The Result
Curve - 2 runs to 0

The Curve - Year-to-Date
14 wins and 13 losses

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

Brett's at-bats
First plate appearance
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Called strike
Ball - fast ball - misses outside
Ball - just off the outside corner
"That ball is driven very well out into centrefield!!! ... the fielder makes a diving attempt but he cannot come up with it and Brett has the Curve's first hit of the game ... that was very lucky for the SeaWolves outfielder, as when he dived the ball popped up when it could have gone passed him ... his attempt at trying to stop the ball did take away extra bases from Roneberg"------(see the notes below in the "Heard during the Game" section)
Single to centrefield
Picked Off!!! - "Brett is out at first base for the final out of the innings ... it looked like that he was moving before the pitcher went to his set and he wasn't able to get back to the base in time to beat the throw"
Second plate appearance
Righthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
Called strike - change up
Foul ball - bounced up the first base line
"Roneberg hits that breaking ball sharply but it's straight at the second-baseman who fields and throws on to first base for the out"
Ground out to second base - 4 to 3

Third plate appearance
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Called strike - breaking ball
Ball
Ball - tailing low and wide
Called strike
Foul ball - "That is hit deep down the leftfield line but it's slicing foul"
Ball - fast ball - outside
"Here comes the full count pitch and Roneberg tags this one!!! ... it is deep, deep out into centrefield ... and the fielder is not going to catch up with it!!! ... and it's over his head!!! ... and Brett is rounding second and looking towards third base and he's in there without a throw!!! ... and he now has his second triple of the season"
Triple to centrefield
Scored on a hit
Fourth plate appearance
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - two down
Swing and a miss
Ball - "That was a pitch out but the runner didn't go"
Foul ball - "Tagged well but slicing foul down the leftfield line"
Foul ball
"The runner is going now ... but it doesn't matter because Roneberg strikes out to end the innings"
Strike out

At the end of the Game
2 hits from 4 at-bats - triple, single, 1 x run scored, 1 x strike out

Heard during the game

(01) Following Brett's hit in his first plate appearance, the commentator said - "With that hit, Brett has now reached base in his last eight plate appearances and nine from his last ten ... during that stretch he has gone 6-from-7 for an average of 0.857"

He then continued - "A week ago Brett's batting average was near the two-hundred mark ... since then he has raised his average by over sixty points ... even though he had a quiet start to the season, we all knew that it was only a matter of time before Brett started to smoke the ball around!!!"

(02) After Brett's triple in his third plate appearance, the commentator said - "At the moment Brett is seeing the ball like a watermelon and is swinging the bat very well ... he is a great hitter and has proven this recently"

(03) As Brett walked in for his fourth plate appearance, the commentator said - "And that brings Brett Roneberg to the plate and he would be the Curve's hottest hitter at the moment"

Fielding
During the top of the seventh innings, the SeaWolves had a runner at first base with one down ... the next hitter drove the ball into leftfield and the commentator said - "That is out into leftfield ... the runner is off and is going to third base ... the batter is rounding first and is trying for second base ... and here comes the throw!!! ... and he is out - no, the umpire says he is safe!!! ... from up here it looked like he was off the base when the tag was made by Taber Lee ... the Curve Manager is out of the dugout to argue the call but the umpire is standing firm ... that was a very alert play by Roneberg out there in leftfield ... he knew that runner going to third base would not try for home on that type of hit so he threw behind him and almost picked up the second out of the innings ... it was well played as Brett fielded the ball, spun, and made a pretty good throw straight to the base"
Note - the next two hitters struck out leaving the runners at second and third base - as mentioned in the game reports below

Email from Brett

Game Reports

Curve right-handed starter Luis Munoz was again close to perfection, shutting out division-leading Erie through seven innings, as the Curve took the series-opener 2-0

Munoz was dominant from the start of the ballgame, and over his seven innings, established a new career-high for strikeouts with 10
The 10 strikeouts represents the first time a Curve pitcher has accumulated double-digit strikeouts since September of 2005, when current Pirates' hurler Tom Gorzelanny fanned 13 batters in an Eastern League playoff game against the Akron Aeros
The last time the feat was accomplished in the regular season was a month earlier, also against Erie, when Gorzelanny struck out 10 Seawolves at Jerry Uht Park

Munoz struck out the side in the fourth inning after allowing a leadoff double to keep the Seawolves off the scoreboard

After finally being handed the lead in the fifth inning, Munoz again used the strikeout to step out of harm's way in the seventh
After allowing a lead-off single to Mike Holliman and a one-out double to Kody Kirkland to put men at the corners, Munoz struck out Brent Dlugach and Steve Torrealba to get out of the jam

Eastern League wins leader Dallas Trahern (5-1) made the start for the Seawolves and was also in control for most of the ballgame

The Curve got to him in the fifth however, as Steven Pearce started the inning with a triple to right-field
Alez Fernandez, making his first start of the homestand then singled him home with a flare to right to make it 1-0

The run stood up as the game-winner as Trahern was tagged with his first loss of the year despite turning in his first complete-game of the year

Altoona added an insurance run in the sixth inning as Brett Roneberg added a second triple to the Curve cause
Roneberg scored on a Randy Ruiz dribbler up the third-base line that settled in for an infield single to give the Curve a 2-0 lead

Following the lead of Munoz, the Curve bullpen was also tremendous as Altoona posted their first shutout win of the season
Chris Hernandez worked a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth to get the ball to Curve closer Matt Peterson
Peterson collected his fifth save of the season by retiring the Erie side in order in the ninth, including striking out both Holliman and Jeff Larish

The win pulls the Curve (14-13) back over .500 as the three-game series continues Tuesday night at 6.35pm
LHP Josh Shortslef (0-3, 4.00) will make the start for Altoona against RHP Jair Jurrjens (1-1, 3.65) for Erie

Luis Munoz struck out a career-high 10 in seven innings as Altoona blanked visiting Erie, 2-0, on Monday
Munoz (4-0) gave up four hits and a walk

The 25-year-old's 10 punch outs were the most by a Curve pitcher since current Pittsburgh Pirate Tom Gorzelanny whiffed 13 in an Eastern League playoff game against the Akron Aeros in September 2005

Munoz hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his five starts and has a 2.08 ERA in 34-2/3 innings

Matt Peterson retired the side in the ninth, striking out two for his fifth save

Minor League home run leader Stephen Pearce tripled and scored on Alex Fernandez's single in the fifth

Randy Ruiz laced an RBI single in the sixth for Altoona (14-13)------(NOTE - I don't think it was "laced" - watch the video below!!!)

Clete Thomas, Michael Hollimon, Kody Kirkland and Matthew Joyce each collected a hit for the SeaWolves (15-12), who had won four straight before the loss

Andres Torres went hitless in four at-bats to end his 15-game hitting streak

Eastern League wins leader Dallas Trahern (5-1) surrendered two runs on eight hits while fanning five without a walk in eight frames

It was a pitchers duel on Monday night in Altoona and the SeaWolves came out on the short end of the stick, falling 2-0

Altoona broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning
Steven Pearce led off the inning with a triple and he scored on an Alex Fernandez base knock to center, giving the Curve a 1-0 lead

Altoona added another run in the bottom of the sixth
With two outs, Brett Roneberg tripled to centerfield setting up Randy Ruiz who reached on a slow-rolling, infield single, scoring Roneberg for a 2-0 Curve advantage

The SeaWolves tried to mount a comeback in the top of the seventh inning
Mike Hollimon led off the inning with a base hit
With one out, Kody Kirkland hustled out a double to put runners on second and third but the ‘Wolves could not score
It would be the only inning tonight where the SeaWolves would get two batters on base

Starter Luis Munoz tossed seven innings to go to 4-0 on the season
He struck out a season-high 10 batters and walked just one

Matt Peterson tossed a perfect ninth with two strikeouts to pick up his fifth save of the season

Erie starter Dallas Trahern (5-1) took his first loss of the season despite pitching a complete game
Trahern went eight innings (longest outing of the season) allowing two runs off of eight hits
He did not issue a walk for the second time this season and equaled a season-high in strikeouts with five
The complete game by Trahern was his first of the season and the third by a SeaWolves pitcher
Erie is 1-2 when a starter tosses a complete game

Andres Torres went 0-4 in the game
Torres, the Eastern League Player of the Week, had his 15-game hit streak snapped

The loss also marked the first time in 2007 that the SeaWolves were shutout by an opponent

The SeaWolves and Curve meet in game two of a three-game set on Tuesday night at Blair County Ballpark
First pitch is set for 6.35pm
On the mound for Erie will be RHP Jair Jurrjens (1-1, 3.65 ERA) against LHP Josh Shortslef (0-3, 4.00 ERA)

The Curve have had numerous stud pitching prospects come up to Double-A and excel, but perhaps never before has one come out of the blue quite like Luis Munoz

‘‘I didn’t know too much about him before this year’’ Altoona manager Tim Leiper said

Almost no one knew too much about Munoz, an unheralded 25-year-old in his first season of Double-A
Nothing about his past gave any indication he could emerge as the Curve’s most dominant starter a month into the campaign
He was merely Altoona’s fifth starter, and a wild card at that, on opening day
Now he looks like a guy who’s not far away from being major-league ready

Munoz struck out a career-high 10 and allowed just four hits and a walk over seven shutout innings Monday against Erie

The Curve offense did just enough to get him a 2-0 win before 3,243 fans at Blair County Ballpark

It’s not like Munoz came out of nowhere - this is his seventh pro season - but there was no way anyone in the Pirate organization could have expected what he’s done so far with the Curve
He’s 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA and has looked brilliant during stretches in most of his six starts

‘‘I am surprised a little bit’’ said pitching coach Ray Searage, who worked with Munoz at low-A Hickory in 2005
‘‘You have to give a lot of credit to him
He’s maturing into a pitcher
When I had him two years ago in Hickory, he was young and immature, and he had a tough gig down there because he was on the phantom DL’’

The phantom disabled list is used for extra players when there’s not enough room for them on the active roster

So in two years, Munoz went from not being good enough in low-A to dominating Double-A hitters

‘‘Right now he’s channeling all that energy to executing pitches when he needs to’’ Searage said

Munoz did just that in two key situations Monday
He gave up a leadoff double in the fourth before striking out the side, then later slammed the door on a potential SeaWolves rally in the seventh
Erie put the tying runs in scoring position with one out, and Munoz cut loose some nasty offspeed pitches to strike out Brent Dlugach and Steve Torrealba

‘‘I felt great during spring training and during the season’’ Munoz, a native of the Dominican Republic, said through translator Randy Ruiz
‘‘The last five games I’ve won four games, and I just want to get better and better every day, every start’’

Munoz (4-0), who throws a lively fastball, took a one-hit shutout into the ninth inning April 25 against Bowie and followed it up with six strong innings against Connecticut his last time out

‘‘He’s always had the stuff, always had the good sink and good slider, but he’s never been able to control it because he’s always been trying to throw fastballs by people’’ said Curve third baseman Neil Walker, who caught Munoz last season at Single-A Lynchburg
‘‘Instead of trying to throw through guys or throw through bats, this year he’s actually throwing the ball to a location to the catcher rather than trying to strike people out’’

Leiper said Munoz was ‘‘OK’’ during spring training but called him ‘‘a complete pitcher right now’’

Munoz had a 23-19 record and solid 3.89 ERA entering the season, but he’s nowhere to be found on the Pirates’ list of top prospects
That could change soon, with much more notoriety to come if he keeps throwing like this

Searage seems to know Munoz’s personality best, so he was asked if the pitcher will be able to handle all the attention he soon may start getting
‘‘That remains to be seen’’ Searage said
‘‘We have to see how he handles the press and the accolades he gets
We also have to see how he handles an outing where he’s not doing so well, see how he handles the pressure situations when he’s giving up a couple runs
That’s also part of the development of a major league pitcher’’

The Curve scored both of their runs thanks to triples
Steven Pearce hit one in the fifth and came home on Alex Fernandez’s single
Brett Roneberg tripled in the sixth and scored on an infield hit by Ruiz

Munoz outdueled Erie ace Dallas Trahern (5-1), who came in with a 1.78 ERA and allowed just two runs over eight innings

Munoz turned over the lead to Chris Hernandez in the eighth, and Matt Peterson worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save

Altoona Curve right-hander Luis Munoz allowed four hits over seven innings and combined with two relievers in a 2-0 shutout of the Erie SeaWolves on Monday at Blair County Ballpark

The SeaWolves (15-12), who entered the game in first place in the Southern Division, saw their four-game winning streak end in front of 3,243 fans
Erie dropped to 3-7 on the road

SeaWolves right-hander Dallas Trahern, the Eastern League leader in wins, suffered his first loss this season and dropped to 5-1
Trahern, who had 13 groundball outs, scattered eight hits in a complete-game outing, allowing runs in the fifth and sixth innings

Erie outfielder Andres Torres, who was named the Eastern League player of the week earlier Monday, went 0-for-4, ending his 15-game hitting streak
Torres was 25-for-56 during his streak

The SeaWolves couldn't solve Munoz (4-0), who struck out 10 and walked one

Altoona outfielder Steven Pearce, who was promoted to the Curve last week from Single-A Lynchburg, opened the fifth inning with a triple to center and scored on rightfielder Alex Fernandez's fly-ball single to right

In the sixth, Curve leftfielder Brett Roneberg tripled with two outs and scored on designated hitter Randy Ruiz's single

Altoona right-hander Chris Hernandez threw a scoreless eighth inning before right-hander Matt Peterson came on to start the ninth and set down Erie in order to record his fifth save

The series continues Tuesday at 6.35pm, with SeaWolves right-hander Jair Jurrjens (1-1, 3.65) set to face Altoona lefty Josh Shortslef (0-3, 4.00)

Luis Munoz recorded 10 strikeouts in seven innings as the Altoona Curve defeated first-place Erie 2-0 Monday at Blair County Ballpark

Munoz, a 25-year-old Eastern League rookie, allowed four hits and walked one to improve to 4-0 and lower his ERA to 2.08

Chris Hernandez and Matt Peterson both tossed scoreless innings to complete the four-hitter

Steve Pearce, Brett Roneberg and Alex Fernandez each recorded two hits for the Curve
Pearce belted a double and triple

Erie starter Dallas Trahern, one of the Detroit Tigers' top prospects, pitched a complete game but suffered his first loss of the season

The Curve (14-13) moved a game behind Erie (15-12) in the South Division standings