The Altoona Curve couldn’t hold off a late rally by the Harrisburg Senators en route to an 8-3 loss in front of 3,744 fans Sunday night at PNG Field.

Harrisburg took a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning and added four more runs in the top of the ninth inning to thwart the Curve’s chances of winning.

The Senators took a 2-0 lead off Pirates right-handed pitcher Jared Jones, who was in town for his second rehab start of the week. They then scored a run off Jarod Bayless to give them a 3-0 cushion.

Altoona’s Lonnie White Jr. hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to make it a 3-2 game.

White’s home run marked the third game in a row where he hit a long ball.

“He’s stuck with his approach, he hasn’t abandoned it, and he’s getting his pitches, and you know he’s doing damage with them,” Curve manager Andy Fox said.

The Curve tied the game in the seventh on a solo shot by Javier Rivas, but it was the last time the offense found the scoreboard against Harrisburg.

Caleb Lomavita doubled home former Curve most valuable player Kervin Pichardo to take a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning.

In the ninth, Cy Nielson hit Cortland Lawson with a pitch and walked Elijah Nunez, but just two batters later, a sacrifice bunt by Marcus Brown plated Lawson to make it 5-3. Back-to-back walks by Nielson loaded the bases and set up a three-run double by Pichardo to cement the 8-3 victory for the Senators.

“Where we were at the beginning of the week, and then where we were at the end of the week, I mean, I’m very happy with this group, because we were thin in the middle, but we grinded,” Fox said. “When you play a team seven in a row, to win four or three it’s a really good week and something to build on going forward.”

They went to Jared

Jones got his second rehab start in Altoona Sunday night. He was sharp through his first four innings before Harrisburg started to hit him around.

Jones finished with 4• innings pitched, two runs on three hits, two walks and seven strikeouts.

“He was attacking the zone, he’s mixing his pitches, but the walks sometimes they get you and sometimes they don’t, but I mean really the whole game the walks got us today,” Fox said.

Following Jones was Bayless, who gave up one run on three hits in 1ª innings of work.

Jones is expected to make another rehab start in Altoona next weekend.

Saturday victory

Ivan Brethrowr launched a walk-off triple to score Omar Alfonzo and give the Curve a 6-5 win Saturday night.

It marked the third straight win for the Curve against the Senators during the series.

Up next

The Curve have Monday off before welcoming the Erie SeaWolves to PNG Field for the start of a six-game series on Tuesday.