EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010, 2017 2004, 2010, 2017 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 145 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017 BATTING AVG.: .224 (9th) April 22, 2018 -- Game #15, Home Game #9 BATTING AVG.: .234 (7th) TEAM HR: 13 (1st) TEAM HR: 5 (11th) WALKS: 68 (1st) Richmond Flying Squirrels (11-5) vs. Altoona Curve (8-6) WALKS: 48 (9th) STRIKEOUTS: 140 (4th) LHP Taylor Hearn (0-1, 0.82) vs. RHP Shaun Anderson (2-1, 2.12) STRIKEOUTS: 109 (9th) TEAM ERA: 2.81 (3rd) TEAM ERA: 2.86 (4th) WALKS: 54 (5th) 2 p.m. | Peoples Natural Gas Field | Altoona, Pa. WALKS: 50 (7th) STRIKEOUTS: 132 (5th) STRIKEOUTS: 116 (9th) () -- EL Rank Radio -- 98.5 WRTA & Curve Radio Network | TV -- MiLB.TV () -- EL Rank UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Mon., April 23 Erie 6 p.m. RHP Beau Burrows (1-1, 1.93) vs. RHP J.T. Brubaker (0-1, 2.25) Tues., April 24 Erie 6 p.m. RHP Sandy Baez (0-1, 3.68) vs. RHP Dario Agrazal (1-0, 1.00) Wed., April 25 Ere 10:30 a.m. RHP Spencer Turnbull (0-2, 5.54) vs. LHP Brandon Waddell (0-0, 2.04) Thurs., April 26 OFF DAY YESTERDAY: The Curve held off the Flying Squirrels, 7-6, behind a strong start by Mitch Keller and a big day at the plate by Jason Martin. Elvis Escobar gave the Curve a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run single, but Richmond countered with a two-run homer by Matt Lipka in the second. In the bottom of the second, Martin clubbed his first homer of the year, a two-run 2018 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS shot, the put the Curve ahead, 4-2. Jordan George added an RBI single in the fourth inning. The Flying Squirrels pulled back Team W-L PCT GB Today within two with a solo homer by Dillon Dobson in the seventh. Keller finished his day with seven strikeouts over a season-high Richmond 11-5 .688 -- @ ALT seven innings. Christian Kelley hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh and later scored on a wild pitch to open a 7-3 Bowie 9-6 .600 1.5 vs. AKR lead, but Jerry Sands hit a three-run homer in the 8th to close the gap to one. Yeudy Garcia recorded the final four outs to Altoona 8-6 .571 2.0 vs. RIC pick up his second save. Martin finished the day 3-for-4 with a homer, a double, a walk, three runs scored and two RBIs, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Akron 7-8 .467 3.5 @ BOW Harrisburg 6-8 .429 4.0 @ HFD TONIGHT: The 20th Season of Altoona Curve Baseball, presented by Stuckey Subaru, continues at PNG Field as the Curve Erie 5-10 .333 5.5 @ BIN host the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in the rubber game of a three-game, week- end series. 2018 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS Team W-L PCT GB Today THE CURVE: After taking three-of-four against Akron to open the season, the Curve split a shortened two-game series with Harrisburg at home. They followed with an abbreviated, two-game sweep at Erie, but dropped three of four in Akron, salvag- New Hamp. 10-4 .714 -- @ REA ing the road trip finale on Thursday night. The Curve have a 2.86 team ERA, fourth-best in the league. Trenton 8-7 .533 2.5 vs. POR Binghamton 6-7 .462 3.5 vs. ERI THE FLYING SQUIRRELS: With the best record in the Eastern League's Western Division and second-best overall record, Portland 6-8 .429 4.0 @ TRN Richmond won three-of-four at home against Bowie heading into this series. From April 13-18, they went on a six-game win- Reading 6-9 .400 4.5 vs. NH ning streak and won nine-of-ten from April 8-18 prior to losing the series finale against the Baysox on Thursday. Richmond's pitching staff has combined for a 2.81 team ERA, third-best in the Eastern League. The offense leads the league with 13 home Hartford 6-10 .375 5.0 vs. HAR runs, including four in this series. 2018 CURVE AT A GLANCE FOR ALTOONA: Left-hander Taylor Hearn takes the mound for his third Double-A start. His 0.82 ERA is the best among Overall Record ........................................... 8-6 Curve starters. Last time out, he worked six innings and allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts in a loss at Akron on Home ................................................... 5-3 Tuesday. He made his Double-A debut at PNG Field against Harrisburg on April 10 and did not allow an earned run over five one-hit innings. He spent last season with A-Adv. Bradenton, where he averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings and held Road .................................................... 3-3 opponents to a .207 batting average over 17 starts and one relief outing. He was placed on the disabled list in July with a left oblique strain and missed the remainder of the Florida State League schedule. He did return to make one scoreless, two-inning Place (E.L. Western) ...................................3rd outing in the Gulf Coast League on September 2. After the season, he pitched for the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Games Ahead/Behind ........................... -2.0 Fall League, where he went 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA and struck out 14 in eight outings (four starts). Hearn was picked up by the Pirates along with current major league closer Felipe Vasquez on July 30, 2016 in the trade that sent RHP Mark Melancon to the Nationals. Streak ............................................................W1 Last 5 ............................................................. 2-3 FOR RICHMOND: Right-hander Shaun Anderson takes the mound for the fourth time this season. Last time out, he worked Last 10 ........................................................... 5-5 six scoreless innings on April 17 against Bowie and picked up his second win. A third-round pick by the Red Sox in 2016 out of the University of Florida, Anderson was traded along with RHP Gregory Santos to the Giants for 3B Eduardo Nunez on 2018 vs. Richmond .................................... 1-1 July 26, 2017. He closed out the year with A-Adv. San Jose and went 3-3 with a 3.51 in six games (five starts). He is currently ranked by MLB.com as the Giants' No. 8 prospect at Altoona ......................................... 1-1 at Richmond ..................................... 0-0 BREAKING THROUGH: After averaging 5.2 runs per game (26 total runs) through the first five games of the season, the All-time vs. Richmond ..........................90-76 Curve averaged 2.5 runs per game (20 total runs) over the next eight games and scored two or less runs five times before at Altoona ......................................57-32 breaking out for a season-high seven runs on a season-best 14 hits on Saturday against Richmond. at Richmond ................................. 33-44 THE STARTING LINE: Curve starting pitchers have combined to go 3-2 with a 1.66 ERA (15 ER/81.1 IP) over the first 14 games of the 2018 season, the best start for Altoona starters since 2015, when starting pitchers Jason Creasy, Zack Dodson, ‘18 Home Attendance ....................... 25,880 Tyler Glasnow, Chad Kuhl and Angel Sanchez began the year 6-0 with a 0.71 ERA (6 ER/75.2 IP) over their first 14 games. Home Openings ............................................8 Over the last 29 regular-season games dating back to August 20, 2017, Curve starters have combined to go 10-5 with a Average Attendance ............................3,235 1.98 ERA (39 ER/177.2 IP). Including the Curve's six postseason games in 2017, Curve starters are 16-5 with a 1.91 ERA (47 ER/221.0 IP) over the last 35 games. WORKING DEEP: Altoona is the only team in Double-A to have its starting pitchers work at least five innings in every game BROADCAST INFORMATION so far this season. Through the first 14 games of the season, Curve starters have combined for 81.1 innings, averaging 5.8 in- nings per game. The starters have worked 7.0 innings twice, 6.0 innings six times, 5.2 innings twice and 5.0 innings four times. KE' PLAYS FROM HAYES: After posting a .050 (1/20) average through his first five games,Ke'Bryan Hayes has hit .382 (13/34) over his last nine games, including two three-hit games and two two-hit games, while collecting at least one RBI in four games. Trey Wilson, Nate Bowen and Garett Mansfield MARTIN MAKING STRIDES: OutfielderJason Martin was activated on April 10 and went 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in will call the action of the 2018 season on his first two games with Altoona. Since then, he has hit .414 (12/29) over eight games. On Saturday, he hit his first Double-A homer and finished a triple shy of the cycle. He was walked four times in the last three games. Martin's three triples are tied the flagship of the Curve, Talk Radio 98.5 for the Eastern League lead. Martin was picked up by the Pirates along with 3B Colin Moran, RHP Joe Musgrove and RHP FM/1240 AM WRTA in Altoona. Pregame Michael Feliz in a trade that sent RHP Gerrit Cole to the Astros on January 13. coverage begins 15 min. before all games. COLE TRAIN: Over his last 30 games dating back to August 17, 2017, Cole Tucker is hitting .345 (39/113) with seven The Curve can also be heard on the following affiliate doubles, three triples, two homers, 18 RBIs and 19 walks.