2021 GAME NOTES 1000 PARK AVENUE, ALTOONA, PA 16602 814.283.3180 ALTOONACURVEBASEBALL ALTOONACURVE @ALTOONACURVE ALTOONA_CURVE EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DIVISION CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES PLAYERS TO MLB 2010, 2017 2004, 2010, 2017, 2018 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 172 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 June 26, 2021 -- Game #46, Home Game #22 Harrisburg Senators (16-29) vs. Altoona Brookies (27-18) LHP Tim Cate (1-3, 4.39) vs. RHP Jeff Passantino (1-3, 2.97) 6:00 p.m. | Peoples Natural Gas Field | Altoona, PA Radio -- WRTA 98.5 FM & Curve Radio Network | TV -- MiLB.TV THE LAST TIME OUT: Down to their final strike in the bottom of the ninth inning, Mason Martin swatted a two-run home SOUTHWEST DIVISION STANDINGS run to right-center field to give the Altoona Brookies a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Harrisburg Senators on Friday night at Team W-L GB Today Peoples Natural Gas Field. The Curve are playing under their alternate identity this weekend, the Altoona Brookies, as an Bowie 27-17 -- vs NH homage to the official fish of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Brook Trout. Trailing 3-2 and facing one of the Double- A Northeast League’s top relievers in Frankie Bartow, Canaan Smith-Njigba singled with one out and stood there as Rodolfo Erie 28-18 -- @ AKR Castro went down on strikes. Martin then made his way to the plate and quickly fell behind in the count 0-2 before smashing Akron 27-18 0.5 vs ERI his ninth home run of the season over the wall in right-center. The walk-off victory was Altoona’s second of the season Altoona 27-18 0.5 vs HBG Altoona jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Jonah Davis hit a two-run home run, driving in Cal Mitchell who Richmond 25-21 3.0 @ HFD walked. Davis’ fifth home run of the season gave Omar Cruz the type of early run support that the Brookies have gotten on a regular basis this season. Harrisburg 16-29 11.5 @ ALT NORTHEAST DIVISION STANDINGS TODAY'S GAME: Altoona continues the second of three series this season against the Senators. Altoona took four of six in Team W-L GB Today the first series at FNB Field in late-May. Somerset 30-15 -- @ POR Portland 25-20 5.0 vs SOM WE ARE THE BROOKIES: Altoona takes on an alternative identity this weekend as the Altoona Brookies, paying homage to New Hamp. 21-24 9.0 @ BOW the official state fish of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Brook Trout. Named the official fish of the Commonwealth in 1970, the Brook Trout is the only native salmonid (trout/salmon) in the streams of the Eastern US and Pennsylvania. Reading 18-28 12.5 vs BING Hartford 14-32 16.5 vs RIC JUNE RUNS: Altoona has broken out the bats in the month of June and stand third in the league with 112 runs scored and Binghamton 13-31 16.5 @ REA second in the league with a .274 team batting average entering play on Saturday. 2021 CURVE AT A GLANCE Overall Record ........................................ 27-18 WALK IT OFF: Mason Martin's walk-off two-run homer on Friday night marked the second walk-off victory of the season for ...............................................11-10 the Curve. It was the 22nd time in franchise history that the Curve have hit a walk-off home run, first since Hunter Owen Home defeated New Hampshire with a 2-run homer on June 1, 2019. Road .................................................. 16-8 Place (S'East Div) ....................................... 4th THAT'S RODOLFOLOUS: Rodolfo Castro had a 9-game hit streak end on Friday, during which he batted .394 (15-for-38). Over Games Ahead/Behind ............................... -0.5 his last 19 games he's hitting .389 (30-for-77) with 4 2B, 7 HR, 24 RBI. Castro is 2nd in the league in hits (53) and RBI (37), Streak ........................................................... W2 and T-8th in HR (9). Last 5............................................................ 2-3 Last 10 ......................................................... 5-5 THE SENATORS: Harrisburg enters the series after dropping 4-of-6 in their series at Reading last week and enter this week All-Time Record ............................1,530-1,477 in last place in the Southwest Division. First-year Manager Tripp Kiester, a native of Hockessin, Delaware, is in his fifth sea- son as a coach in the Nationals minor league system and his first as the Manager for Harrisburg. As a player, Kiester was 2021 vs. Harrisburg .................................. 6-4 drafted in the 33rd round by the NY Mets in 1992 and reached Double-A Binghamton in his fourth season. at Altoona ........................................... 2-2 at Harrisburg ..................................... 4-2 Senators roster features several of the organization’s top-30 prospects per Baseball America. RHP Cade Cavalli (#1) and All-time vs. Harrisburg .....................209-183 LHP Matt Cronin (#11) recently joined Harrisburg after a dominant stretch to start the season at High-A Wilmington. LHP at Altoona .............................117-73 Tim Cate (#8) is joined by RHP Sterling Sharp (#26) as the only other pitchers in the top-30. The position player group has at Harrisburg ...............................92-110 been decimiated by the injury of Jackson Cluff and the recent demotion of Drew Mendoza. ‘21 Home Attendance .......................... 61,052 ............................................19 FOR ALTOONA: RHP Jeff Passantino starts for the Curve on Saturday, it is the first time he takes the ball on a day other Home Openings than Sunday...For more on Passantino, see page two. Average Attendance ............................... 3,213 FOR HARRISBURG: LHP Tim Cate makes his second start of the season against the Curve. Cate went 6.0 innings and al- lowed two runs on May 21 against the Curve, he matched a season-high with six strikeouts. A 23-year-old from Manchester, CURVE LEAGUE RANKINGS CT, Cate was drafted in the second round in 2018 by the Nationals out of the University of Connecticut. In 2019, Cate pitched Runs Scored ......................................7th (215) at Single-A Hagerstown and High-A Potomac going 11-9 with a 3.07 ERA in 26 starts (1 CG) with 139 strikeouts in 143.2 IP. Average .............................................5th (.252) He pitched at the Nationals Alternate Training Site in 2020. Cate holds the career record for strikeouts at the University of RISP. ..................................................6th (.241) Connecticut (270) despite missing several weeks due to injury during his junior season. Cate spent the summer of 2016 and Home Runs .......................................T-5th (49) 2017 as a member of USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team and with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod League in 2017. Stolen Bases ....................................... 5th (37) PROSPECT WATCH: The Curve active roster features eight of the top-30 prospects in the Pirates organization according to ERA... .................................................5th (3.76) Baseball America. INF Oneil Cruz (No. 2 Pirates, No. 50 overall), INF Ji-Hwan Bae (No. 9), INF Mason Martin (No. 16), OF Cal Starter ERA ......................................3rd (3.58) Mitchell (No. 19), Rodolfo Castro (No. 22), and RHP Travis MacGregor (No. 28) are all ranked by BA. Reliever ERA ....................................6th (3.98) Strikeouts/9 IP..............................10th (9.42) Walks/9 IP .......................................6th (3.49) BROADCAST INFORMATION Home Runs Allowed ...........................1st (31) TODAY IN CURVE HISTORY ON THE HOMESTAND 2004 - Curve play game against Erie at PNC Park, lost 2-0. Ian Snell Record .......................................................... 2-2 pitched seven one-run frames with seven strikeouts but took the loss. Average ...................................... .242 (32-132) Jon Mozes and Preston Shoemaker will call Runs/Runs Per Game .......................... 14/3.5 the action of the 2021 season on the flagship 2005 - Tom Gorzelanny throws a three-hit complete game shutout vs. new Home Runs ......................................................3 of the Curve, Talk Radio 98.5 FM/1240 AM Britain, 7-0 win; walked one struck out seven RISP. ............................................... .176 (6-34) WRTA in Altoona. Pregame coverage begins Errors ...............................................................6 15 min. before all games. 2018 - Taylor Hearn blanks Harrisburg on four hits during the first game The Curve can also be heard on the following of a doubleheader, earning a complete-game shutout over seven innings, ERA... ...............................2.50 (10 ER/36.0 IP) affiliate stations for selected games: seven strikeouts. The Curve won both games of the doubleheader 1-0, the Starter W-L ................................................. 0-0 - WPHB 1260 AM in Centre County first time the club has ever pitched back-to-back 1-0 shutouts. Addition- Starter ERA ......................1.64 (4 ER/22.0 IP) - Online streaming at AltoonaCurve.com, WRTA.com, and ally coupled with the 4-0 win the night before, it was the first time ever in Reliever W-L ............................................... 2-2 the MiLB First Pitch App club history in which the team pitched three straight shutout wins. Reliever ERA ....................3.86 (6 ER/14.0 IP) Saves/Opps ................................................. 0-1 UPCOMING GAMES & PROBABLE PITCHERS Sunday June 27 Harrisburg 2:00 p.m. RHP Noe Toribio (1-1, 4.55) vs. RHP Andrew Lee (1-2, 2.03) Tuesday June 29 @ Hartford 7:05 p.m. RHP Roansy Contreras (3-1, 2.00) vs. TBA Wednesday June 30 @ Hartford 7:05 p.m. RHP Travis MacGregor (1-1, 3.82) vs. TBA Thursday July 1 @ Hartford 7:05 p.m. LHP Trey McGough (0-2, 4.87) vs. TBA TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER 2021 HIGHS CAREER HIGHS RHP JEFFREY PASSANTINO #25 IP: 6.0 IP, 6/13 vs Akron IP: 7.0 - 8/14/18 (SB vs LC) HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 225 B/T: R/R EXP: 4 YR K: 5 K, 4x, last 6/6 @ Richmond K: 9, 8/8/18 (SB vs GL) BB: 1 BB, 7x BB: 4, 6/29/18 (EUG vs.