From the Altoona Curve:
Hunter Barco fired five scoreless innings, setting the franchise record with 26.1 scoreless innings thrown to begin the season, but the Curve fell 5-3 to the Akron RubberDucks on Saturday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Barco allowed just two hits and walked three in his scoreless outing, his sixth in a row to begin the season. Barco threw 72 pitches, 38 strikes on Saturday night.
With former Florida Gator, Tommy Mace, pitching on the opposite side, both clubs were held scoreless for five innings before Akron scored four times in the sixth inning off Cy Nielson.
The Curve scored three times off the RubberDucks bullpen in the seventh inning using a leadoff double from Pirates rehabber Spencer Horwitz. After an RBI groundout from Sammy Siani, Jack Brannigan slammed his third home run of the season to bring Altoona within two. The Curve used a single from Tres Gonzalez and three straight walks to plate another run, but left the bases loaded in the seventh.
Akron’s bullpen permitted just one baserunner after the seventh, a one out walk to Gonzalez in the ninth and held on for the win after Travis Bazzana hit a solo homer in the ninth inning.
Fineas Del Bonta-Smith tossed two scoreless innings of relief in the loss. Reliever Wilkin Ramos allowed his first run of the season in the ninth inning, ending a 11.0 scoreless inning streak of his own.
Horwitz went 1-for-4 at the plate and played eight innings in the field on Saturday night.
The Curve wrap up their series on Sunday afternoon against the Akron RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. RHP Wilber Dotel takes the ball for Altoona, with RHP Austin Peterson on the mound for Akron. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
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