The Result
Curve - 5 runs to 4

The Curve - Year-to-Date
15 won and 6 lost

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing - Designated Hitter
Batting - #3

At the end of the Game
1 hit from 4 at-bats - home run, 2 x runs-batted-in, 1 x run scored, walk, 2 x strike outs

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Ball
Ball - outside
Ball - low and away
Ball - outside
Walk
Left stranded at the end of the innings
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher - Adam Miller
Runner at first base - two down
Ball
"That pitch is hit high and hard and it's long gone!!!"
"The fielder doesn't bother to chase that one"
"A two run blast over rightfield to Brett Roneberg"
"And there is that power we were talking about a minute ago!!!" - see the note below in the "Heard during the Game" section
HOME RUN - 2 x RBI and 1 x R (click here for all the details)
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at second base - none down
Called strike/foul ball - ??
Ball - low
Ball - "that pitch is inside and it spins Roneberg around"
Ball - breaking ball - a little bit low
Called strike
Swing and a miss
Strike out
Fourth at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Called strike
Called strike - on the outside corner
Swing and a miss
Strike out
Fifth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Ground ball towards second base and the fielder only had the play to first base
Ground out - 4 to 3
Runner advanced to second base

Heard during the game

(#01) As Brett was coming to the plate for his second at-bat, the commentator said that "Roneberg has enough pop to stay around for a while, and being a lefty will also improve his prospects" - then Brett crushed a home run!!!

Email from Brett

Not a bad night!!
I wasted my last at-bat rushing myself
The first strike out was a good swing and a foul tip, and the second one was against a pretty good lefty pitcher
Another home run is good though!!

Game Reports

Rafael Alvarez and Brett Roneberg each belted early home runs to help the Curve build a 5-0 lead and Altoona held on for a 5-4 win over the Akron Aeros in the opener of three-game series Friday night at Canal Park in Akron, Ohio

With the victory, the Curve (15-6) maintain their first-place position in the Eastern League's Southern Division standings
Altoona has either been tied for or in possession of the division's top spot for 21 of the season's first 22 days

Akron (12-10) had its three-game winning streak snapped and lost for the fourth time in five meetings with the Curve this season

Alvarez got the Curve on the board in the top of the second with an opposite field solo homer

The following inning, Altoona made it 3-0 on a two-run shot by Roneberg, who went deep for the second time in three games since being added to the Curve's roster from extended spring training on Monday

Both Curve longballs, as well as and single Curve runs in the fourth and fifth innings, came off Akron starter and Cleveland Indians' top pitching prospect Adam Miller
The 21-year old, who had won each of his first three decisions with Akron, was charged with five earned runs over five innings to suffer his first loss of the season

Meanwhile, Altoona starter Mike Connolly put up four scoreless innings before running into trouble in the bottom of the fifth
With one out and the bases loaded, Akron catcher Javier Herrera blasted a grand slam over the left-field wall to cut the Curve lead to 5-4

However, Akron would not get any closer thanks four scorless innings of relief from Shane Youman and Josh Sharpless
Sharpless set down the final four Aeros' hitters to earn his sixth save of the season

Connolly (2-2) surrendered four runs on six hits over five innings to notch his second consecutive victory - both against Akron

Alvarez, Craig Stansberry and Adam Boeve each recorded two of the Curve's seven hits in the victory
For Boeve, his two hits marked the eleventh time in 21 games this season that he has posted a multi-hit game

The Curve and Aeros will play the middle game of their three-game set Saturday afternoon at 2:05 PM at Canal Park in Akron
Altoona will send right-hander Landon Jacobsen (4-0, 1.27) to the mound in search of his fifth win in five starts to open the season
Jacobsen will be opposed by righty Sean Smith, who will be making his first start of the season after being called up from Class-A on Friday

Akron gave Josh Sharpless a rare scare in the ninth inning, but the Curve’s dominant reliever didn’t let it faze him
Sharpless stranded a pair of runners in the final frame to finish off a 5-4 win over the Aeros at Canal Park

Sharpless continued his efficient start, earning his sixth save to go along with two wins in his eight appearances

Sharpless figured to be the Curve’s stopper in relief and has lived up to that billing, allowing just one run on four hits over 11-2/3 innings
It’s still just April, but if Sharpless keeps up this type of dominance, he may not be long for Double-A

Brett Roneberg hit a two-run homer and Rafael Alvarez a solo shot in helping the Curve to a 5-0 lead by the fifth inning

Altoona’s offense did all the damage against Akron starter Adam Miller (3-1), the Indians’ No. 1 prospect who entered the game with a 1.59 ERA

Curve starter Mike Connolly (2-2) worked four shutout innings before giving up four runs in the fifth
Akron loaded the bases, then catcher Javi Herrera broke out of a 1-for-21 slump with a grand slam to pull the Aeros within 5-4

Shane Youman worked 2-2/3 scoreless innings of relief, then gave way to Sharpless with two outs in the eighth
Sharpless retired the final batter of that inning and the first two in the ninth before finding trouble
Eider Torres worked a two-out walk from Sharpless, then Shaun Larkin singled to put the tying run in scoring position
Sharpless escaped the jam and ended the game by striking out Herrera

Alvarez homered in the second inning for Altoona, then in the third, Roneberg hit his second homer in three games since joining the Curve

Brandon Chaves had an RBI groundout in the fourth and Adam Boeve a run-scoring single in the fifth

The Curve lost to Portland on Wednesday, so Friday’s victory prevented them from dropping back-to-back games for the first time this season

Rafael Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a home run to spark Altoona to a 5-4 win over Akron on Friday at Canal Park

Alvarez connected on his third homer of the season in the second inning to give the Curve (15-6) a 1-0 lead

Adam Boeve and Alvarez opened the fourth with consecutive singles
After Vic Buttler was hit by a pitch, Brandon Chaves grounded out to score Boeve

Altoona's Brett Roneberg belted a two-run homer in the third, and Boeve singled in Craig Stansberry in the fifth

Javi Herrera belted a grand slam in the fifth for Akron (12-10)

Shaun Larkin went 3-for-4, while Todd Donovan went 0-for-2 with two walks to snap a 13-game hitting streak

Curve starter Michael Connolly (2-2) picked up the win, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five over five innings

Josh Sharpless allowed one hit and one walk in 1-1/3 innings to earn the save

Adam Miller (3-1) surrendered five runs on six hits and one walk while striking out seven over five innings in the loss

The Aeros had won three straight

The teams play again at 2.05m ET on Saturday

Rafael Alvarez and Brett Roneberg each hit early home runs to help the visiting Curve build a 5-0 lead, and Altoona held on for a 5-4 victory over the Akron Aeros in the opener of three-game series Friday night

With the victory, the Curve (15-6) maintain first place in the Eastern League's Southern Division standings

Akron (12-10) had its three-game winning streak snapped and lost for the fourth time in five meetings with the Curve this season

Indians' top pitching prospect Adam Miller was charged with five earned runs over five innings to suffer his first loss of the season