EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010, 2017 2004, 2010, 2017, 2018 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 170 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 July 14, 2019 -- Game #89, Second Half Game #22, Road Game #47 Altoona Curve (49-39, 14-7) vs. Erie SeaWolves (45-42, 14-7) LHP Domingo Robles (2-2, 4.50) vs. RHP Anthony Castro (3-2, 4.15) 1:35 p.m. | UPMC Park | Erie, Pa. Radio -- WKMC 96.1 FM & Curve Radio Network | TV -- MiLB.TV UPCOMING GAMES & PITCHING PROBABLES Mon., July 15 Trenton 6:30 p.m. RHP Nick Nelson (3-2, 3.47) vs. RHP Pedro Vasquez (6-1, 2.58) Tues., July 16 Trenton 6:30 p.m. RHP Albert Abreu (4-7, 3.82) vs. LHP Sean Brady (3-8, 4.52) Wed., July 17 Trenton 6:30 p.m. RHP Adonis Rosa (3-1, 4.19) vs. LHP Brandon Waddell (2-1, 1.44) Thurs., July 18 at Bowie 7:05 p.m. RHP Cody Bolton (0-1, 7.53) vs. TBD THE LAST TIME OUT: The Curve and SeaWolves traded punches and cranked out 11 hits apiece but Altoona won in 2019 E.L. WESTERN STANDINGS 10 innings, 10-7. It was the third time the Curve offense reached double figures in a game that featured three lead Team 2nd Half Overall GB Today changes and two ties. Jared Oliva set a new career-high with five RBIs that included two during a three-run first Bowie 17-5 47-43 -- @ AKR and the go-ahead single that broke a 7-7 tie in the top of the 10th. Logan Hill hit a two-run homer on the pitch after Altoona 14-7 49-39 2.5 @ ERI Oliva's tie-breaking knock and Jerrick Suiter also homered during a three-hit game in the fourth. Erie's Kody Eaves hit two homers that tied the game, a three-run homer to even the score at 3-3 in the second and a two-run shot for Erie 14-7 45-42 2.5 vs. ALT 7-7 in the sixth. Richmond 9-13 32-57 8.0 @ HBG x-Harrisburg 8-13 50-41 8.5 vs. RIC TODAY'S GAME: The 21st season of Altoona Curve Baseball continues as the Curve play the finale of a four-game Akron 8-15 42-50 9.5 vs. BOW series against the Erie SeaWolves, Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Today's contest is the last in Erie this 2019 E.L. EASTERN STANDINGS season for Altoona. Saturday's win clinched the season series for the Curve, which ends with four games at PNG Field from July 22-24, including a double-header on July 23. Sunday's game is also the last of seven straight head- Team 2nd Half Overall GB Today to-heads between Altoona and Erie wrapped around the Eastern League All-Star Break. Reading 15-9 54-37 -- vs. TRN Hartford 10-12 47-42 4.0 vs. NHM THE CURVE: The Curve have won 9 of 11, are a season-best 10 games over .500 and have the best full-season Binghamton 11-14 46-43 4.5 @ POR record (49-39) in the Western Division. Since June 1, the club is 26-11, the second-best record in the league behind x-Trenton 10-13 48-40 4.5 @ REA Bowie (28-9) over that period, and have also won 9 of 10 series. Altoona has the best intra-division record (38-23) Portland 10-13 37-53 4.5 vs. BNG among Western Division clubs and have reached the E.L. Playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the longest active New Hamp. 9-14 40-50 5.5 @ HFD streak in the league and tied for the longest run in franchise history (2003-06). 2019 CURVE AT A GLANCE THE SEAWOLVES: The SeaWolves won 13 of 15 to start the second half before dropping 5 of 6 to the Curve around Overall Record ........................................49-39 the All-Star Break. Owner's of the largest run differential in the league (+44), the SeaWolves lead the league in First Half ........................................35-32 hitting at .247 and rank fifth with 4.1 runs per game. From a pitching perspective, Erie's starting rotation paces the Second Half ...................................... 14-7 circuit with a collective 3.13 ERA while the bullpen is ranked 10th with a 3.56 ERA to give the entire staff a 3.30 ERA, Home ...............................................24-19 second-best in the E.L. The SeaWolves' 9.3 strikeouts per 9.0 innings is the second-best ratio in the league and have Road ................................................25-20 racked up double-digit punch outs in 3 of the last 5 against the Curve for 63 total strikeouts. Place (E.L. Western) ..............................T-2nd Games Ahead/Behind ............................... -2.5 Left-hander makes his ninth Double-A start and 19th overall. His last start was his Streak ........................................................... W2 FOR ALTOONA: Domingo Robles Last 5............................................................ 4-1 first against the SeaWolves and he allowed one unearned run over five innings last Sunday. Robles was the Opening ......................................................... 8-2 Day starter for A-Adv. Bradenton this season and is ranked 10th in the Pirates minor league system with a 3.35 ERA Last 10 between the two levels. Robles, a 21-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, was signed by Pittsburgh as an 2019 vs. Erie ............................................ 12-6 international free agent on July 2, 2014...For more on Robles, see page two. at Altoona .................................................... 6-3 at Erie ................................................. 6-3 FOR ERIE: Right-hander Anthony Castro gets the nod for his 19th outing and 11th start. He last appeared last All-time vs. Erie .................................223-200 Sunday in relief and allowed two runs in the sixth inning before shouldering his second loss of the season. Castro at Altoona .....................................104-99 struck out eight Curve batters in 6.1 innings on June 3 at UPMC Park but was dealt a no-decision before Altoona at Erie .........................................119-101 charged back from down 8-3 to win 9-8. Castro reached Double-A for the first time in June last year and allowed 10 runs in 10 innings but went 9-4 with a 2.93 ERA for A-Adv. Lakeland. The 24-year-old from Venezuela was signed by ‘19 Home Attendance ........................ 174,840 Detroit as an international free agent on July 18, 2011 and rated by MLB.com as the Tigers' No. 21 prospect. Home Openings ............................................40 Average Attendance ............................... 4,371 TOUGH YEAR TO HIT: The league-wide average stands at .237 with teams 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) while 1971 (.234/3.57) was ON THE ROAD TRIP the last season offenses hit below .240 and scored fewer than 4.0 runs per game. The Curve are above the league Games...............................................................3 average with 4.05 runs per game and rank third in hitting at .243. The lowest batting average in team history stands Record .......................................................... 2-1 at .252 during the 2013 season. Average ..................................... .190 (19/100) BRAKE MEN: Since June 3, the Curve pitching staff own's a 2.85 ERA (97 ERA/306.0 IP), the best mark in the league. Runs/Runs Per Game .......................... 14/4.7 The staff has also pitched to a 3.06 ERA (148 ER/434.2 IP) over the last 50 games since May 16, second-best in the Home Runs ......................................................3 E.L. After a 6.82 ERA over 12 games from May 3-15, the club's ERA ballooned to a league-high 4.22 but has been RISP. .............................................. .357 (5/14) trimmed down to 3.52 due to the prolonged run of success. Additionally, the bullpen owns a 2.31 ERA (28 ER/109.0 Errors ...............................................................3 IP) over the last 34 games. ERA... .................................3.00 (9 ER/27.0 IP) OLIVA COMING ALIVE: Jared Oliva set a career-high with five RBIs and had his sixth three-hit game of the year on Starter W-L ................................................. 1-1 Saturday. Over his last 23 games since June 14, Oliva's .407 (35/86) average, 1.073 OPS, .480 on-base percentage, Starter ERA ......................2.65 (5 ER/17.0 IP) .593 slugging percentage, 35 hits and 15 steals all lead the E.L. during 12 multi-hit games. He has reached base in Reliever W-L ............................................... 1-0 31 of his last 34 games since June 3 at .358 (44/123), also the top average in the league over that period, with 14 Reliever ERA ....................3.60 (4 ER/10.0 IP) multi-hit games to raise his batting average from a season-low .193 to .270. Oliva's 24 steals this year rank second Saves/Opps .................................................1/2 in the E.L. and Pirates system. He was a 2018 MiLB.com Pirates Organization All-Star after he hit .275 for A-Adv. Bradenton with 33 stolen bases, third-most in the system. TOLMAN AT THE TOP: Since taking over the leadoff role on June 19, Mitchell Tolman has reached base in 18 of 19 games, including 15 in a row, while hitting at a .319 (23/72) pace. Since the start of the second half, Tolman leads the league with 19 runs scored, ranks sixth in hitting and trails only teammate Jared Oliva with a .430 on-base PIRATES ORGANIZATION SUMMARY percentage. Tolman has hit leadoff in 27 games this season and owns a .298 (31/104) ledger from the top of the lineup.