Trending
By Jarrod Prugar
For the Mirror
A three-run home run by Jackson Glenn paced the Altoona Curve to a 6-0 win over the Richmond Flying Squirrels Thursday night at PNG Field in front of 3,843 fans.
Glenn got the hit party started with a leadoff single in the home half of the first inning, but it was with a tool he wasn't quite used to. In fact, the whole team used the same bat the first time through the lineup.
"It was different, but it was fun, Glenn said. "When we met before the game and talked about being able to make the game fun. We just agreed as a team to have all nine guys use the same bat. I got my hit with it and it was fun for the team."
Curve manager Callix Crabbe mentioned after Wednesday's loss the plan was to make things fun and it worked out well for the Altoona offense in the victory.
"I think the at bats were better and more free, they got good pitches and they hit them," Crabbe said. "I really enjoyed watching them compete. They had all day long and the timing was good, really good."
Getting back to having fun during the dog days of a long season is something that can help a team come together after brief struggles.
"We've had a long season up to this point, but those small things that kind of remind us that we do play a game and that we're allowed to have fun," Glenn said. "That's kind of a big thing for us as we continue to the season is just to continue to have fun and continue to kind of gel as a group."
After Glenn's home run, the Curve plated a run in each of the next three innings. Lolo Sanchez doubled home Matt Fraizer in the sixth inning while Glenn scored on a passed ball in the seventh.
In the eighth inning Sanchez roped a line drive off the top of the high wall in left field. The ball bounced into the left field bleachers which caused mass confusion on the Richmond side of it.
The Flying Squirrels argued it should be ruled as a ground-rule double, but a universal ground rule states any ball that strikes any portion of a wall higher at a point than a lower wall and bounces over the wall is to be deemed a home run.
"It's like the perfect angle for a ball to be a home run," Crabbe said. "There's no way that we can plan that or say we're trying to cheat something. It didn't affect the outcome of the game."
Strong showing
Altoona starter Sean Sullivan went five strong innings thwarting a Richmond lineup that erupted for 15 hits Wednesday night.
Sullivan kept the Flying Squirrels off the scoreboard and allowed only three hits while walking two and striking out two.
"He looked good tonight," Crabbe said. "I thought he attacked. He had really good command for the most part. He missed a little bit on his arm side but he kept them off balance."
Thursday's performance was the first in which he went longer than four innings since July 4th.
Bullpen battle
LHP Omar Cruz took over in the sixth inning and allowed only one hit over the course of 1ª innings of work. He would walk two, but was otherwise unscathed.
Cameron Junker took over with two outs in the seventh to shut the door on the Flying Squirrels then allowed a double in the eighth before the Curve turned to Tahnaj Thomas in the ninth.
Thomas got a ground out, allowed a single and then induced a double play to end the game. It was Thomas' second shutout appearance this week after losing his grandmother last week.
"It's tough, but you just got to keep your head up," Thomas said. "Just take every loss on the chin and just try to keep pushing every day. My grandmother wouldn't want me to just sob and sorrow, she'd want me to go down and try to compete and try to do my job but I mean, it's been tough."
So long
Southpaw Braeden Ogle was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis prior to Thursday's game. He was 0-0 with a 4.91 ERA in 29 games for Altoona in 2023.
Taking his spot on the active roster will be fellow lefty Jackson Wolf who was acquired from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline.
Infielder Mike Jarvis was placed on the 7-day Injured List before the game. A corresponding move for Jarvis has yet to be made.
Standings
Despite the victory, Altoona is still in last place in the Southwestern Division at 12-15 in the second half of the season. Richmond is still in first place with an 18-12 record.
Next up
The Curve will send righty Braxton Ashcraft to the mound tonight. Ashcraft is 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA in six starts with Altoona.
He suffered his worst start of the season with the Curve last week in Harrisburg, yielding three earned runs on five hits.