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Curve suffer first two-game skid

From Mirror reports

AKRON, Ohio — Winning here has always been difficult for the Curve, and this year’s young team is finding that out in the early going of the season.

Akron won in walk-off fashion in the 11th inning, 3-2, at Canal Park on Saturday afternoon to hand Altoona its first two-game losing streak. It was the second straight 3-2 victory for the RubberDucks, who were swept in a three-game series by the Curve last week at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Akron overcame an early 2-0 deficit to tie by the sixth inning. In the 11th, Mike Papi singled with two outs off Altoona reliever John Kuchno, who then threw a wild pitch to move the runner to second. Following a walk, Joe Sever singled to left-center to bring in Papi for the walk-off win.

The Curve dropped to 0-2 at Canal Park this season and are 71-111 there all-time, easily their worst road record against any Eastern League opponent. Altoona was 3-7 during the regular season at Canal Park last year, and 0-2 in the playoffs, as the RubberDucks won their first-round series before going on to capture the EL title.

What has always made winning in Akron so difficult? Typically, the Curve have had trouble scoring there against solid pitching staffs, and that’s also been the case in this series with just four runs in two games.

Pablo Reyes reached on an error in the first inning Saturday and later came in on a bases-loaded walk by Connor Joe to give Altoona a quick 1-0 lead. Joe later hit his first Double-A homer in the third to make it 2-0.

Altoona didn’t score again and had only four hits over the final eight innings.

The RubberDucks cut their deficit in half in the third off Curve starter Austin Coley, then tied it in the sixth as Coley balked in a run from third. Coley gave up the two runs on just four hits over six innings, striking out three with one walk.

Jared Lakind and Montana DuRapau each tossed two scoreless innings to keep the game tied, then Kuchno (0-1) gave up the run in the 11th for the loss.

Akron’s Robbie Aviles (1-0) picked up the win with one inning of relief.

Tomas Morales had two hits for Altoona, and seven other players had one apiece.

Game recap

Key player: 1B Joe Sever went 2-for-5 with an RBI for Akron.

Key play: Sever’s single in the 11th scored the winning run from second base.

Key stat: The Curve have lost two in a row for the first time this season.

How they scored

Top 1st: Reyes reached on Chang error, scored on Joe bases-loaded walk (1-0).

Top 3rd: Joe solo homer (2-0).

Bottom 3rd: Paulino walked, scored on Sever groundout (2-1).

Bottom 6th: Krieger doubled, scored on Coley balk (2-2).

Bottom 11th: Papi singled, scored on Sever single (2-3).

Next stop

Today: Altoona at Akron, 2:05 p.m.

Pitchers: Curve RHP Yeudy Garcia (0-1, 9.64) vs. RubberDucks RHP Travis Banwart (0-1, 9.00)

Record: 9-6

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