EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010, 2017 2004, 2010, 2017, 2018 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 169 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 July 2, 2019 -- Game #81, Second Half Game #14, Road Game #41 Altoona Curve (43-37, 8-5) vs. Akron RubberDucks (39-44, 5-9) LHP Domingo Robles (2-1, 4.13) vs. RHP Jake Paulson (5-5, 4.04) 7:05 p.m. | Canal Park | Akron, Ohio Radio -- WRTA 98.5 FM & Curve Radio Network | TV -- MiLB.TV UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Wed., July 3 at Akron 7:05 p.m. RHP Pedro Vasquez (6-1, 2.30) vs. LHP Sam Hentges (1-8, 4.97) Thurs., July 4 Erie 7 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Fri., July 5 Erie 7 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Sat., July 6 Erie 6 p.m. TBD vs. TBD THE LAST TIME OUT: The Curve scored three in the eighth and held off Akron with the bases loaded in the ninth 2019 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS inning to take a 5-4 win on Monday. Chris Sharpe and Robbie Glendinning delivered doubles to tie the game and take the lead, respectively, during the three-run eighth. Sharpe drove in three total runs and was also involved in Team 2nd Half Overall GB Today the two-run third that scored Mitchell Tolman after a game-tying triple. Beau Sulser faced the minimum over three Erie 11-2 42-37 -- vs. BNG scoreless innings for his seventh win before Matt Eckelman wiggled out of a bases-loaded spot for his 14th save. Bowie 10-3 40-41 1.0 @ HFD Altoona 8-5 43-37 3.0 @ AKR TODAY'S GAME: The 21st season of Altoona Curve Baseball continues as the Curve play the second contest of a three-game series against the Akron RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. It is the second and Richmond 7-6 30-50 4.0 @ HBG final visit to Canal Park in 2019 after Altoona opened the season and completed club's first-ever four-game sweep in Akron 5-9 39-44 6.5 vs. ALT Akron. With six head-to-head games remaining between the two teams, the Curve can clinch the season series with x-Harrisburg 4-8 46-36 6.5 vs. RIC their next win over the RubberDucks. Akron visits Altoona in the team's final home series of 2019 on August 26-29. 2019 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS THE CURVE: The Curve are 20-9 since June 1, trailing only Bowie (21-7) for the best record in the Eastern League over the last month. During that hot stretch, the Curve have won 7 of 8 series and picked up 19 wins in June. Team 2nd Half Overall GB Today Altoona has the best intra-division record (32-21) among Western Division clubs. The Curve have reached the E.L. Reading 8-6 47-34 -- vs. NHM Playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the longest active streak in the league and tied for the longest run in fran- x-Trenton 7-6 45-33 0.5 @ POR chise history (2003-06). Hartford 5-8 42-38 2.5 vs. BOW THE RUBBERDUCKS: Akron went 34-35 in the first half, third in the Western Division and have hovered near .500 New Hamp. 5-8 36-44 2.5 @ REA most of the season. The 'Ducks were a season-low six games under .500 on May 10 and went a league-best 20-11 Portland 4-8 31-48 3.0 vs. TRN from May 11-June 13 to reach a season-best three games over .500 (34-31). However, Akron has lost 13 of 19. Akron Binghamton 5-10 40-39 3.5 @ ERI went 3-4 over a seven-game road trip to Harrisburg and Bowie and return to the road after the current three-game set against the Curve. The 'Ducks lead the E.L. with 73 home runs and runs scored (350) while the pitching staff 2019 CURVE AT A GLANCE ranks fifth in the league with a 3.46 ERA. Overall Record ........................................43-37 ........................................35-32 FOR ALTOONA: Left-hander Domingo Robles makes his six Double-A start and 17th overall. He threw a quality start First Half on Thursday against Binghamton for his second win for Altoona. He makes his second start agianst Akron after he Second Half ........................................ 8-5 threw a seven-inning, complete-game shutout during a double-header on June at PNG Field for his first Double-A Home ...............................................21-19 win. Robles was the Opening Day starter for A-Adv. Bradenton this season and is ranked eighth in the Pirates minor Road ................................................22-18 league system with a 3.14 ERA between the two levels. Robles, a 21-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, was Place (E.L. Western) ..................................3rd signed by Pittsburgh as an international free agent on July 2, 2014...For more on Robles, see page two. Games Ahead/Behind ............................... -3.0 Streak ........................................................... W3 FOR AKRON: Right-hander Jake Paulson gets the nod for the 14th time at Double-A and 16th outing of the sea- ............................................................ 3-2 son. He last worked 5.2 innings on June 27 at Bowie and allowed four runs in his return from a start for Triple-A Last 5 Columbus. He has two total Triple-A outings this season and has allowed eight runs over 10.2 innings. Paulson last Last 10 ......................................................... 7-3 faced the Curve in his season debut in Akron on April 5 and allowed four runs in 4.1 innings of a no-decision. The 27-year-old was a 2018 Eastern League All-Star and went 8-5 with a 3.04 ERA in 20 games for Akron last season. He 2019 vs. Akron ........................................... 9-3 was originally a 27th round pick by the Reds in 2014 out of Oakland (Mich.) University and was released last year in at Altoona .......................................... 4-3 spring training before signing with Cleveland as a free agent. at Akron ............................................. 5-0 All-time vs. Akron ..............................200-233 CHANGING THE NARRATIVE: Monday's win clinched a share of the season series against Akron. The Curve have ...................................115-111 won or split the series with Akron in each Michael Ryan's three seasons as Curve manager with a 31-23 record. In at Altoona 21 seasons, the Curve will finish with a .500 or better record against Akron for the seventh time and seek the fifth at Akron ........................................85-122 win in the season series and the first time in consecutive seasons. Currently 5-0 at Canal Park in 2019, Altoona's .411 winning percentage in 207 games at this facility is the lowest at any Western Division ballpark while Trenton ‘19 Home Attendance ........................ 157,272 (.391 in 87 games) has been the only place tougher historically to win for the Curve. Home Openings ............................................37 Average Attendance ............................... 4,251 SPLIT WHILE YOU'RE AHEAD: In the overall season standings, the Curve are two games behind Harrisburg for the top record in the Western Division. Due to the split season, Harrisburg has already claimed the first playoff spot in ON THE ROAD TRIP the division and are currently chasing Erie and Bowie for a playoff berth. Altoona is experiencing a split season for the first time since joining the Eastern League in 1999. Games...............................................................1 Record .......................................................... 1-0 TOUGH YEAR TO HIT: The league-wide average stands at .237 with teams are scoring 3.96 runs per game. The last time the league average finished under .250 and 4.0 runs per game was in 1989 (.249/3.95). The last time the E.L. Average ......................................... .200 (6/30) saw offenses hit below .240 and score fewer than 4.0 runs per game was in 1971 (.234/3.57). The Curve are above Runs/Runs Per Game ............................ 5/5.0 the league average with 4.0 runs per game and rank second in hitting at .245. The lowest batting average in team Home Runs ......................................................0 history stands at .252 during the 2013 season. RISP. ................................................ .600 (3/5) ...............................................................0 BRAKE MEN: Curve pitchers entered play on May 16 with a 4.22 ERA, which ranked last in the league. The staff has Errors lowered that mark to 3.62 over the last 42 games by holding 3.08 ERA (124 ER/362.2 IP), the third-best mark in the league over that period. In June, Altoona pitchers had the lowest ERA (2.78) in the league after carrying the highest ERA... ...................................4.00 (4 ER/9.0 IP) in the E.L. during May (5.00). The bullpen owns a 2.24 ERA (20 ER/80.1 IP) over the last 26 games. Starter W-L ................................................. 0-0 Starter ERA .........................7.20 (4ER/5.0 IP) G'DAYS FOR ROBBIE: Robbie Glendinning keeps hitting to lead the Pirates organization with a .339 average Reliever W-L ............................................... 1-0 between Altoona and A-Adv. Bradenton while pacing the system with 81 total hits. He also ranks among the top per- Reliever ERA ......................0.00 (0 ER/4.0 IP) formers in the Pirates system with 11 homers (6th), 21 doubles (T-2nd) and 44 RBIs (T-5th), all career-highs. A 2019 Florida State League All-Star, the Western Australian native is hitting .351 (20/57) with seven extra-base hits, 14 Saves/Opps .................................................1/1 RBIs and seven walks in his last 16 games since he rejoined the Curve on June 13. Glendinning was on the Curve's Opening Day roster and hit .300 (6/20) over nine games before he was sent to down on April 18.