The Altoona Curve will begin a seven-game,
six-day homestand on Tuesday, July 31st at 7.05pm
The homestand will open with a four-game series against Southern
Division rival Reading and conclude with a three-game series against
the New Hampshire Fisher Cats
The series against the Fisher Cats marks New Hampshire's only
visit to Blair County Ballpark in 2007
---The homestand will open on
Tuesday, July 31st at 7.05pm with the Curve's nationally renowned
Awful Night
Awful Night V "Stick a Spork in it" will feature an
awful giveaway to the first 555 fans and will highlight all things
awful throughout the evening
The Curve have received recognition throughout minor league baseball
for their innovation and creativity in the creation of Awful Nights
I-IV
On Tuesday morning, the Curve will hold Breakfast at the Ballpark
from 6.00am to 9.00am on the main ticket plaza at BCB
The breakfast, which will feature Uncle Charley's Sausage, is
free and open to the public
Donations will be accepted to benefit the Mike Coolbaugh Memorial
Fund, which has been established to benefit the family of former
Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh, who was killed in a tragic
on-field accident earlier this week
The Curve will also be accepting donations throughout the week
at the Kinetico Customer Service Booth to benefit the Mike Coolbaugh
Memorial Fund
Coolbaugh, 35, died last Sunday after he was struck in the head
by a line-drive during the Drillers' game against the Arkansas
Travelers
The Mike Coolbaugh Memorial Fund will benefit his surviving family,
wife, Mandy, and two young sons, Joseph and Jacob
Mandy Coolbaugh is expecting a third child in early October
---On Wednesday, August 1st,
the Curve will play a doubleheader against the Reading Phillies
beginning at 6.05pm
The Curve will present the Curve Football Giveaway, with the first
2,000 fans of all ages receiving a Curve football
Fans will also have the chance to win great prizes by participating
in Blair Candy Baseball Bingo
On Thursday, August 2nd, the Curve Idol Series
presented by the New AT&T continues with an appearance by
former "American Idol" star Kimberly Caldwell
Caldwell will be on hand to sing the national anthem, mingle with
fans and sign autographs
The BCB gates will open early at 5.00pm as the Hotel Belmar presents
Curve Happy Hour featuring live music and food specials on the
Toyota Party Deck
---The three-game series against
the New Hampshire Fisher Cats will feature two post-game Fireworks
Spectaculars
The Tribune-Democrat will present post-game fireworks following
the series opener on Friday, August 3rd
Friday's game will begin at 7.05pm
On Sunday, August 5th, the series and homestand will conclude
with a 6.05pm start time
The Galliker Dairy Company will present post-game fireworks and
all kids will also be invited to run the bases following the ballgame
---The middle game of the three-games
series will be played Saturday, August 4th, at 7.05pm
One of the most popular traveling entertainment acts in minor
league baseball, The Amazing Christopher, will entertain fans
throughout the game
It will also be 70's Disco Night at BCB with themes from the 70's
throughout the night
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The audio file opposite/below
includes NOTE - Tim Leiper speaks 'a little fast' and is
a bit |
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The audio file opposite/below
includes a segment from the Game Day Show x x x x x During the Curve Injury Report, the commentator mentions that Brett is still on the Disabled List and has been there for over a month but, hopefully, he should be returning to the roster next week |
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The audio file opposite/below
includes a segment from the Game Day Show x x x x x During the Curve Injury Report, the commentator mentions that Brett is still on the Disabled List but could be activated and return to the lineup "as early as Tuesday" |
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The Result
Fisher Cats - 10
runs to 5
The Curve - Year-to-Date
58 wins and 54
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
Following a 47-minute rain
delay at the outset of the ballgame, the Fisher Cats tallied 13
hits and trounced the Curve, 10-5, at Blair County Ballpark on
Sunday night
Curve starter Josh Shortslef (2-12) conceded eight of those hits
and lost his sixth straight decision
Shortslef permitted six runs - two earned - in 4-2/3 innings and
lost for the 12th time this season
The Fisher Cats got after Shortslef early in the ballgame, plating
the game's first run in the top of the first inning, as Ryan Patterson
singled home Manny Mayorson for a 1-0 lead
The Curve tied the game in the bottom of the second, as Milver
Reyes singled off of Fisher Cats' starter Eric Fowler to score
Brandon Chaves
Sloppy defense gave the lead to New Hampshire for good in the
third
Dustin Majewski led off the inning with a routine fly ball to
right field that Vic Buttler misjudged and dropped, permitting
Majewski to advance all the way to second
Shortslef then walked Mayorson before Juan Peralta bunted the
runners to second and third with one out
Patterson followed with an RBI ground out to make it 2-1
David Smith and Rob Cosby then contributed back-to-back doubles
to run the lead to 4-1
Reyes added a second RBI single to cut the lead to two in the
fourth, but the Fisher Cats responded with two runs in the top
of the fifth to lead 6-2
In the bottom of the fifth, Andrew McCutchen turned in just the
third inside-the-park home run in Curve history, and the first
for the Curve at Blair County Ballpark
McCutchen also turned in the second inside-the-park homer earlier
in the season at Akron's Canal Park
Two more runs for New Hampshire in the sixth off of Curve reliever
Jason Roach quickly tempered the Curve's enthusiasm as the Fisher
Cats went ahead 8-3
The Curve again plated a lone run in the bottom of the inning
as Buttler tripled home Peter Bergeron
Again however, that run was answered with two more for New Hampshire,
as Dustin Majewski tripled in two runs for a 10-4 lead
The Curve capped the scoring with a Chaves RBI double in the seventh,
but got no closer and lost the series dropping two out of three
games
The Curve fell six games out of playoff spot as the Erie SeaWolves
defeated Connecticut, 4-2, earlier in the day
The Curve will enjoy an off-day on Monday before opening a three-game
series in Portland on Tuesday night at 7.00pm
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats
connected for seven extra-base hits, including a season-high six
doubles, to knock off the Altoona Curve, 10-5, Sunday night at
Blair County Ballpark
Dustin Majewski drilled a two-run triple, the RELCO Enlightening
Play of the Game, and also scored a pair of runs on the night
he tied the Fisher Cats’ single-season franchise record for
walks in a season by drawing his 63rd of the year
Ryan Patterson (2-for-4, 3 RBI, R, 2B, SF) drove in three runs,
giving him a team-leading 56 RBI, and Manny Mayorson (2-for-4,
3 R, 2B, BB) scored three runs for New Hampshire (58-56), which
took two out of three from Altoona (58-54) to win a series for
the first time since sweeping a four-game set in Portland June
30-July 3
Rob Cosby (2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R) hit a pair of run-scoring
doubles, and David Smith (1-for-5, 2B, RBI, R) added an RBI double,
extending his hitting streak to a season-high nine games
Smith also scored his club-leading 60th run of the season
Erik Kratz (2-for-4, 2B, BB) added the Fisher Cats’ sixth
double of the game in the ninth inning
Majewski (1-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB) walked in the sixth inning,
tying the franchise mark set by Aaron Hill in 2004
Eric Fowler (4-4), coming off the worst start of his professional
career, earned the win by allowing three runs on nine hits in
five innings of work
The left-hander yielded nine hits and walked three, but erased
memories of his start Tuesday in Harrisburg when he was reached
for six runs on seven hits in 2/3 of an inning
Seth Overbey (2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 K), Tracy Thorpe (1 IP, 0 ER,
0 H, 2 K) and Jesse Carlson (1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H) finished up with
four innings of relief
Curve left-hander Josh Shortslef (2-12) suffered his 12th loss
of the season
Shortslef allowed six runs - only two earned - on eight hits and
a walk in 4.2 innings
He struck out five and walked one
Andrew McCutchen (1-for-5, HR, R, RBI), the Pittsburgh Pirates’
top-rated prospect, lined a shot over a diving Majewski in centerfield
for an inside-the-park home run, his ninth, in the bottom of the
fifth inning
Brandon Chaves (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB, SB) and Milver Reyes
(2-for-4, 2 RBI) paced Altoona’s 13-hit attack, but the Curve
stranded nine runners and grounded into two double plays
New Hampshire’s victory allows them to keep pace with second-place
Portland, which rallied for a 3-2, 10-inning win in Harrisburg
to win for the sixth straight time
The Fisher Cats remain 4-1/2 games behind the Sea Dogs, who host
Altoona starting Tuesday night
Josh Shortslef stormed off
the mound after being pulled in the fifth inning on Sunday night,
running his hand through his hair as he approached Blair County
Ballpark’s home dugout
His personal rollercoaster dipped again in the Curve’s 10-5
setback to New Hampshire before 5,177 fans
Shortslef was saddled with six runs - only two earned - on eight
hits in 4-2/3 innings
The Fisher Cats did most of their damage off Shortslef in the
third inning
New Hampshire’s Dustin Majewski lofted a routine flyball
to lead off the inning that the wind carried away from right fielder
Vic Buttler
As Buttler approached the foul line, the ball drifted over his
right shoulder in allowing Majewski to reach second base
‘‘That’s not something that characteristically
happens’’ manager Tim Leiper said
New Hampshire’s David Smith and Rob Cosby then smoked back-to-back
doubles to take a 4-1 lead
Five of New Hampshire’s eight hits off Shortslef were doubles
Brandon Chaves also made a rare error that led to New Hampshire’s
sixth and final run off Shortslef
Chaves, who led all Eastern League shortstops in fielding percentage,
muffed Erik Kratz’s smash as Altoona fell behind, 6-2
‘‘Sometimes you come up on the short end of the stick’’
Buttler said
‘‘Of course it’s disappointing, because that’s
been our goal from day one to give ourselves a chance to win a
2007 Eastern League championship
Things haven’t been going our way’’
Shortslef (2-12) is bearing down on John Grabow’s single-season
record for losses
Grabow lost 13 games in 2004
Shortslef enjoyed his best outing of the season in his last start,
when he held Reading to four hits and one run in seven innings
to start the homestand
Altoona is now a mind-boggling 5-17 in games the lefty starts
The highlight of the night belonged to Andrew McCutchen, who legged
out an inside-the-park homer for the second time this season
Majewski, New Hampshire’s center fielder, deflected the ball
on his diving attempt as McCutchen raced around the bases
McCutchen pulled off the same feat at Akron on May 21 and is the
first Curve player to have an inside-the-park homer at BCB
Garrett Long is the only other player with an inside-the-park
homer in franchise history
‘‘It was a big thrill’’ McCutchen said
‘‘You don’t get to see that every day, and to do
it twice in one season is exciting for me’’
The rare homer cut the deficit to 6-3 in the fifth inning, but
two New Hampshire runs in the sixth off Jason Roach took away
any chance the Curve had of capitalizing
‘‘You kind of hope that kick-starts you right there’’
Leiper said of the homer
‘‘It made it a three-run game and fired everybody up
You hope the momentum carries on, and unfortunately we gave up
two in the next inning’’
The Curve appeared to be in strong position to take advantage
of their seven game homestand, as Altoona came home after winning
three of four at Akron
Still, the Curve went just 3-4
‘‘You can’t win them all’’ McCutchen
said
‘‘Winning three is better than winning one
We’re still making progress’’
The homestand also dropped Altoona to 10-11 in their past 21 home
games
‘‘You can break it down and spin it any way you want’’
Leiper said
‘‘The bottom line is we’ve got to win games’’
The Curve trail Erie by six games for the Southern Division wildcard
spot but also have 10 games remaining against the SeaWolves
‘‘We’ll have to win pretty much every series’’
Leiper said before adding
‘‘There’s pressure every day
Obviously, we’re running out of games and trailing’’
Altoona’s idle on Monday before starting a nine-game road
trip Tuesday at Portland
‘‘We’ve got to win 11 games’’ Leiper
joked