIN TONIGHT: The Curve hit the road for the first time in 2016 as they head to The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia to Altoona 2-4 .333 3.0 @ RIC take on the Flying Squirrels (Double-A/San Francisco Giants). Altoona holds a six-game lead in the all-time series Richmond 2-5 .286 3.5 v. ALT between the two squads, 66-60, but the teams split last year’s series evenly, 10-10. The Curve are 23-33 all-time in Bowie 1-5 .167 4.0 @ AKR Richmond. FOR ALTOONA: Right-hander Clay Holmes makes his second start of the season for Altoona, and will look to fare 2016 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS better than he did in his first outing, when he gave up six runs on five hits in just over four innings against Harrisburg. Team W-L PCT GB Today Holmes only pitched in nine games in 2015 after missing all of 2014 due to Tommy John surgery.For more on Creasy, Hartford 5-2 .714 - @ POR see page two. Trenton 4-2 .667 0.5 @ NH Reading 4-3 .571 1.0 @ HAR FOR RICHMOND: Southpaw Adalberto Mejia gets the nod for Richmond, after tossing five scoreless innings with Binghamton 2-2 .500 1.5 @ ERI only two hits surrendered in his first start this year on 4/8 against Hartford. In 2015, the Dominican Republic native Portland 3-4 .429 2.0 v. HRT went 5-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 12 appearances for the Flying Squirrels (nine starts). Mejia enters the 2016 season as the New Hamp. 2-3 .400 1.0 v. NH 10th best prospect in the Giants organization, according to Baseball America. THIS YEAR’S CURVE: The 2016 Curve roster has 12 players that have worn a Curve uniform prior to this season. 13 2016 CURVE AT A GLANCE will be playing at the Double-A level for the first time in their career. There are 12 pitchers and 13 position players Overall Record .......................................... 2-4 on the Curve roster, including one member of the Pirates’ 40-man roster (Harold Ramirez). The average age of the Home ................................................. 2-4 Curve’s roster is 23.68. Road .................................................. 0-0 A NEW SKIPPER: Former Major League All-Star Joey Cora takes over as the ninth manager in franchise history. He Place (E.L. Western) .................................4th was officially announced as the new skipper for the Curve on December 15, 2015. The native of Caguas, Puerto Rico Games Ahead/Behind ........................... -3.0 spent 11 seasons in the majors with San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians. He was an A.L. All-Star in 1997 with Seattle. Following his playing career, Cora spent eight seasons on the staff of Streak..........................................................W1 manager Ozzie Guillen with the White Sox from 2004-2011 and one season as the bench coach with the Miami Last 5 .......................................................... 2-4 Marlins in 2012. Cora last managed in the minor in 2003 with Savannah of the South Atlantic League, then a Montreal Last 10 ........................................................ 2-4 Expos affiliate. He also guided the Appalachian League’s Kingsport Mets in 2001 and 2002. Across three seasons, he is 112-160 as a minor league manager. Cora replaces Tom Prince, who guided the Curve for one season and is now 2016 vs. Richmond .................................. 0-0 the Pirates’ Minor League Field Coordinator. at Altoona ....................................... 0-0 at Richmond ................................... 0-0 PROSPECT WATCH: The Curve roster currently features five of MLB.com’s preseason top 30 Pirates prospects: Re- All-time vs. Richmond ....................... 66-60 ese McGuire (5), Harold Ramirez (6), Clay Holmes (15), Barrett Barnes (20) and Tyler Eppler (28). Five players are also at Altoona ................................... 43-27 featured on Baseball America’s Top 30 Pirates prospect list: Ramirez (5), McGuire (6), Holmes (19), Barnes (24) and at Richmond ............................... 23-33 Jose Osuna (30). B.A. also named Ramirez as the organization’s “Best Hitter for Average,” Eppler as having the “Best Changeup” and McGuire as the “Best Defensive Catcher.” ‘16 Home Attendance .......................15,166 Home Openings ........................................... 6 SPRING TRAINING: Prior to heading north to Altoona, 13 members of the Curve roster played in Major League Average Attendance ............................2,528 Spring Training games for the Pirates this year. Eleven position players, including Jon Schwind, Jose Osuna, Harold Ramirez, Reese McGuire, Barrett Barnes,Chris Diaz, Erich Weiss, Eric Wood, Stetson Allie, Edwin Espinal and Ander- son Feliz all got plate appearances in big league games. Relievers Montana DuRapau and Dovydas Neverauskas were BROADCAST INFORMATION the only two pitchers on the Curve roster that saw action in MLB Spring Training games. GOING STREAKING: Curve relief pitcher Josh Smith extended his scoreless streak to 20 innings after tossing a scoreless seventh frame on Tuesday in relief. Smith’s streak dates back to July 20, 2015 and now spans 14 outings, during which he has fanned 10 batters, walked nine and decided in a victory (8/7/15 v. RIC). The Missouri southpaw Trey Wilson, Nate Bowen and Fletcher also saw his ERA drop more than two full points last season, finishing 2015 with a 5.29 ERA after beginning the streak Keel will call all the action of the 2016 with a 7.34 clip. season on the flagship of the Curve, ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM-AM in Altoona. GLOBAL AFFAIR: Seven different countries are represented on Altoona’s Opening Day roster, including the United Pregame coverage begins 15 min. before States (17), Canada (1), Venezuela (2), the Dominican Republic (2), Colombia (1), Taiwan (1) and Lithuania (1). Relief all games. pitcher Dovydas Neverauskas became the first player born and raised in Lithuania to sign with a Major League team The Curve can also be heard on the following when he signed as an international free agent with the Pirates. Canadian third basemen Eric Wood was the first affiliate stations for selected games: Canuck to be drafted when he went in the 6th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. - WTRN-AM/FM 1340/100.7 in Tyrone ON THE LAST HOMESTAND Infielders Edwin Espinal and Anderson Feliz both are natives of the Domini- - WWGE 1400 AM in Ebensburg Games ....................................................................6 can Republic, and reliever Jhondaniel Medina and infielder Jose Osuna both - Online streaming at AltoonaCurve.com Record ............................................................... 2-4 call Venezuela home. Outfielder Harold Ramirez represented his home coun- try of Colombia this offseason in the World Baseball Classic qualifying round provided by TuneIn Radio Average ....................................... .285 (59/207) in Panama. Catcher Jin-De Jhang is a native of Taitung City, Taiwan. - Via the TuneIn Radio App and the MiLB Runs/Runs Per Game ........................... 26/4.3 First Pitch App Home Runs...........................................................2 BASE ON BALLS AND BIG FLIES: The Curve pitching staff has combined to allow 40 walks so far this season, the most in the Eastern League and an RISP ................................................. .254 (17/67) average of eight per game. After not allowing a single homer in the first three Errors ...................................................................10 games, Akron crushed five home runs on Monday night, tying a franchise THIS DATE IN CURVE HISTORY record for the most in a single game against the Curve in franchise history. ERA ...................................................................6.17 Opposing teams are averaging 7.8 runs per game against Altoona so far this In 2014. Jordy Mercer went big fly as the Starter W-L ...................................................... 2-3 year. Curve notched runs in the fourth and fifth innings to defeat Richmond 2-0 at Starter ERA ..................7.94 (25 ER / 28.1 IP) Peoples Natural Gas Field. Curve starter Reliever W-L ................................................... 0-1 Aaron Thompson scattered just two hits Reliever ERA ...............4.91 (14 ER / 25.2 IP) over his six innings of work, striking out Saves/Opps .....................................................1/1 five.