EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010 2004, 2010 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015 123 BATTING AVG.: .245 (5th) April 29, 2016 -- Game #21, Road Game #8 BATTING AVG: .238 (7th) TEAM HR: 12 (T-6th) TEAM HR: 24 (1st) WALKS: 75 (6th) Altoona Curve (9-11) vs. Akron RubberDucks (12-8) WALKS: 82 (2nd) STRIKEOUTS: 146 (T-6th) RHP Jason Creasy (3-0, 4.50) vs. LHP Shawn Morimando (4-0, 1.57) STRIKEOUTS: 179 (1st) TEAM ERA: 4.03 (7th) TEAM ERA: 4.42 (T-9th) WALKS: 88 (11th) 6:35 p.m. | Canal Park, Akron, Ohio WALKS: 92 (12th) STRIKEOUTS: 129 (11th) Radio -- ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM | TV - MiLB.TV STRIKEOUTS: 137 (8th) () -- EL Rank () -- EL Rank UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Sat., April 30 at Akron 2:05 p.m. RHP Clay Holmes (1-2, 4.29) vs. RHP Michael Peoples (1-0, 4.07) Sun., May 1 at Akron 2:05 p.m. RHP Tyler Eppler (1-2, 3.33) vs. LHP Rob Kaminsky (1-2, 5.40) Mon., May 2 at Erie 6:35 p.m. LHP Cody Dickson (0-2, 6.23) vs. TBD Tues., May 3 at Erie 6:35 p.m. RHP David Whitehead (1-2, 4.08) vs. TBD WEDNESDAY: David Whitehead issued six walks for the second straight start, and the Curve bullpen surrendered 2016 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS five earned runs as the Erie SeaWolves took the final game of the three-game series, 10-4, thanks to a six-run top of Team W-L PCT GB Today the fifth inning. Harold Ramirez went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored for Altoona, while Stetson Allie logged two Akron 12-8 .600 -- v. ALT RBI. Erie 10-10 .500 2.0 v. TRN Altoona 9-11 .450 3.0 @ AKR TONIGHT: The Curve open the second road trip of the season with a three-game series against the Akron Rubber- Bowie 9-11 .450 3.0 @ HAR Ducks at Canal Park. Akron took two of the first three games the two teams played this year in Altoona from April Harrisburg 7-11 .389 4.0 v. BOW 11-13. The Curve are 67-103 all-time in Akron. Richmond 8-13 .381 4.5 v. HRT FOR ALTOONA: Right-hander Jason Creasy makes his fifth start of the year for the Curve, and is looking to record his fourth-straight win, having won each of his first four outings besides Opening Day against Harrisburg, where he 2016 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS collected a no-decision. Last time out, the North Carolinian allowed eighth hits but just one run as he defeated the Team W-L PCT GB Today Richmond Flying Squirrels in a 4-3 Curve win. Last season, Creasy led the Curve with 12 wins and was selected as an Hartford 16-4 .800 - @ RIC Eastern League All-Star. For more on Creasy, see page two. Reading 13-7 .650 3.0 @ POR Trenton 12-8 .600 4.0 @ ERI FOR AKRON: Southpaw Shawn Morimando gets the start for the RubberDucks, and faces Altoona for the first time Binghamton 9-9 .500 6.0 @ NH tonight. Last time out, the lefty threw 5.2 shutout innings against Trenton, allowing just one hit and striking out five. New Hamp. 7-11 .389 8.0 v. BIN At home this year, Morimando is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 10 strikeouts. Cleveland selected Morimando in the 19th Portland 6-15 .286 10.5 v. REA round of the 2011 Draft out of Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach, Va. SETTLING IN: The first five games of the season, the Curve starting rotation combined to go 1-3 with a 6.94 ERA. 2016 CURVE AT A GLANCE Over the last 10 games, the pitching staff has recovered to post a 3.05 ERA (39 ER/115 IP). The starting pitchers have Overall Record ........................................9-11 a 3.44 ERA (26 ER/68 IP) in that span, and the bullpen has posted a 2.30 ERA (12 ER/47). Home ................................................. 6-7 Road .................................................. 3-4 AUSTIN CITY LIMITS: Outfielder Austin Meadows joined the Curve Monday after a delayed start to his season due to suffering a orbital fracture in his right eye during spring training after he was hit in the face with a baseball in early Place (E.L. Western) .............................T-3rd March. Meadows enters 2016 as the No. 2 prospect in the Pirates’ organization according to MLB.com and Baseball Games Ahead/Behind ........................... -3.0 America. He was also named “Best Athlete” among Pittsburgh minor leaguers by B.A. Meadows was also listed as MLB. com’s 20th-overall prospect in the minors and the No. 4 outfield prospect. The Atlanta native joined the Curve briefly Streak............................................................ L1 at the end of the 2015 regular season and hit .360 over six games. He also hit a game-tying home run in the bottom Last 5 .......................................................... 2-3 of the ninth at PNG Field against the Bowie Baysox, completing a seven-run comeback in Game One of the ELDS. Last 10 ........................................................ 5-5 He was the ninth overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Pirates (Reese McGuire was selected five picks later), and participated in the Arizona Fall League after last season. 2016 vs. Akron ......................................... 1-2 at Altoona ....................................... 1-2 A NEW SKIPPER: Former Major League All-Star Joey Cora takes over as the ninth manager in franchise history. He at Akron ........................................... 0-0 was officially announced as the new skipper for the Curve on December 15, 2015. The native of Caguas, Puerto Rico All-time vs. Akron ...........................161-200 spent 11 seasons in the majors with San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians. at Altoona ................................... 95-97 He was an A.L. All-Star in 1997 with Seattle. Following his playing career, Cora spent eight seasons on the staff of at Akron .....................................67-103 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 ‘16 Home Attendance .......................30,040 Expos affiliate. He also guided the Appalachian League’s Kingsport Mets in 2001 and 2002. Across three seasons, he Home Openings .........................................12 is 112-160 as a minor league manager. Cora replaces Tom Prince, who guided the Curve for one season and is now Average Attendance ............................2,503 the Pirates’ Minor League Field Coordinator. PROSPECT WATCH: The Curve roster currently features six of MLB.com’s preseason top 30 Pirates prospects: Austin BROADCAST INFORMATION Meadows (2), Reese McGuire (5), Harold Ramirez (6), Clay Holmes (15), Barrett Barnes (20) and Tyler Eppler (28). Six players are also featured on Baseball America’s Top 30 Pirates prospect list: Meadows (2), Ramirez (5), McGuire (6), Holmes (19), Barnes (24) and Jose Osuna (30). B.A. also named Ramirez as the organization’s “Best Hitter for Average,” Eppler as having the “Best Changeup,” McGuire as the “Best Defensive Catcher” and Meadows as the “Best Athlete.” Trey Wilson, Nate Bowen and Fletcher Keel will call all the action of the 2016 GLOBAL AFFAIR: Seven different countries are represented on Altoona’s current roster, including the United States season on the flagship of the Curve, ESPN (17), the Dominican Republic (2), Canada (1), Venezuela (1), Colombia (1), Taiwan (1) and Lithuania (1). Relief pitcher Radio 1430, WVAM-AM in Altoona. Dovydas Neverauskas became the first player born and raised in Lithuania to sign with a Major League team when Pregame coverage begins 15 min. before he signed as an international free agent with the Pirates. Canadian third basemenEric Wood was the first Canuck to all games. be drafted when he went in the 6th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. Infielders Edwin Espinal and Anderson Feliz both The Curve can also be heard on the following are natives of the Dominican Republic, and first baseman Jose Osuna both call Venezuela home. OutfielderHarold affiliate stations for selected games: Ramirez represented his home country of Colombia this offseason in the - WTRN-AM/FM 1340/100.7 in Tyrone ON THE LAST HOMESTAND World Baseball Classic qualifying round in Panama. Catcher Jin-De Jhang is a - WWGE 1400 AM in Ebensburg Games ....................................................................7 native of Taitung City, Taiwan. - Online streaming at AltoonaCurve.com Record ............................................................... 4-3 provided by TuneIn Radio Average ....................................... .258 (55/224) - Via the TuneIn Radio App and the MiLB Runs/Runs Per Game ........................... 33/4.7 First Pitch App Home Runs...........................................................4 RISP ................................................. .296 (16/54) Errors ......................................................................4 THIS DATE IN CURVE HISTORY ERA ...................................................................2.75 In 2005, the Curve crushed the Trenton Starter W-L ...................................................... 3-3 Thunder, 10-3, at Blair County Ballpark. Starter ERA ..................4.25 (17 ER / 36.0 IP) Jose Bautista went 2-for-4 with a home Reliever W-L ................................................... 1-0 run, and both Rajai Davis and Brad Eldred Reliever ERA ....................3.33 (10 ER /27 IP) turned in three-hit days. Michael Con- nolly won his first game of the season, Saves/Opps .....................................................2/2 allowing two runs and six hits over 6.0 IP. 2016 Altoona Curve Game Information Page 1 TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER 2016 HIGHS CAREER HIGHS RHP JASON CREASY @creasyboy12 #27 IP: 6.0, 2x - last, 4/23 v. RIC IP: 7.2, 7/23/14 @ DUN HEIGHT: 6-2 WEIGHT: 221 B/T: R/R EXP: 5 YR K’s: 4, 2x - 4/23 v.