The Result
Baysox - 3 runs to 1

The Curve - Year-to-Date
19 wins and 18 losses

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

Brett's at-bats
First plate appearance
Lefthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Ball
"Roneberg drives this very well the opposite way and into deep leftfield but the fielder is able to track it down and make the catch just shy of the warning track"
Fly out to leftfield - F7
Second plate appearance
Lefthanded pitcher
Runners at first and second base - two down
Foul ball - fast ball - off the catcher's mask
Foul ball - fast ball - off the umpire's chest protector
"Here comes the 0ball-2strike pitch and Brett swings and misses at a pretty good change up and the innings is over"
Strike out
Third plate appearance
Lefthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Ball - low and outside
Ball - downstairs
Called strike
Ball
Ball - low
Walk
Out at second base on a double play hit by the following batter
Fourth plate appearance
Lefthanded pitcher
Bases empty - none down
Called strike
Called strike
"Brett chases one out of the zone and lifts it into leftfield where it's taken care of by the fielder"
Fly out to leftfield - F7

At the end of the Game
0 hit from 3 at-bats - 1 x walk, 1 x strike out

Heard during the game

(01) Brett's third plate appearance was during the bottom of the sixth innings and the Baysox were leading the game one run to nil ... because the game was in the later innings and the close score line, the commentator said that Brett might attempt to reach second base on a steal and become the tying run in scoring position, but with Randy Ruiz at the plate, the Curve Manager, Tim Leiper, might decide to let him be driven around the bases ... the commentator went on to say - "Recently I was talking to the Pirates' Infield Instructor about the difference between a "fast base runner" and a "smart base runner" ... Brett would not be classed as fast, though he has reasonable speed between the bases, but he definately would be a very smart and very good baserunner ... he understands the 'first to third' and 'second to home' running and the tracks to take ... he has what I would call "sneaky feet" and has three stolen bases so far this season"

(02) After Brett's fourth plate appearance, the commentator said - "The Baysox have pitched Brett away tonight ... he has covered that by two good hits into leftfield but was out on both occasions"

Email from Brett

Game Reports

Curve starter Josh Shortslef turned in a solid pitching performance Friday night against Bowie, but it wasn't enough for the left-hander to avoid his fifth consecutive losing decision as the Baysox took the series opener at Blair County Ballpark, 3-1

Shortslef (0-5), who started last season with a 5-0 record, remained winless despite allowing only one run on five hits over 6-2/3 innings
His 0-5 start is due, in part, to the lack of run support given by the Curve offense
Through Shortslef's eight starts, Altoona has posted only 17 total runs, a stark contrast to the 6.9 runs of offensive support he received in 12 starts for the Curve in 2006

Bowie starter Oscar Alvarez (5-1) outdueled Shortslef, carrying a two-hit shutout into the ninth inning to earn his fifth victory of the season

The left-hander had his shutout bid ended in the bottom of the ninth by Adam Boeve, who led off the frame with a solo home run over the center field wall
Boeve's fourth longball of the season reduced the Baysox lead to 3-1
However, Alvarez and closer James Hoey combined to retire the next three batters in a row to preserve the win
Hoey, who has not allowed a run in 13-2/3 innings this season, was credited with his ninth save in nine opportunities

The Baysox scored one run off each of the Curve's three pitchers, Shortslef, Mike Nannini and Alay Soler
In the fourth, Bowie plated the game's first run when Eli Whiteside bounced into a 6-4-3 double play
A wild pitch by Nannini allowed the Baysox second run to cross the plate in the eighth and an RBI single by Paco Figueroa off Soler in the ninth made it 3-0

Offensively for the Curve, in addition to Boeve's ninth-inning homer, Neil Walker and Steven Pearce were the only batters to record a hit

Walker, who singled in the fourth inning for his only hit, nearly tied the game in the top of the seventh inning with a deep fly ball to left that was grabbed by Bowie left fielder Ryan Hubele before it landed in the bleachers

Boeve's homer extended his team-high hitting streak to ten games
He also drew a walk earlier in the game to move his on-base streak to 19 straight contests

Andrew McCutchen went 0-for-4 on the night when Curve fans received McCutchen bobblehead dolls as they entered the gates

Altoona (19-18) will look to even the three-game series against Bowie (20-20) Saturday evening at 5.05pm with reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Week Luis Munoz (5-0, 2.03) on the mound
Munoz can become just the second pitcher in Curve history to go 6-0 with a win over the Baysox and former Orioles' first round selection Beau Hale (4-2, 4.08)
Saturday's first pitch is set for 5.05pm and following the game fans will be treated to another spectacular fireworks show courtesy of U.S. Foodservice

Curve outfielder Adam Boeve homered and made a spectacular catch Friday night, but he also saw the offense struggle once again to score any runs for starter Josh Shortslef
“It seems like every time we come out and he’s pitching, we can’t get anything together and we have an off night” Boeve said after Bowie topped Altoona, 3-1, before 4,591 fans at Blair County Ballpark

Like nearly every other opposing starter has done when Shortslef is on the mound, Bowie’s Oscar Alvarez held the Curve in check
He carried a two-hit shutout into the ninth inning before Boeve homered, but that was it for Altoona’s offense

The Curve have scored just 17 runs in Shortslef’s eight starts - 2.1 per game - a stark contrast to last season when the pitcher received 6.9 runs of support in 12 starts
Shortslef has had two runs or fewer to work with in six outings
He’s now 0-5 despite a solid 3.52 ERA
A year ago, thanks to all the run support, he started 5-0 with a similar ERA of 3.48

“It’s too bad we can’t ever get Shorty some runs” Boeve said
“He’s keeping us in the game, but his won-loss record doesn’t show it
We’ve got to get him some runs”

Alvarez (5-1) worked at a brisk pace, throwing 92 pitches in a game that took only 2 hours, 20 minutes
He limited the Curve to three hits, three walks, two strikeouts and one run in 8-1/3 innings
Alvarez entered the game with a 4.28 ERA but dropped that to 3.72 by spotting all four pitches for strikes

“Great, great performance” Bowie manager Bien Figueroa said
“He had a good changeup, good slider and good sinker”

The Curve had few opportunities to get anything going
Only one runner, Neil Walker in the second inning, reached scoring position, but that chance disappeared on Jason Bowers’ double play groundout

“It wasn’t like we put a lot of pressure on Alvarez offensively” Altoona manager Tim Leiper said
“You’ve got to give him credit for that”

Walker thought he finally had Alvarez figured out in the seventh inning, but left fielder Ryan Hubele had other plans
Hubele reached over the fence and robbed Walker of a homer that would have tied the game at 1-1
“When I first hit it, I thought it was gone for sure” Walker said
Then he smiled
“You just hope in a situation like that, the hometown fans can maybe reach over and pull it out”
Hubele, whose outfield experience was limited to 13 games in 2005 before Friday’s start, withstood the resistance
“I had fans fighting and hitting my glove, but I was lucky to keep the ball in there,” he said

The Baysox scored a run in the fourth and, aided by Curve miscues, tacked on insurance runs in the eighth and ninth for a 3-0 lead
Val Majewski reached on an error by Bowers at shortstop and scored without the benefit of a hit in the eighth
He stole second and came home from third on Mike Nannini’s wild pitch
Eli Whiteside led off the ninth with a single, advanced to second on Milver Reyes’ passed ball and scored from third on Paco Figueroa’s bunt single

The late miscues took the luster off what had been a strong defensive game by the Curve
Boeve made a sliding catch near the pitcher’s mound in the right field bullpen, Walker made a diving play at third base and Shortslef helped himself out by tagging out a runner at third

“You’ve got to do all the little things” Leiper said
“In close games, you’ve basically got to make every single play”

The Curve’s task wasn’t made any easier after Figueroa lifted Alvarez
Bowie’s skipper called on fireball closer James Hoey, who maintained his 0.00 ERA and earned his ninth save by recording the final two outs

Oscar Alvarez took a shutout into the ninth inning as visiting Bowie posted a 3-1 victory over Altoona on Friday night

Alvarez (5-1) gave up one run on three hits and three walks over 8-1/3 innings
The 26-year-old left-hander, who signed a Minor League contract with Baltimore in November, struck out two and lowered his ERA to 3.72

The Venezuelan's shutout bid was spoiled when Adam Boeve led off the ninth with a blast over the center-field for his first homer
He retired Brett Roneberg on a flyout before Jim Hoey came on to record the last two outs for his ninth save

Alvarez's last complete game was a five-inning shutout of Binghamton last June 26, when he was with Harrisburg

Luis Antonio Jimenez and Eli Whiteside both had two hits and a run scored for the Baysox (20-20)

Josh Shortslef (0-5) yielded one run on five hits and three walks while striking out five over 6-2/3 innings in his eighth start for the Curve (19-18)

The Baysox headed into Altoona for the first of a three game series in need of a win
Oscar Alvarez led the way for the Baysox turning in a gem, giving up only three hits and one run, in eight and a third innings, helping the Baysox to a 3-1 win

Eli Whiteside helped the Baysox get on the board first in the top of the fourth, hitting into a double play with the bases loaded, with no outs, giving the Baysox an early 1-0 lead

Mike Nannini replaced Curve starter Josh Shortslef with two outs in the seventh and got out of the inning getting Luis Hernandez to fly out

Shortslef took the loss for the Curve, going six and two-thirds of an inning, giving up only five hits and one run
Shortslef, dropped to 0-5 on the year and has only had 17 runs of support in all of his outings for 2007

The Curve nearly put a run on the board in the seventh, when Neil Walker hit a far drive towards left in the lead-off spot, but Ryan Hubele robbed Walker of a near solo homer reaching into the first row of the bleachers, making the catch
Hubele made his first start tonight in the outfield in 2007
Hubele, has only played in the outfield 14 times in his career, 13 times in Frederick in 2005

The Baysox struck again in the eighth when Val Majewski, scored from third on a wild pitch with Jeff Fiorentino batting, giving the Baysox a 2-0 lead

The Baysox plated another run in the top of the ninth, when Paco Figueroa connected on a bunt single, plating catcher Eli Whiteside from third, giving the Baysox a 3-0 lead

Alvarez came back out in the ninth after Jim Hoey had been warming in the Bowie bullpen in the eighth, to put an exclamation point on his outing
Alvarez yielded a leadoff solo home run though, to Adam Boeve, cutting the Baysox advantage to 3-1
Alvarez then got Brett Roneberg to fly out to deep left field for the first out
Baysox manager Bien Figueroa, then went to the bullpen and brought in Hoey, who converted his ninth save in as many attempts, getting Randy Ruiz to strike out looking and Neil Walker to ground out, ending the game and securing the Baysox win, 3-1

Alvarez got the win for the Baysox turning in his best outing, improving his record to 5-1 on the season, while lowering his ERA from 4.28 to 3.72

Hoey picked up his ninth save of the season, notching one strikeout

The Baysox take on Altoona in game two of their three game series Saturday at 5.05pm at Blair County Ballpark
RHP Beau Hale (4-2, 4.08) will take the hill for the Baysox, squaring off against RHP Luis Munoz (5-0, 2.03) for the Curve

With the win the Baysox move to .500 on the season (20-20), while the loss drops the Curve to (19-18) on the season