EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010 2004, 2010 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 144 2010, 2015, 2016 BATTING AVG.: .284 (1st) August 26, 2017 -- Game #131, Home Game #65 BATTING AVG.: .255 (9th) TEAM HR: 131 (4th) TEAM HR: 95 (9th) WALKS: 395 (10th) Bowie Baysox (68-62) vs. Altoona Curve (69-61) WALKS: 415 (6th) STRIKEOUTS: 875 (9th) LHP John Means (9-8, 4.24) vs. LHP Brandon Waddell (3-3, 3.88) STRIKEOUTS: 848 (12th) TEAM ERA: 4.19 (7th) TEAM ERA: 3.72 (3rd) WALKS: 462 (3rd) 6 p.m. | Peoples Natural Gas Field | Altoona, Pa. WALKS: 435 (5th) STRIKEOUTS: 1,013 (2nd) STRIKEOUTS: 960 (5th) () -- EL Rank Radio -- News Talk 1240 WRTA & Curve Radio Network | TV -- MiLB.TV () -- EL Rank UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Sun., Aug. 27 Bowie 6 p.m. RHP Yefry Ramirez (13-3, 3.62) vs. RHP Mitch Keller (1-1, 3.13) Mon., Aug. 28 at Richmond 6:35 p.m. RHP Alex McRae (10-5, 3.76) vs. TBD Tues., Aug. 29 at Richmond 6:35 p.m. RHP Casey Sadler (2-3, 3.91) vs. TBD Wed., Aug. 30 at Richmond 6:35 p.m. RHP J.T. Brubaker (7-5, 4.33) vs. TBD YESTERDAY: The Curve were blanked by the Baysox, 2-0. Curve starter J.T. Brubaker allowed one run on two hits 2017 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS with seven strikeouts over six innings, but issued five walks. Austin Coley and Johnny Hellweg each pitched a score- Team W-L PCT GB Today less inning out of the bullpen. Bowie struck for a run in the second inning on an RBI single by Erick Salcedo and added Altoona 69-61 .531 -- v. BOW an insurance run in the top of the ninth on a sac fly by Austin Wynns. Baysox starter David Hess allowed one hit over eight scoreless innings and struck out five. Scott McGough closed out the save with a scoreless ninth. The Curve man- Bowie 68-62 .523 1.0 @ ALT aged just four baserunners in the game, with two hits, one walk and one batter reaching on an error. Akron 63-67 .485 6.0 @ ERI Erie 63-67 .485 6.0 v. AKR TODAY: The Curve play the third of a four-game series against the Bowie Baysox, Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Richmond 58-72 .446 11.0 @ TRN Orioles. Overall, the Curve have a 4-13 record against the Baltimore Orioles Double-A affiliate, including a 2-4 record Harrisburg 56-74 .431 13.0 @ REA in Altoona. The Curve had their season-best five-game winning streak snapped with a loss on Friday night. BATTLING BOWIE: The Curve have lost all four of their series against the Baysox this season. They dropped two of 2017 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS three games in Bowie from June 2-4, were swept in four games from June 26-29 at Bowie, lost three of four at home Team W-L PCT GB Today from July 13-16 and lost three of four in Bowie from July 20-23. The Curve have surrendered a lead in the seventh inning or later seven times against the Baysox this season. Trenton 85-45 .654 -- v. RIC Binghamton 77-53 .592 8.0 @ POR FOR ALTOONA: Left-handerBrandon Waddell takes the mound for his 14th start of the season with the Curve. Reading 68-62 .523 17.0 v. HAR Last time out, He worked six scoreless innings and allowed just four hits in a win over Hartford on Monday. Waddell Portland 61-69 .469 24.0 v. BNG is making his sixth start since returning from the disabled list after missing seven weeks with a forearm strain. Since Hartford 59-71 .454 26.0 @ NHM returning to action with the Curve, Waddell is 3-1 with a 3.16 ERA (9 ER/25.2 IP) over five starts. He has faced the Baysox once this year, allowed four runs and recording just two outs on June 4, his last start before hitting the DL for New Hamp. 53-77 .408 32.0 v. HFD the second time this year. Waddell began 2016 with A-Adv. Bradenton and went 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA in five starts. He was 7-9 with a 4.12 ERA in 22 outings (20 starts) for the Curve after being promoted in May 2016. Waddell was a 2016 MiLB.com Pittsburgh Organization All-Star. He was drafted in the fifth round in 2015 out of the University 2017 CURVE AT A GLANCE of Virginia, where he picked up a win in the clinching game of the 2015 College World Series against Vanderbilt. For Overall Record ..................................... 69-61 more on Waddell, see page two. Home ............................................ 36-28 Road ............................................. 33-33 FOR BOWIE: Lefty John Means makes his 23rd start and 25th overall appearance this season for the Baysox. He last pitched on Monday, allowed five runs over 4.2 innings in a loss against Reading. Means has faced the Curve once this season, allowing three runs over six innings in a no-decision on July 14 at PNG Field. He was selected in the 11th Place (E.L. Western) .................................1st round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Orioles out of West Virginia University. Games Ahead/Behind ...........................+1.0 PLAYOFF PUSH: The Curve are currently leading the Western Division by one gams over Bowie and have a six-game Streak............................................................ L1 lead over third-place Akron and Erie. The top two teams advance to the postseason. The Curve are aiming to make Last 5 .......................................................... 4-1 the postseason for the third straight season for just the second time in franchise history (They went to the playoffs in four consecutive years from 2003-2006). The Curve have won their division two times: 2004 and 2010. In both of Last 10 ........................................................ 6-4 those seasons, they advanced to the Eastern League Championship series, losing in the finals to New Hampshire in 2004 and winning their only E.L. title to date in 2010 over Trenton. The Curve's magic number to clinch a playoff spot 2017 vs. Bowie .......................................4-13 is currently four. They need two more wins to solidify their 12th winning season in their first 19 years. at Altoona ....................................... 2-4 at Bowie .......................................... 2-9 COLE WORLD: Cole Tucker is batting .345 (10/29) over his last seven games with seven RBIs, two doubles, a triple and one homer. On Monday, Tucker cubbed his first Double-A home run, a two-run shot in a 2-0 win at Hartford. He All-time vs. Bowie ..........................155-156 also finished 3-for-4 for his first three-hit game in a Curve uniform. On Tuesday, he hit a go-ahead, two-out, two-run at Altoona ................................... 77-78 triple to give the Curve a 2-1 lead in a win at Hartford. at Bowie ...................................... 78-78 CLOSE CALLS: The Curve have gone 19-16 in their last 35 games, and seven of those losses have been by one run. ‘17 Home Attendance .................... 265,606 Their last 16 losses since July 18 have been by an average of 2.0 runs (32 runs/16 games). The Curve have played 49 one-run games this year, the most in the Eastern League, and have posted a 25-24 record in those games. Home Openings .........................................61 Average Attendance ............................4,354 SEARCHING FOR HITS: The Curve are hitting .243 in the month of August, the lowest in the Eastern League and the lowest for the Curve in a single month this season. The team average for the season is currently .255, which would tie the 2008 Curve for the second-lowest in franchise history, trailing on the 2013 team, which hit .252. BROADCAST INFORMATION C-N-O: Reliever Tate Scioneaux has held opposing batters to a .202 average, third-best in the league among relievers. Scioneaux is tied for third in the league with 43 appearances, has the second-lowest BB/9 IP ratio (1.48) and has al- lowed the third-fewest baserunners (8.32/9 IP). He has converted each of his last eight save attempts. SAVE IT: The Curve lead the Eastern League with 43 saves this season, their third-highest total in a year since 2008 (They had 47 in 2010 and 44 in 2015). The team record for saves in a single season is 49, which the Curve posted in Trey Wilson, Nate Bowen and Max Gun 2006. Montana DuRapau (14) and Tate Scioneaux (14) are the third duo of relievers in franchise history to individu- will call the action of the 2017 season on ally record double-digit saves in a single season. Jhondaniel Medina (12) and Yhonathan Barrios (10) accomplished the feat in 2015, as did Jeff Miller (18) and Elio Serrano (14) in 2004. the flagship of the Curve, News Talk 1240, WRTA in Altoona. Pregame coverage ELVIS IS IN THE BUILDING: Center fielderElvis Escobar is batting .464 (19/41) over his last 12 games with seven begins 15 min. before all games. RBIs. He lifted the Curve to a 3-2 win with a walk-off single against Trenton on August 12 in the first game of a double-header. The next day, he drove a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth to hand the Curve a 5-4 win The Curve can also be heard on the following against the Thunder. He is the only Curve player to have multiple walk-off affiliate stations for selected games: hits this season.