FROM THE ALTOONA CURVE:
Martin Blasts Two Homers in 8-7 Win at Erie
The Curve hit four home runs in their victory on Thursday night
ERIE, PA – Mason Martin’s second homer of the night, an opposite field two-run shot off the Erie Insurance Arena in the sixth inning, secured an 8-7 lead that the Curve bullpen held in their victory at UPMC Park over the Erie SeaWolves on Thursday night. Altoona rallied from a 7-5 deficit after five innings to pick up the win.
The Curve offense wasted no time making their mark on the game when Oneil Cruz reached on a strikeout/wild pitch to start the game and promptly stole second base. Canaan Smith-Njigba drew a walk and both men scored when Rodolfo Castro smashed a three-run home run to right-center. Just two pitches later, Mason Martin blasted a solo shot to take a 4-0 lead. Castro and Martin combined to hit back-to-back home runs for the third time this season by Altoona hitters in the 38th game of the season.
Cal Mitchell hit the third home run of the night, his fourth of the season, when he led off the third inning with a shot down the left field line that struck the arena above the yellow line. Mitchell’s shot gave the Curve a short-lived 5-2 lead as Erie rallied for single runs in the third and fourth inning and then took the lead with three runs in the fifth.
With the Curve trailing 7-5 entering the sixth, Cruz led off the frame with his third triple of the season – a line drive shot to the centerfield wall. After Smith-Njigba drove in Cruz to make it a one run game, Castro struck out to set up Mason Martin’s second homer of the night. Martin sent the first pitch he saw up the alley in left-center and knocked it off the Arena to take the lead.
The four homer night for the Curve was a season-high as Castro (8) and Cruz (8) both are three home runs shy of the league lead with Martin (7) standing four homers behind the league leaders.
On the mound, the Curve got 3.2 innings from Noe Toribio who allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits and three walks on 72 pitches. John O’Reilly was touched for three runs in the fifth inning, surrendering the lead, before giving way to Cam Alldred who earned the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.
Shea Murray earned his third save of the season by dancing out of trouble in the eighth and ninth innings. Murray entered with the tying run in scoring position in the eighth and one out and managed to strand the bases loaded with two fly outs and a walk. Erie used a one out walk and a two out single in the ninth to put the winning run on base, but Murray struck out Jon Rossoff to end the game.
Oneil Cruz extended his on-base streak to 19 straight games with his sixth inning triple. During the streak, he’s batting .347 with a .395 on-base percentage, with four doubles, two triples, six home runs and 17 runs batted in.
The Curve continue their six-game set with the Erie SeaWolves at UPMC Park on Friday night. LHP Trey McGough (0-2, 7.84) will start for Altoona with the SeaWolves sending RHP Jesus Rodriguez (AA Debut) to the mound.
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