Altoona getting hurt by the LOBs
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Next stop
Saturday: New Hampshire at Altoona, 1 p.m.
Pitchers: Fisher Cats LHP Jimmy Robbins (0-0) vs. Curve RHP Jared Jones (0-0)
Records: New Hampshire (2-0), Altoona (0-2)
Radio: WRTA-AM 1240 & 98.5-FM
By Jarrod Prugar
jprugar26@gmail.com
Another game, another missed opportunity for the Altoona Curve as they fell to New Hampshire 7-2 Friday night in front of 3,084 people at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
The Curve stranded 14 base runners on base including the bases loaded in the ninth inning after plating two runs. In two games, they've left 26 runners on base.
"Some of the guys are trying to probably do a little bit too much to get the offense going," Altoona manager Callix Crabbes aid after the game. "We know we can hit. We have some guys that are putting up some really good numbers and I think trying to get out to a good start might be biting us a little bit."
Missing out on opportunities and struggling early in the season isn't always something easy to handle and for a sport based on results, it's easy to find a team get down on themselves rather quickly. For Crabbe, it's not about the results, but having the right mentality as they work through the early kinks.
"Baseball is just one of those games, right? It's a rolling hill, there's ebb and flow to it," Crabbe said. "Using our own experiences from when we played as well to share with them and remind them that it's okay when you start off a little bit slow but the real the real thing is about having the right mentality."
Mason Martin walked three times for Altoona while Josh Palacios and Andres Alvarez added two hits a piece in the losing effort.
Swiping bases
Though the aggression didn't amount to much, the Curve were heavily aggressive with the few guys they did manage to get on base swiping both second and third.
Mason Martin stole the first base of the season for Altoona when he stole second in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, it was Drew Maggi's turn as he snagged third base.
Neither runner went on to score.
Pitching woes
Curve pitchers weren't quite able to put the Fisher Cats away early in this one with New Hampshire scoring five runs in the second to fourth inning.
Four of the seven runs scored by the Fisher Cats came with two outs. It marked the second game in a row where the Curve gave up four runs with two outs.
The good news for the Curve staff is they did manage to strike out 10 New Hampshire hitters making for back-to-back nights with double-digit strikeouts.
"My guys are coming in early in the season, using their stuff good aggressively responding to the negative adversity," Crabbe said. "For me on the pitching side, I'm excited to see that. Imagine when they start really defenses click in and they continue to throw strikes, there's no question that they're going to be fine."
Your turn
Jared Jones takes the mound for the Curve Saturday night in the final game of the opening series in search of the first win of the season.
The right-handed Jones is the No. 11 Pirates prospect according to MLB.com.