The Result
Defenders - 3 runs to 1

The Curve - Year-to-Date
65 won and 48 lost

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

At the end of the Game
0 hit from 4 at-bats - 2 x strike outs

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runners at first and second base - one down
Note - there were radio problems and we did not hear the pitch sequence - only heard the last pitch which was:-
"And here comes the pitch ...... and it's a called strike three!!! ...... he freezes Roneberg for the second out of the innings"
Strike out
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Ball - outside
Foul ball
Foul ball
Ball - fast ball - high and wide
"Now the '2ball-2strike' pitch ...... and it's another called strike three on Roneberg!!! ...... the pitcher has caught Roneberg on called strikes in both his plate appearances here tonight"
Strike out
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Foul ball - dribbler down the first base line
Swing and a miss
Ball - outside
Ball - outside
"That is hit well into centrefield but the fielder is under it and makes the catch"
Fly out to centrefield - F8
Fourth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Called strike
Ball - low and away
"There's a liner back up the middle ...... Brett struck that very well but the Defenders' shortstop is able to go around and gather the ball and throw on to first base for the second out here in the ninth innings"
Ground out to shortstop - 6 to 3

Heard during the Game

(#01) As Brett came in for his second at-bat, the commentator mentioned - "Brett Roneberg now steps to the plate ...... Brett has driven in fifteen runs during his last ten games ...... and during his last eighteen games he is 23-for-62 at the plate for an average of 0.371"

(#02) During Brett's second at-bat, the commentator said - "Coming in to tonight's game, Brett was tied for ninth in the Eastern League with a batting average of 0.293 ...... and he is also tied for sixth position with sixty-three runs-driven-in for the season"

(#03) Below is the play-by-play report for when the Defenders were batting in the top of the seventh innings:-
----------Brian Horwitz grounds out, shortstop Brian Bixler to first baseman Brett Roneberg
----------Dan Ortmeier walks
----------Travis Ishikawa singles on a ball to right fielder Ray Sadler - Dan Ortmeier to 3rd
----------With Jake Wald batting, Matt Peterson picks off Travis Ishikawa at 1st on throw to Brett Roneberg
----------Jake Wald strikes out swinging
As Ishikawa hit, the commentator said - "That ball is smoked and it goes under the glove of Brett Roneberg at first base and out into rightfield and the runner at first base is on his way to third base ...... Brett was holding the runner on and the ball got passed him and into rightfield ...... it will be a hit for Ishikawa"
Note - as you can see from the play-by-play notes, the pitcher and Brett then combined to pick him off at first base!!! ...... and the batter at the plate struck out to end the innings ...... so no damage done!!!

Email from Brett

Game Reports

The Altoona Curve managed just a single run on 'Singles Night' at Blair County Ballpark, losing to the Connecticut Defenders 3-1 on Tuesday night

Nyjer Morgan had one of the Curve’s three hits and scored the lone run of the game for Altoona

The two teams will play the rubber match of their series Wednesday night

Altoona pitcher Dave Davidson arrived at the ballpark Tuesday morning to learn he would be starting that night's game, his first start of the 2006 season in just his second appearance in a Curve uniform
Davidson, who was added to the Curve roster from Lynchburg on Monday, was handed the loss despite not allowing an earned run
The left-hander pitched two innings and surrendered an unearned run on two hits while striking out two

The Defenders scored in their first at-bat when leadoff hitter Derin McMains reached on a throwing error by Brandon Chaves
He would advance to third base on an error by Ray Sadler during the following at-bat and score on a ground out by teammate Brian Horwitz

The Curve have now committed at least one first-inning error in four consecutive games, and a total of eleven defensive miscues in that same span

Connecticut would add two more runs in the third inning off of reliever Romulo Sanchez before the Curve finally got on the scoreboard with a single tally in the bottom of the third

The third inning would be the last inning in which the Curve would earn a base hit, as twenty of the final twenty-one batters failed to reach base for Altoona, including the last twelve hitters of the game

Defenders pitcher James Garcia broke a franchise-worst five-game losing streak, silencing Curve bats through his seven innings
The right-hander allowed just one run on three hits while striking out six

Reliever Billy Sadler would earn his eighteenth save of the year with a perfect ninth inning

The Curve employed four pitchers, including strong efforts from Matt Peterson and Blaine Neal
Peterson pitched three innings and surrendered just two hits while racking up five strikeouts
He has not allowed a single run in his six appearances since being converted from a starter to a reliever

Tuesday night's game featured an appearance by Bernie Kopell ("Dr. Adam Bricker") and was 'Singles Night' at the ballpark

The game featured a bachelor auction to raise money for the fight against Muscular Dystrophy
The Curve also wore special jerseys that were available to fans during a silent auction with the proceeds going towards Muscular Dystrophy research

The Curve and Defenders will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Wednesday night at Blair County Ballpark at 7.05pm
Wardell Starling will start for Altoona against Jesse Floyd for Connecticut

James Garcia and two relievers combined on a three-hitter as visiting Connecticut defeated Altoona, 3-1, on Tuesday

Garcia (3-6) allowed a run on three hits while striking out six in seven innings, snapping a personal five-game losing streak

Joe Bateman worked a perfect eighth inning, and Billy Sadler tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighteenth save as Connecticut pitchers retired the final twelve batters in order

Todd Jenkins went 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the third for the Defenders (53-63), who have won three of four

Vic Buttler's sacrifice fly in the third plated the lone run for the Curve (65-48)

Altoona starter Dave Davidson (1-1) allowed an unearned run on two hits and three walks in two innings

The Connecticut Defenders beat the Altoona Curve 3-1 thanks to a gutsy pitching performance by James Garcia, who snapped a personal five game losing streak

The Defenders got on the board in the top of the first inning when they loaded the bases with no outs
A run scored when Brian Horwitz grounded into a double play
The Defenders got only the one run in the first

They loaded the bases with one out in the second inning, but could not get a run across, so the Defenders led 1-0 after two innings, yet it was a disappointing two innings

The Defenders loaded the bases again in the third inning, this time with two outs, and Todd Jennings delivered a two run single to right field, giving the Defenders a 3-0 lead

The Curve scored on a sacrifice fly against James Garcia in the bottom of the third, but that would be all Garcia would allow

In seven innings of work, Garcia allowed only one run on three hits, and two walks, working nearly flawlessly after allowing the run

The Defenders would not score either after the third inning, but three runs were enough

Joe Bateman and Billy Sadler finished the 3-1 victory
Sadler picked up his eighteenth save, and third in four games

The Defenders will try to win their fourth straight series with right hander Jesse Floyd (2-12) taking to the hill on Wednesday
Right hander Wardell Starling (4-2) will pitch for Altoona

The first pitch is scheduled for 7.05pm

New Curve pitcher Dave Davidson threw fifty-three pitches in only two innings, walked three guys, gave up two hits and allowed a run
Not a great line, but Davidson accomplished the most important thing the team needed from him Tuesday night

He gave the Curve a chance to win

“I was trying to keep the game close” Davidson said

Down a starting pitcher with Ron Chiavacci’s promotion to Triple-A, the Curve had to employ the dreaded bullpen day
Those can turn ugly in a hurry, and Tuesday night’s game almost did for Altoona

The Curve ended up losing to Connecticut, 3-1, before 4,617 fans at Blair County Ballpark, but Davidson and his fellow relievers did what was asked of them in keeping things within reach for the offense

The game could have gotten out of hand early as the Curve defense committed errors on the first two plays of the night
Derin McMains reached on third baseman Brandon Chaves’ throwing error, and right fielder Ray Sadler bobbled Nate Schierholtz’s single to put runners at first and third with no outs
Things looked even worse when Davidson walked Brian Buscher to load the bases
Davidson, a lefty who just joined the Curve from Single-A Lynchburg on Sunday, was in jeopardy of getting blown out

“A very difficult situation for him because he hasn’t started all year” Curve manager Tim Leiper said

A pitcher in that situation is judged on how well he can minimize the damage, and Davidson did just that
He got a double play groundout from Brian Horwitz, scoring McMains for a 1-0 Defenders lead, then escaped further trouble by striking out Dan Ortmeier

Davidson (1-1) faced more trouble in the second inning as he walked two batters - including the pitcher, James Garcia - and gave up a single to load the bases with one out
Once again, though, the lefty battled through the problems and worked his way out of trouble with a short flyout to right and a strikeout

Two rocky innings and a loss tacked onto his record, yet only a 1-0 deficit

It’s an unusual way to impress your new teammates, but Davidson did just that
“For me, it’s all positive because he got back out on the mound and he’s got another game in Double-A” Leiper said of his pitcher
“He’s not going to go in that starting role anymore, and I’ve certainly liked what I’ve seen out of him”

The other pitcher who joined the Curve on Sunday, right-hander Romulo Sanchez, wasn’t as fortunate escaping a jam as Davidson
Sanchez had a runner at first with two outs in the third inning but created trouble for himself by walking Travis Ishikawa and Jake Wald to load the bases
Todd Jennings followed with the hit of the game, smacking a single to right that scored Horwitz and Ishikawa for a 3-0 Connecticut lead

The Curve had their chances to come back, but Defenders right-hander James Garcia kept them at bay over seven innings
Garcia (3-6), gave up just a run on three hits, striking out six with two walks, and Billy Sadler tossed a perfect ninth inning for his eighteenth save

Nyjer Morgan doubled to start the third and scored on Vic Buttler’s sacrifice fly for Altoona’s lone run

“Their starter threw a great game” Leiper said
“Their bullpen is their strength, and the starter was able to take them deeper into their bullpen”

The rest of the Curve bullpen did its usual strong job, tossing five scoreless innings to give the offense time to come back
Blaine Neal finished up with two shutout frames, after Matt Peterson, a former starter, kept the Defenders off the board for three innings
Peterson has now worked nine consecutive scoreless innings since moving to the bullpen

“The main thing is I want to go out there whenever they tell me to pitch and go out there and do my best” Peterson said
“Basically I’m just letting it go, not thinking about nothing, trusting my stuff and just going from there”

The Curve have fallen behind in the first inning three straight games, committing five errors in those innings
Altoona rallied to win the first two games of the stretch, but early deficits and shaky defense are never a good sign

“When you’re playing from behind it’s a little more difficult, but there’s no excuse” Buttler said
“We’ve still got to go out there and make the routine plays
We have a great defensive team, and things like that are going to happen
It’s just a fact that we’ve got to bear down and get it done”

Curve hitters don’t worry about the early deficits, in large part because of the team’s terrific pitching staff, which leads the league with a 3.33 ERA
The pitchers usually do exactly what they did Tuesday - keep things close enough for the offense to have a chance

“If we’re down one or two runs, even three runs, we know that our lineup is good enough to come back” Buttler said