Curve LOB numbers leading to more losses
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The Altoona Curve continued on a slide this homestand after a 4-2 loss to the Akron RubberDucks on Thursday evening in front of 3,527 fans.
After going 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position on Wednesday evening in a 4-3 loss, the Curve followed it up with another 0 for 10 night with runners at second and third base.
"We understand the ebbs and flows of the season," Curve manager Andy Fox said. "The biggest thing is we have to get better with hitting with runners in scoring position. When you play tight games like this -- a one-run game last night, a two-run game today -- you scratch one or two more, it's a different story."
The Curve and RubberDucks split the two series in Akron earlier this season, but Altoona would have to fight back to take the final three games of this series in order to split this time.
"We can't put too much pressure on ourselves," Fox said.
Altoona starter Nick Dombkowski started off with three clean innings before running into trouble in the fourth where Akron plated two runs.
Dean Curley and Maick Collado had RBI singles to get the RubberDucks on the board.
The Curve got one back in the bottom half on a Javier Rivas sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.
Akron's Aaron Walton blooped a ball in no-man's land in center field that scored Jaison Chourio in the top of the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth with Robert Hassell III at first base, Callan Moss tripled down the right field line to bring Hassell all the way around from first base to make it 3-2.
Akron added one more in the top of the eighth on an RBI double from Curley.
Akron's Carter Rustad nailed down the final two innings of hitless ball for his third save of the season.
Moore's first game
Relief pitcher Andrew Moore was the piece back in the Pirates' trade with the San Diego Padres for relief pitcher Hunter Stratton, who was designated for assignment two days earlier.
Moore, who throws his fastball as hard as 98 miles per hour, made his first appearance in the Pirates organization for Altoona on Thursday.
The right-hander worked through some traffic on the basepaths in his one inning on the mound in the top of the seventh, but ended with a scoreless frame.
Moore, who was activated to the roster on Wednesday, spent this season in Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso.
In a combined 30 games between the two levels, he was 0-1 with a 3.46 earned run average. He had good numbers at the Double-A level, but struggled in El Paso.
He spent time with the State College Spikes in 2021 in the MLB Draft League in the hopes of getting a call from an organization. That happened with a 14th round selection by the Seattle Mariners that year.
"I know he's a big arm," Fox said. "He's had some Triple-A time. When they come here and have some Triple-A time, the job is to guide them the best we can for them to get out of here."
Up next
The series continues this evening with a 6 p.m. first pitch. The game will feature a pair of lefties starting. The Curve will send Connor Oliver to the mound against the RubberDucks' Caden Favors.