Live from Bowie: Curve Try Again for Clincher

The Altoona Curve try again tonight to clinch the Eastern League's Western Division regular season title in Bowie, MD.  Follow along on the Curve Radio Network (ESPN Radio 1430 in Altoona and online at altoonacurve.com) and check back here for frequent updates.

2:02 A.M. Thursday - By now, you probably know that the Curve went on to clinch the Western Division regular season title with a 9-1 victory.  The on-field celebration was muted (as the team has bigger goals on the field - liking winning an E.L. Championship), but the clubhouse party was tremendous.  Players and coaches had a great time swigging and dumping the champagne and beer and this author - like anybody else who ventured into the visiting clubhouse at Prince George's Stadium - got drenched.  The sweetest bath a person in sports can have.  Congrats to Matt Walbeck, Tom Filer, Ryan Long, and all of the players on a much-deserved division crown.  On to the playoffs!

9:49  Hankins works a scoreless eighth inning.  Three Bowie outs from celebrating!  Will make a final update on this at some point after a Bubbly bath.  Curve 9, Bowie 1 - end of eighth inning.

9:41  Eighth Inning - Hague goes deep again.  This blast to the same general area but even longer than the last.  It went over the 21-foot high section of secondary wall here at Prince George's Stadium and disappeared into the trees.  The two-run shot makes it Curve 9, Bowie 1.  Hague's night:  2-for-4 two home runs (14th & 15th of the season), three runs batted in, and four runs scored.

9:40  Thanks to Cory Giger of the Altoona Mirror for coming to Bowie to cover the Curve's potential clincher.  It's a busy week for him with Penn State starting its football season on Saturday and he made the time to come here to chronicle a significant piece of Curve history.

9:34  Live blog will end after the eighth inning - please tune into the Curve Radio Network (ESPN Radio 1430 in Altoona and affiliate stations or listen on-line at altoonacurve.com).  I'll be busy getting photos and post-game interviews in what looks like it will be a raucous Curve clubhouse!

9:33  Hankins strikes out Xavier Avery to head off any further damage.  Curve still lead it 7-1 after seven innings.

9:29  Bowie trying to claw back into the game.  The Baysox have loaded the bases against Hankins prompting a mound visit from pitching coach Tom Filer.

9:22  Bowie's Joel Guzman goes the other way for a home run off the right-field foul pole to greet Curve reliever Derek Hankins.  No worries, it's still Curve 7, Bowie 1.

9:18  Took a peek in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Slap Dog and Lump are putting plastic protection on the lockers and carpet in the Curve clubhouse.  Bubbly's been chilling long enough, right?

9:16 Seventh Inning - Curve tack on another run thanks to the third Bowie error of the game and an RBI single by Negrych.  Division title palpable:  Curve 7, Bowie 0.

9:06  Owens comes back out for the bottom of the sixth.  Why not?  He proceeds to strikeout two more batters in another three-up, three-down frame.  His night likely done, Owens amasses an impressive final tally:  6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K.

8:55 Sixth Inning - Back-to-back errors by the Baysox lead to a Curve run. Mercer knocks in another with a ground out.  Curve 6, Bowie 0. 

8:45 Owens fights off a two-out threat by striking out Danny Figueroa.  He winds up striking out the side in the inning and has fanned seven in his five scoreless innings.

8:27 Fifth Inning - Hague rips 2-2 pitch for a long home run to left center - just below the scoreboard, which is 21 feet high.  Curve 4, Bowie 0.

8:18  A scoreless fourth inning for both sides.  Owens is cruising.  The lefty has now retired nine in a row.  Any doubt in your mind he should have been the E.L. Pitcher of the Year?

8:01  Owens tosses second straight 1-2-3 inning.  His line:  3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

7:56  Owens takes the hill in the bottom of the 3rd with a 3-0 lead.  I'm guessing he'll be limited to five innings again because the Pirates want him to be able to pitch in the playoffs for Altoona.

7:54 - Gimenez, who took second on the throw to the plate to try to get Hague, scores on a single through the right side of the infield by Negrych.  Curve 3, Bowie 0. 

7:52  Third Inning - With two out, Hague gets hit by a pitch, advances to second on a wild pitch, and scores on a single to right by Gimenez.  Curve 2, Bowie 0.

7:37  Second Inning - Anthony Norman rips a triple off the wall in left to score Durham from second.  Curve 1, Bowie 0.  Harrison flies out to deep center to end inning. 

7:31  With Carlos Rojas at second and two out, Joel Guzman singles sharply to right.  Miles Durham fires a strike to catcher Gimenez in plenty of time to nail Rojas trying to score.  End of 1st - No score.

7:24  Negrych playing second base in place of the late scratch, d'Arnaud.  de los Santos is in left field.

7:21  Gimenez strikes out on a 2-2 off-speed pitch.  Bottom of the first coming up.

7:16  Hague strikes out on a 2-2 fastball.  Gimenez up.

7:14  Four-pitch walk to Lambo.  Bases loaded, one out.  Hague batting. 

7:12  Early threat.  Mercer singles to left, Harrison to third...one out.

7:07  Harrison singles to left...his 150th of the season, placing him fourth on the Curve's single season hit list.

7:05  Jose de los Santos - in a late lineup change - bats in place of Chase d'Arnaud and pops out to short to start the game.

6:58  Plate meeting with a special twist - John Wilson, who has assisted the Curve on the field and in the clubhouse for the last few seasons, joined manager Matt Walbeck in presenting the lineup card to the umpires.  Class move by Wally to bring John along on the trip (he did so during the last trip last season, as well).

6:50  Curve lineup - d'Arnaud, 2B...Harrison, 3B...Mercer, SS...Lambo, DH...Hague, 1B...Gimenez, C...Negrych, LF...Durham, RF...Norman, CF...Owens, P.

6:44  Very nice presentation on the field just now.  The Baysox Booster Club gave its monthly spirit and courage award - named after a past member - to first baseman Joe Mahoney.  It reminded me of the good work Booster Clubs do in supporting the players while they are in town (and away from their families and friends) during the season.  We are fortunate to have the best Booster Club I've ever been around as they take care of so many things for the players, coaches, and front office staff.  Thanks to the Altoona Curve Booster Club!

6:10  Curve and Baysox all done with batting practice and each has taken infield.  Grounds crew taking care of final field preparations.  Bowie folks have been very hospitable: General Manager Brian Shallcross, Assistant GM Phil Wrye, Communications Director Tom Sedlacek (who helped me jumpstart a dead car battery last night), and Communications Assistant Rob Bartlett.  Special thanks to the visiting clubhouse attendants, who go by their nicknames of "Slap Dog" and "Lump", for preparing for a potential celebration.

5:09  Curve batting practice underway in steamy conditions.  It's 95 and fairly humid as manager Matt Walbeck tosses to the first group of hitters (Chase d'Arnaud, Josh Harrison, Andrew Lambo, and Jordy Mercer).