ERIE - Tony Plagman enjoyed a career game with three homers and eight RBIs for Erie as it extended the Curve's woes Saturday night.
On a wild night at Jerry Uht Park, seven batters were hit, two members of the Curve were ejected and Altoona lost its fifth straight game, 11-6. The club is now a season-high eight games below .500.
Plagman carried the SeaWolves, who rallied from an early 3-1 deficit to win their fourth straight. He hit a solo homer in the second, belted a two-run shot in the fourth for a 4-3 lead and drilled a grand slam in the sixth for an 11-3 cushion.
Plagman was hitting just .167 with three homers and 12 RBIs before his explosive night. He went 4-for-5 and had a chance for a fourth homer in the eighth but flew out to left.
Three Curve batters were hit by a pitch, including third baseman Jeremy Farrell twice.
Both benches had already been warned when Farrell was hit for a second time in the seventh, and he was ejected when he griped at the home plate umpire for not taking action against Erie reliever Jared Gayhart. Manager P.J. Forbes also was ejected after that sequence.
Fact Box
Next stop
Today: Altoona at Erie, 1:05 p.m.
Pitching matchups: Curve LHP Kris Johnson (0-0, 2.08) vs. SeaWolves LHP Kelvin De La Cruz (1-4, 4.50)
Record: 13-21
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Five things you need to know
1. The Curve lost their fifth straight game Saturday and are a season-high eight games below .500 at 13-21, which is the second-worst record in the Eastern League.
2. The Curve have the worst road record in the EL at 4-13. They've been much better at home, going 9-8.
3. It's easy to see why the record is so bad. The Curve have the worst offense and the worst defense in the league. Their 117 runs and 10 homers are last in the EL, and their 43 errors rank at the bottom.
4. The pitching staff has been a little better, ranking ninth in the EL with a 4.03 ERA.
5. No members of the offense or pitching staff are anywhere close to the league's top 10 in hitting or pitching, so the team is not having success, nor are any individuals standing out.
Altoona pitchers hit four Erie batters, including plunking right fielder Ben Guez three times.
Curve starter Brandon Cumpton (4-3) had been pitching well but allowed six runs - five earned - in 4 2/3 innings. James Avery (5-2) allowed three runs in five innings to win for Erie.
Robbie Grossman went 2-for-3 with a homer, three runs and two RBIs for Altoona, while Ramon Cabrera was 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Game recap
Key player: LF Tony Plagman hit three homers and drove in eight for Erie.
Key play: Plagman's grand slam in the seventh blew the game open.
Key stat: The Curve have lost five in a row.
How they scored
Top 1st: Grossman doubled, scored on Cutler single (1-0).
Bottom 1st: Romero solo homer (1-1).
Top 2nd: Picart walked, scored on Grossman two-run homer (3-1).
Bottom 2nd: Plagman solo homer (3-2).
Bottom 4th: Guez reached on Picart error, scored on Plagman two-run homer (3-4).
Bottom 5th: Romero singled, scored on Lennerton double (3-5); Plagman single scored Lennerton (3-6).
Bottom 6th: Johnson singled, scored on Guez hit by pitch with bases loaded (3-7); Romero singled, Lennerton walked, both scored along with Guez on Plagman grand slam (3-11).
Top 7th: Farrell hit by pitch, pinch runner Brown scored on Cabrera single (4-11).
Top 9th: Grossman walked, Brown walked, both scored on Cabrera double (6-11).
