The Result
Curve - 4 runs to 0

The Curve - Year-to-Date
39 won and 27 lost

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing - Leftfield
Batting - #4

At the end of the Game
2 hits from 4 at-bats - single, double, 1 x run-batted-in, 1 x grounded-into-a-double-play

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - two down
Called strike - fast ball
Foul ball - back to the screen
"There's a line drive base hit into leftfield ...... the Phillies had the 'infield shift' on the lefthanded hitter with their shortstop playing behind second base ...... it didn't work that time, as that hit went right through the hole left by the shortstop and is picked up by the Phillies centrefielder ...... if he was playing in his regular position, that could have been a regulation out" (I am not sure of what he means, as Brett's hit was a line drive/fly ball and not a ground ball, but it doesn't really matter because it's in the statistics as a hit!!!)
Single to centrefield
Advanced to second base on an infield hit
Left stranded at the end of the innings
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at third base - one down
"That's hit well into leftfield and the fielder will not catch up to it and it goes all the way to the wall ...... the runner comes home to score and Roneberg is standing on second base with his seventh double of the year"
Double to leftfield - 1 x RBI
Advanced to third base on an infield ground out
Left stranded at the end of the innings
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Ball - curve ball - high and away
Foul ball - down the first base line and into the crowd
Ball - curve ball - "the pitcher wanted that call but the umpire said it missed just a bit inside"
Ball - fast ball - outside
"There's a ground ball to the Phillies first-baseman and he picks it up and throws to the shortstop covering second base and the relay comes back to first base in time for a double play to end the innings"
Grounded out to first base and into a double play - 3 to 6 to 3
Fourth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Called strike - fast ball sinker
Called strike - fast ball sinker - at the knees
"There's a ground ball towards the second-baseman who throws and makes the out at first base ...... Roneberg has hit the ball hard all night but that one was just tapped weakly across the diamond"
Ground out to second base - 4 to 3

Heard during the game

(#01) As Brett came in for his first at-bat, the commentator said - "And now Brett Roneberg steps into the box, and he is currently fifth in the Eastern League with a batting average of 307"

(#02) During Brett's third at-bat, the commentator mentioned - "Roneberg is now on a six game hitting streak and including today he is batting 8-from-20 for a 400 average over those six games"

Email from Brett

Game Reports

The Altoona Curve won their third straight game in a row on Friday night at Blair County Ballpark, shutting out the Reading Phillies 4-0

Vic Buttler set a new Curve franchise record with his thirteenth triple of the season in the fourth inning

The Curve scored the only run they would need in their first at-bat, when Buttler scored from third base on an RBI single by Simon Pond

Reading would put runners in scoring position only three times in the ballgame, held in check by Shane Youman and the Altoona bullpen

Youman made his fourth start of the year and pitched six shutout innings, allowing just five hits and striking out six
The dominating performance gave the left-hander his fourth victory of the year

Altoona would add two runs in the third inning when Buttler ripped his thirteenth triple of the season, the most any Curve player has had in a season in franchise history
His three-bagger would score Brandon Chaves from first and put him in position to score when the next hitter, Brett Roneberg, blasted a double to left field

Reading starter Tim McClaskey entered the game with a 20.65 ERA against the Curve in three appearances this season
McClaskey would allow four earned runs in six innings, and lost his fourth decision of the year

The game was played at a very brisk pace, wrapping up in just over two hours

The Curve used relievers Franklin Perez and Jorge Vasquez to pitch the final three frames, and the duo allowed just one base hit combined to protect the lead

The Curve and Phillies will continue their three-game series on Saturday night at Blair County Ballpark at 7.05pm
Ron Chiavacci will start for Altoona against the Phillies’ Daniel Haigwood

Shane Youman and two relievers combined on a six-hitter in the Altoona Curve's 4-0 Eastern League win over the Reading Phillies Friday night at Blair County Ballpark

Youman (4-2) allowed five hits in six innings to get the win in his longest outing of the season
He walked just one and struck out a season-high six

Former Reading Phillie Franklin Perez went two innings and Jorge Vasquez pitched a perfect ninth

Altoona (39-27) scored in the first on a two-out RBI infield single by Simon Pond

The Curve added two more in the third on an RBI triple by Vic Buttler, his franchise-record thirteenth of the season
Brett Roneberg followed with a double off Tim McClaskey (1-4) to make it 3-0

Buttler's run-scoring single in the fifth capped the scoring

Reading's Gary Burnham extended his hitting streak to eight games with a first inning single

Brandon Gemoll's hit streak reached seven games on a single in the second

Nick Evangelista pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Phillies

Reading (28-38) has lost two straight games

The Curve have won three in a row

One by one, several of Shane Youman’s teammates walked up to him at his clubhouse locker and slapped his shoulder
All Vic Buttler did from the adjacent locker was make a face at the burly pitcher and wave playfully

‘‘I don’t care for that guy sometimes, from time to time’’ Youman said, turning his head away from Buttler
‘‘But, you know, he’s a good dude’’

Youman was feigning his disdain for his close friend and roommate on the road, of course

The pair turned in outstanding performances to lead the Curve past Reading, 4-0, before 7,046 fans at Blair County Ballpark Friday night, and each player raved about the other afterward

‘‘As buddies, we always root for each other’’ Buttler said
‘‘We talk to each other about our goals and where we want to be in a few years, and when you see a person take another step closer to that goal, it’s definitely a great feeling’’

Youman (4-2) shut out the Phillies over six innings, striking out six while allowing just five hits and one walk

Meanwhile, Buttler batted 2-for-4 with two RBIs, hitting his franchise-record and minor league-leading thirteenth triple in the process

Reading starter Tim McClaskey (1-4) gave up four earned runs in six innings to take the loss

Leading, 1-0, after a Simon Pond RBI single in the first inning, Altoona added two more runs in the third
Brandon Chaves led off with an infield single and one out later, Buttler yanked a grounder down the first-base line that hopped past the glove of the lunging first baseman
Buttler churned around the bases and slid in safely for an RBI triple

‘‘Once it bounced over his head, I just turned it up’’ Buttler said
‘‘It’s an awesome feeling
When you head around second, you can hear the crowd get louder and you’re trying to beat the ball to third and beat the tag
It’s definitely an adrenaline rush’’

Buttler then scored on a Brett Roneberg double to give the Curve a 3-0 lead, and he later added an RBI single in the fifth inning

Buttler has batted 12-for-25 (.480) in his last six games to raise his average to .318, good for fourth in the league

‘‘You can’t even begin to say how much he’s meant to this ballclub and how much he’s done for us’’ Altoona’s manager Tim Leiper said
‘‘He’s in the middle of all our big innings, getting big hits’’

The four runs the Curve scored were more than enough for Youman, who pitched his longest outing of the year
The left-hander allowed only one baserunner to advance past second base and got ahead of hitters in the count all night

‘‘My last start, I wasn’t as sharp as I was today, so I took pride in working a little bit harder in between starts to get myself ready for today’’ he said

Youman has made four starts and twelve relief appearances this season, and he has performed well in both roles
Youman is 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA when he has started, with an identical record and a 1.36 ERA when he works out of the bullpen

‘‘I know the Pirates have their eye on him’’ Buttler said
‘‘This year, the difference with what I see in Shane is that he has a swagger
He’s playing with a lot of confidence and that’s good to see, as a friend. I’m happy for him’’

Youman had equally glowing things to say about Buttler
‘‘He’s getting a time to show his talent, a time to shine, and he’s doing well, taking advantage of the chance’’ Youman said
‘‘He’s finally getting the chance to play everyday at a level like Double-A
Just like Triple-A, it’s just a phone call away from the big leagues
I wish him the best’’

However, Buttler may have a stronger reason to root for Youman than the other way around, namely, Youman’s Chevy Impala
‘‘I tease him, like, any day now, he could get called back up, so leave me his car, so I can get to and from the field’’ Buttler said
‘‘It’s fully loaded, you know what I mean, so if he goes to Indy, I’ll definitely enjoy that’’

Roster Moves
The Curve added RHP Derrik Moeves to their roster on Friday to replace Kip Wells, who returned to Pittsburgh after making a rehab start at BCB Thursday night
Moeves, the Pirates’ 9th-round selection in the 2005 draft, is 1-2 with a 1.47 ERA in thirteen relief outings for low-A Hickory

Shane Youman pitched six innings of five-hit ball as Altoona blanked visiting Reading, 4-0, on Friday

Youman (4-2) struck out six and walked one to lower his ERA to 1.62 over fifty innings for the Curve (39-27)
In sixteen appearances, including four starts, he has walked nine and allowed just one homer

Franklin Perez gave up one hit over two innings and Jorge Vasquez set down the Phillies (28-38) in order in the ninth to complete Altoona's third shutout of the season

Vic Buttler set a franchise record by lining his thirteenth triple of the year to right field in the third inning, plating Brandon Chaves
Buttler added an RBI single in the fifth for the Curve, who won their third in a row

Reading starter Tim McClaskey (1-4) gave up four runs on eight hits over six innings
He struck out four and walked one

Altoona (Double-A, 39-27) won, 4-0, at home against Reading (Phillies)

LHP Shane Youman (4-2) gave up five hits over six innings, striking out six

CF Vic Buttler went 2 for 4 with two RBI

LF Brett Roneberg and 1B Simon Pond drove in the other runs