Bowie uses homers to take care of Curve
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By Jarrod Prugar
For the Mirror
For the second game in a row, it was the longball that took down the Altoona Curve as they fell 4-1 to the Bowie Baysox in front of 4,308 fans at PNG Field Tuesday night.
It was a late homer that did the damage Sunday night, but a third inning two-run homer off the bat of Coby Mayo put the Baysox up 2-0 only to never look back.
"Up until this point down the stretch here, we've done a pretty decent job limiting damage," Curve manager Callix Crabbe said. "I think when you look at some of our numbers, we didn't have really high damage numbers on the pitching side, but lately it's definitely been an issue."
Mayo's home run marked the 12th game in a row Altoona has given up a home run.
It's not by design, clearly, but the home runs add up and have caused the Curve to go from first place to trailing first-place Erie by three games.
"You can work with solo home runs, but when you yourself put up multiple runs and then you're getting them back right away. It's deflating," Crabbe said.
The first half of the season comes to an end Sunday after the conclusion of the Eastern League's games and even trailing Erie, Altoona still has a chance to clinch a playoff spot with some wins and luck.
To get to that point, it's going to take the Curve staff to buckle down and they have six games to do that. It's fairly simple according to Crabbe for how they can do just that.
"Being convicted, focusing on what the ball needs to feel like coming out of their hand and rather than the mistakes they might have made," Crabbe said. "Finding that confidence and conviction is something if one or two guys can get in, maybe some other guys who follow that right direction, too."
Untimely hitting
When the Curve needed a timely hit, it just wasn't there for the taking Tuesday night. Save for Connor Scott's RBI-single in the fourth inning, there wasn't much going for the Altoona offense in the run department.
The Curve went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position on the night while stranding 11 runners on base.
"We missed some pitches in the middle of the plate," Crabbe said. "I felt the first inning after Liover Peguero had the lead-off double, him not getting to third, that hurt. I think if you score early right there, the complexion of the game might be different. "
Andres Alvarez was the lone Altoona hitter to not record a hit against the Baysox as the Curve scattered 11 hits in the contest.
Lots of singles
Scott went 3-for-4 on the night with three singles and knocked in the lone Curve run of the game in the fourth inning. Scott was the lone Altoona hitter with multiple hits on the evening.
The three-hit night brought his average up to .210 on the season.
Solid outing
Shortridge went 5.1 innings allowing two runs while striking out six and allowing seven hits.
Shortridge was able to limit the damage done with his lone blemish being the home run to Mayo in the third inning.
"He threw the ball with conviction today," Crabbe said. "He was pounding the zone. He'd give up a hit and he'd get right back in the strike zone … I was very pleased with how he threw today."
Next up
The Curve play two on Wednesday with newcomer RHP Braxton Ashcraft getting the nod in the first game.
Ashcraft was promoted from High-A Greensboro Tuesday after going 0-2 with a 3.03 ERA in 11 starts after missing the entire 2022 season due to injury.
In game two, it will be RHP Justin Meis who will toe the rubber for Altoona. Meis is 1-3 with a 6.81 ERA in six starts on the season.