Ex-Curve star back in town with Fisher Cats
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By Jarrod Prugar
For the Mirror
The Altoona Curve walked it off against Charles McAdoo, a former teammate, and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats with a 5-4 victory Thursday night at PNG Field in front of 3,217 fans.
On July 30, McAdoo was sitting in front of his locker in the Altoona clubhouse preparing to take the field against Richmond later that night. He didn't get to suit up for the Curve that night, in fact, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in a deal that brought Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the Pirates.
"I was like, 'What?' I was just more in shock, and I was just perplexed for about two or three days, even when I was playing in Binghamton, where I went and I was still just shocked. I was in utter shock," McAdoo recalled.
Many Altoona fans felt the same way as the rising prospect was a bright spot for an Altoona team that has struggled mightily this season.
Now, McAdoo is back in town with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this week.
"It's pretty cool just going out there playing," McAdoo said. "The game, it kind of catches you a little bit, but you just have to bounce back and just remember, it's just baseball. It's the same game I've been playing all my life, and just got to bounce back from it."
McAdoo struggled at first with New Hampshire, but is acclimating himself much better with each new day in his new organization.
"It's awesome. They're treating me real well, and all the guys are super cool, getting along with them all," McAdoo said. "It's a good organization and I can't wait for the next steps."
For many, it's difficult getting promoted mid-season let alone being sent to a new team and unfamiliar organization. McAdoo had to get to know his new teammates quickly as he was thrust in the lineup just a few days after being traded.
"I think I'm a pretty friendly guy, and have a pretty friendly personality," McAdoo said. "I feel like I just try to get along with people fairly easily and then these guys that I'm with, they made it easy for me, too, so it's been pretty cool."
McAdoo's journey featured a short stint in Altoona, but there are still plenty of stops along the way as his career continues on. For now, McAdoo is focused on getting better, and getting more acclimated to the Blue Jays organization.
"My goal is just to make sure I'm familiar with everybody," McAdoo said. "Knowing everybody's names that comes first, because you don't want to go around being like, hey, hey, you. I just want to get everybody's names and get to know the ins and outs of the organization."
Walking it off
Brenden Dixon scored the tying run in the bottom of the ninth before playing the hero in the 10th with a bases-loaded, walk-off single to give the Curve their third victory in a row.
"That was good for him. I mean, going in late, pinch running, scoring the tying run and being able to walk it off like that. That's really, really, really hard to do," Altoona manager Robby Hammock said.
The walk off was set up by a three-run sixth inning that saw Carter Bins and Termarr Johnson walk to set the stage for first baseman Nick Cimillo's three-run home run.
"He's had some bad luck recently. He had a little skid there for a few games, and he had some bad luck hitting the ball hard, nothing to show for it in Richmond during the back half of that series," Hammock said. "He came back home, got a couple things to fall and he's dangerous when he's getting balls to fall."
The Curve tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning which scored Dixon before the walk-off heroics in the 10th.
Bins started the inning at second, and advanced to third thanks to a sac bunt by Tsung-Che Cheng. Both Matt Fraizer and Johnson were intentionally walked which set up a bases-loaded situation for Dixon.
He roped a line drive past both the left and center fielder to end the game and complete the comeback.
Steady Eddy
Reliever Eddy Yean tossed 2ª innings of shutout baseball to earn his seventh win of the season for the Curve. Yean allowed one hit while striking out two.
"He was just hammering the zone and overpowering guys," Hammock said. "His fastball was big tonight, touching 98 he was getting behind some and throwing some more, four seamers tonight, and getting over barrels and he's got a pretty good sinker on top of that. He just was able to mix his two different type of fastballs pretty well."
10U team honored
Prior to the first pitch of Thursday night's game, the Hollidaysburg Summer Baseball League's Navy U10 team was honored.
The team won the Mid-Atlantic title and then the East Regional Championship in Rhode Island earlier this summer.
Next up
Altoona is projected to send RHP Po-Yu Chen to the mound Friday night.