Trending
From Mirror reports
PORTLAND, Maine -- Portland rallied for seven runs in the eighth inning and secured a 13-8 comeback win over the Curve on Wednesday night at Hadlock Field.
Tsung-Che Cheng banged a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning for the Curve.
Trailing 5-4 in the sixth, Altoona loaded the bases with singles from Jase Bowen and Carter Bins and a walk from Yoyner Fajardo. Cheng stepped up with two outs and slammed the first pitch from righty Alex Hoppe into the right field bleachers to take an 8-6 lead for the Curve.
Po-Yu Chen was touched for five runs on seven hits and one walk in a four-inning start for the Curve.
Jaden Woods was the first out of the Curve bullpen and allowed one run in 1ª innings before Cy Nielson stranded the bases loaded to end the sixth. Nielson worked through a clean seventh inning before running into trouble to start the eighth.
Portland began the game-winning inning with a second homer from catcher Elih Marrero and then loaded the bases with two walks and a single. Eddy Yean relieved Nielson and struck out the first two batters he faced before Blaze Jordan doubled to right field and plated three runs. Alex Binelas added a run-scoring single and Marrero put the cherry on top of the inning for Portland with a two-run double.
Marrero had two homers, two doubles and four RBIs in the game. The seven-run inning marked a season-high in runs allowed in an inning for Curve pitching.
Offensively, the Curve got early offense with a single run in the second and three runs in the third. Abrahan Gutierrez doubled home a run in the third inning before Sammy Siani plated a run on a fielder's choice. Nick Cimillo earned an RBI on a groundout.
Cimillo extended his on-base streak to 10 games with a single in the seventh, while Siani has recorded five-consecutive multi-hit games. Fajardo set a new career-high with four walks, reaching base five times in total by adding a single.