EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010 2004, 2010 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015 123 BATTING AVG.: .246 (5th) May 8, 2016 -- Game #30, Home Game #16 BATTING AVG.: .236 (8th) TEAM HR: 16 (7th) TEAM HR: 17 (6th) WALKS: 73 (12th) Richmond Flying Squirrels (10-18) vs. Altoona Curve (13-16) WALKS: 99 (7th) STRIKEOUTS: 183 (12th) LHP Matt Gage (0-3, 5.49) vs. RHP Frank Duncan (2-1, 1.20) STRIKEOUTS: 205 (6th) TEAM ERA: 3.94 (7th) TEAM ERA: 4.13 (10th) WALKS: 92 (2nd) 1 p.m. | Peoples Natural Gas Field, Altoona, Pa. WALKS: 127 (12th) STRIKEOUTS: 219 (3rd) Radio -- ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM | TV - MiLB.TV STRIKEOUTS: 190 (11th) () -- EL Rank () -- EL Rank UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Mon., May 9 Trenton 6 p.m. TBA vs. RHP David Whitehead (1-3, 5.64) Tues., May 10 Trenton 6 p.m. LHP Dietrich Enns (3-1, 1.26) vs. LHP Brandon Waddell (1-0, 2.84) Wed., May 11 Trenton 10:30 a.m. LHP Jordan Montgomery (4-0, 2.67) vs. RHP Clay Holmes (1-4, 5.72) Thurs., May 12 at Richmond 6:35 p.m. TBD vs. RHP Tyler Eppler (2-2, 2.97) YESTERDAY: Altoona took both games of a Saturday doubleheader to open the series against the Richmond Flying 2016 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS Squirrels. Starter Tyler Eppler (2-2) turned in a complete game, allowing just one run on four hits with a pair of strike- Team W-L PCT GB Today outs, and Erich Weiss saw his RBI streak extend to six games, when he singled home Chris Diaz in the fifth inning. In Akron 19-9 .679 -- @ BIN game two, Jonathan Schwind broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning with his first home run of the year, as Bowie 14-14 .500 5.0 v. ERI the Curve handed Richmond starter Joan Gregorio his second loss of the season. Jhondaniel Medina increased his Altoona 13-16 .448 6.5 v. RIC scoreless streak to 7.2 innings, and Montana DuRapau collected his sixth save of the season. Erie 12-16 .429 7.0 @ BOW Harrisburg 11-16 .407 7.5 @ TRN TONIGHT: The Curve close their three-game series against the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliates of the Richmond 10-18 .357 9.0 @ ALT San Francisco Giants. Altoona holds a 7-3 lead in the season series and has dropped just one game to the Squirrels at PNG Field in 2016. 2016 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS FOR ALTOONA: Right-hander Frank Duncan makes his first career Double-A start in his sixth appearance for the Team W-L PCT GB Today Curve this season. Out of the bullpen, Duncan has logged a 2-1 record with a 1.20 ERA, striking out 18 batters com- Hartford 20-8 .714 - v. NH pared to just five walks. On April 26 vs. Erie, Duncan tossed five innings in relief, allowing just three hits against the Reading 19-10 .655 1.5 v. POR SeaWolves. Last time out, the Californian allowed one run over 1.2 innings at Erie on May 5. Last year in Bradenton, Trenton 15-12 .556 4.5 v. HAR Duncan made 25 starts and totaled 27 appearances, going 9-10 with a 4.32 ERA. For more on Duncan, see page two. Binghamton 14-12 .538 5.0 v. AKR New Hamp. 11-16 .407 8.5 @ HRT FOR RICHMOND: Southpaw Matt Gage makes his fifth start of the season for Richmond, and his third of the year Portland 9-20 .333 11.5 @ REA against the Curve. Over his first two starts against Altoona, the New York native is 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA. Last time out, Gage dropped his decision to the Hartford Yard Goats, despite surrendering just one run on four hits in six frames, with a season-best four strikeouts. Last time out against the Curve, Gage struggled at PNG Field, allowing four runs 2016 CURVE AT A GLANCE on nine hits in six innings, including a home run. Overall Record ..................................... 13-16 Home ................................................. 8-7 A NEW SKIPPER: Former Major League All-Star Joey Cora takes over as the ninth manager in franchise history. He Road .................................................. 5-9 was officially announced as the new skipper for the Curve on December 15, 2015. The native of Caguas, Puerto Rico spent 11 seasons in the majors with San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians. Place (E.L. Western) .................................3rd He was an A.L. All-Star in 1997 with Seattle. Following his playing career, Cora spent eight seasons on the staff of Games Ahead/Behind ........................... -6.5 manager Ozzie Guillen with the White Sox from 2004-2011 and one season as the bench coach with the Miami Marlins in 2012. Cora last managed in the minor in 2003 with Savannah of the South Atlantic League, then a Montreal Streak..........................................................W2 Expos affiliate. He also guided the Appalachian League’s Kingsport Mets in 2001 and 2002. Across three seasons, he Last 5 .......................................................... 3-2 is 112-160 as a minor league manager. Cora replaces Tom Prince, who guided the Curve for one season and is now Last 10 ........................................................ 4-6 the Pirates’ Minor League Field Coordinator. 2016 vs. Richmond .................................. 7-3 PROSPECT WATCH: The Curve roster currently features six of MLB.com’s preseason top 30 Pirates prospects: Austin at Altoona ....................................... 5-1 Meadows (2), Reese McGuire (5), Harold Ramirez (6), Clay Holmes (15), Barrett Barnes (20) and Tyler Eppler (28). at Richmond ................................... 2-2 Six players are also featured on Baseball America’s Top 30 Pirates prospect list: Meadows (2), Ramirez (5), McGuire All-time vs. Richmond ....................... 73-63 (6), Holmes (19), Barnes (24) and Jose Osuna (30). B.A. also named Ramirez as the organization’s “Best Hitter for at Altoona ................................... 48-28 Average,” Eppler as having the “Best Changeup,” McGuire as the “Best Defensive Catcher” and Meadows as the “Best at Richmond ............................... 24-35 Athlete.” ‘16 Home Attendance .......................39,914 GLOBAL AFFAIR: Seven different countries are represented on Altoona’s current roster, including the United States Home Openings .........................................14 (17), the Dominican Republic (2), Canada (1), Venezuela (1), Colombia (1), Taiwan (1) and Lithuania (1). Relief pitcher Average Attendance ............................2,851 Dovydas Neverauskas became the first player born and raised in Lithuania to sign with a Major League team when he signed as an international free agent with the Pirates. Canadian third basemenEric Wood was the first Canuck to be drafted when he went in the 6th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. Infielders Edwin Espinal and Anderson Feliz both BROADCAST INFORMATION are natives of the Dominican Republic, and first baseman Jose Osuna both call Venezuela home. OutfielderHarold Ramirez represented his home country of Colombia this offseason in the World Baseball Classic qualifying round in Panama. Catcher Jin-De Jhang is a native of Taitung City, Taiwan. Trey Wilson, Nate Bowen and Fletcher Weiss-Guy: Curve second baseman Erich Weiss has gotten off to a hot start in 2016, hitting .286 over 26 games played. In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, Weiss saw a streak of six straight games with an RBI fall, but Keel will call all the action of the 2016 the streak is the longest of any Curve hitter early in the season. The former Texas Longhorn has seven multi-hit games season on the flagship of the Curve, ESPN and two multi-RBI games, as well as is tied for the league-lead in triples, along with teammate Harold Ramirez. Radio 1430, WVAM-AM in Altoona. Pregame coverage begins 15 min. before Goin’ Streakin’: Reliever Jhondaniel Medina has not allowed a run over his last five outings, spanning 7.2 innings all games. pitched. Medina extended his streak in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader with a scoreless sixth inning. Over his The Curve can also be heard on the following streak - dating back to April 25 vs. Erie - Medina has not allowed a hit, has struck out five batters and walked only affiliate stations for selected games: two. ON THE HOMESTAND - WTRN-AM/FM 1340/100.7 in Tyrone Games ....................................................................1 - WWGE 1400 AM in Ebensburg - Online streaming at AltoonaCurve.com Record ............................................................... 2-0 provided by TuneIn Radio Average ............................................ .150 (6/40) - Via the TuneIn Radio App and the MiLB Runs/Runs Per Game ..................................4/2 First Pitch App Home Runs...........................................................1 RISP ...................................................... .375 (3/8) Errors ......................................................................0 THIS DATE IN CURVE HISTORY ERA ...................................................................5.53 In 2011, the Altoona Curve defeated Starter W-L ...................................................... 2-0 the Akron Aeros, 4-3, at Blair County Starter ERA .................... 1.50 (2 ER / 12.0 IP) Ballpark. Jordy Mercer went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base, and both Reliever W-L ................................................... 0-0 Brock holt and Jose Hernandez logged Reliever ERA ..................... 0.00 (0 ER /2.0 IP) RBIs in the win. Aaron Pribanic improved Saves/Opps .....................................................1/1 to 3-0 on the year. 2016 Altoona Curve Game Information Page 1 TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER 20152016 HIGHS CAREERCAREER HIGHS HIGHS RHP FRANK DUNCAN #19 IP: -- IP: 7.0, 7x, last - 9/1/15 v. PMB HEIGHT: 6-2 WEIGHT: 222 B/T: R/R EXP: 5 YR K’s: -- K: 9, 8/14/14 v. MHV BB’s: -- BB: 3, 6/28/14 @ MHV BORN: JANUARY 30, 1994 (24) IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. Hits: -- Hits: 11, 2x, last - 8/14/14 v. AUB RESIDES: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. Runs: -- Runs: 8, 5/29/15 v.