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From Mirror reports
RICHMOND -- Po-Yu Chen delivered a career-long eight innings in a 3-1 win for the Curve over the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Friday night at The Diamond.
Chen retired 15 straight hitters after a second inning single to Andy Thomas and his lone blemish, a solo homer by Carter Howell in the fifth.
He struck out a season-high nine batters, three shy of matching his career-high, and walked just one batter to earn his first Double-A win. Chen walked just one batter and tossed 87 pitches, 62 strikes.
Altoona earned the lead with an RBI single from Joe Perez in the third inning and added to the lead with a run-scoring single from Carter Bins in the sixth inning. Working against the Flying Squirrels bullpen in the eighth, pinch-hitter Yoyner Fajardo drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a critical insurance run for the Curve.
Tyler Samaniego earned his first save of the season to polish off the well-pitched victory for Altoona. Samaniego threw 19 pitches, 17 strikes and finished the game with a strikeout of Andy Thomas with a runner at second in the ninth.
The Curve continue a six-game series on Saturday night against the Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, at 6:05 p.m. Altoona will send Sean Sullivan to the mound against Hayden Birdsong for the Flying Squirrels.