The Peoples Natural Gas Field crew pull the tarp in preparation of the 7:50 p.m. first pitch after a rain and lightning delay. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

A miserable start to the season continued for another day for the Altoona Curve.

After waiting out a rain delay of 1 hour, 49 minutes, the Curve managed to get seven hits and were set down looking on strikes six times in a 4-2 loss to the Portland Sea Dogs on Wednesday evening at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

The Curve are now 0-10 to start the season, which is a new franchise record.

“You have to be patient. You can’t panic,” Curve manager Andy Fox said. “We have some traffic out there and we’re just not cashing in. Obviously you have to score more runs. They’re getting their work in and they’re preparing. It will come out sooner rather than later.”

The team record for the most consecutive losses at any point of a season is 15, which was set in 2024. Altoona would have to be swept by Portland the rest of the week to tie that record.

Portland pitchers struck out Altoona batters 13 times, including the six strikeouts looking. Sea Dogs relief pitchers Cooper Adams, Cade Feeney, and Patrick Halligan tossed seven innings of one-run ball.

“They have to stick with their approach, but you have to swing the bat obviously,” Fox said.

Portland’s Franklin Arias, the Red Sox’ No. 2 prospect, drilled an opposite field 2-run homer in the top of the third to put the Sea Dogs on the board against Curve starter Khristian Curtis.

The Curve got one back in the bottom half of the third on a solo homer to left field for Jesus Castillo. It was the first Double-A home run for Castillo, who started off the season with a hit in five straight at-bats to start his career in a Curve uniform.

Portland added a run in the fourth and seventh innings on RBI singles from Ronald Rosario and Ahbram Liendo to make it 4-1.

The Curve threatened with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn’t get a big hit to get it any closer.

Designated hitter Derek Berg blasted a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth to set the final.

Curtis turned in a quality start for the Curve, allowing three earned runs on five hits in six innings of work. He walked one and struck out four.

“I thought he did a great job,” Fox said. “He went six strong. It was really just two bad pitches that cost him three runs. If he can do that every time, that would be great.”

Brannigan back

Jack Brannigan, who broke his nose after taking a bad hop in spring training, was activated from the 7-day injured list on Tuesday. He started at shortstop and went 0 for 3 with a walk and a hit by pitch for the game.

Up next

Portland and Altoona continue the series this evening at 6. Southpaw Connor Wietgrefe will start for the Curve, opposite Sea Dogs right-hander Gage Ziehl.