The Result
Thunder - 10 runs
to 0
----------Rain shortened match ... played four-and-a-half
innings only
The Curve - Year-to-Date
42 wins and 40
losses
Brett's Position and
the Batting Order
Did Not Play
Playing
Batting - #
Brett's at-bats
First plate appearance
Second plate appearance
Third plate appearance
Fourth plate appearance
At the end of the Game
0 hit from 0 at-bats
Heard during the game
Email from Brett
Game Reports
Trenton Thunder right-hander Brett Smith walked
seven batters in five innings, but held the Curve offense hitless
and was credited with a rain-shortened no-hitter as the Thunder
took Wednesday's series opener, 10-0, at Waterfront Park
The game was called after just 4-1/2 innings because of rain
Smith (7-4) is the first individual pitcher to toss a no-hitter
against the Curve in franchise history
Altoona has been held hitless on two other occasions in club history
- April 19, 2000 and August 22, 2004, both against the Bowie Baysox
- but both involved more than one pitcher
Included in Smith's seven walks were three straight during a downpour
in the top of the fifth inning, but he got Jason Bowers to hit
into a 6-4-3 double play to the the inning before the tarp was
brought out to cover the field
The Thunder posted seven runs in the top of the third inning and
three more in the fifth to provide plenty of run support for Smith,
who bounced back after suffering the loss in Trenton's 11-2 defeat
against Altoona in game two of last Thursday's doubleheader at
Blair County Ballpark
Mike Crotta (0-1), who was called up from Low Class-A Hickory
to make the start for Altoona, was tagged with the loss in his
Double-A debut after allowing seven runs - three earned - on five
hits in just 2-2/3 innings
Reliever Brandon Williams, who also made his Double-A debut for
the Curve, was touched up for all three Trenton runs in the fourth
Williams was added to the Curve roster from short-season State
College earlier in the day to become the first player to appear
for both the Spikes and Curve
The Curve (42-40) and Thunder (51-32) will continue their three-game
set Thursday night at Waterfront Park
First pitch is set for 7.05pm
Yoslan Herrera (3-5, 5.09) will take the mound for Altoona, while
Trenton will counter with E.L. All-Star Game selection, right-hander
Jeff Marquez (8-5, 3.29)
It may not have been conventional, but either
way, it will go down as a black mark in franchise history for
the Curve
Trenton’s Brett Smith no-hit Altoona over five innings Wednesday
at Mercer County Waterfront Park as the Thunder drilled the Curve,
10-0
Rain delayed the game by an hour to start the game, then wiped
out Altoona’s chance to avoid infamy four innings shy of
a complete game
It was the third time the Curve were no-hit in franchise history,
the first individual no-hitter thrown against Altoona and the
first time in Trenton’s 14-year history the Thunder no-hit
the opponent at home
Smith (7-4) walked seven and struck out five in his five innings
and ended the night by forcing Jason Bowers to bounce into a double
play with the bases loaded
Smith then sat around for nearly 35 minutes waiting for the game
to be called before etching his name in the record books
Curve starter Mike Crotta was hammered for seven runs - three
earned - in 2-2/3 innings
The Thunder scored all seven runs off Crotta in the third inning,
and Altoona’s defense did little to help him out
Shortstop Taber Lee committed two throwing errors, and Neil Walker
added a fielding error
Crotta, who filled in for Luis Munoz in a spot start, posted a
3-5 record and 5.33 ERA for low-A Hickory
The righty also allowed 107 hits in 79-1/3 innings
Crotta blanked Trenton in his first two innings before things
went downhill quickly
Alberto Gonzalez, who had seven RBIs in his first four games with
Trenton, added two more to that number with a double off Cotta
in the third inning, and Aarom Baldiris also came through with
a two-run double
Crotta (0-1) also gave up five hits and two walks in 2-2/3 innings
Thunder RHP Brett Smith tossed five "no-hit"
innings to lead the Thunder to a rain-shortened 10-0 win over
Altoona on Wednesday night
Smith's no-hitter is the second in Trenton franchise history and
give the Thunder a five-game win streak
Smith (7-4) issued seven walks during his five innings of work,
walking two batters in the 1st and 3rd Innings and walking the
bases loaded in the 5th Inning during rain showers
But Smith got double plays from the Curve (42-40) to end the 3rd
and 5th Innings to preserve the no-hitter
The only other no-hitter was by Tyler Clippard on August 17, 2006
in a 9-0 win at Harrisburg
Trenton (52-31) jumped on Altoona starter Michael Crotta for seven
runs in the 3rd Inning
SS Alberto Gonzalez, 1B Juan Miranda and 3B Aarom Baldiris all
had run scoring doubles in the inning as the Thunder had a season-high
seven doubles on the night
Crotta (0-1) allowed seven runs (three earned), in part to three
errors by Altoona in the 2nd inning, in 2-2/3 innings
The Thunder added three more runs in the 4th Inning on an RBI
single by CF Matt Carson and a two-run double from C Dan Conway
The series continues on Thursday at 7.05pm
Jeff Marquez (8-5, 3.29) starts for Trenton against Altoona's
Yoslan Herrera (3-5, 5.09)