The Reading Phils seemed to own the Altoona Curve during the first four years of the Curve’s existence running up a 48-29 advantage from 1999-2002. Finally during the Curve’s Fifth Anniversary season in 2003, Altoona finally cut into that margin by taking the season series 13-7 to draw to within 55-42. The Curve won the first meeting of the 2004 campaign on Tuesday night, a 5-2 victory that also stretched Altoona’s home win streak to seven ballgames.
On Wednesday night however, the R-Phils took an early lead on a pair of unearned tallies in the top of the first at Blair County Ballpark, then used home run power to fashion an 11-3 triumph that was limited to eight innings when rain and lightning stopped the game just as the ninth inning was set to begin.
Miguel Quintana opened the game with a lead-off single. After Altoona starter Brady Borner retired the next two hitters, an error by Yurendell DeCaster at third base on a ball hit by Ryan Howard, allowed Quintana to come all the way around to score. An RBI single by Kurt Keene plated Howard with the second unearned run of the inning, although Keened was gunned out trying to stretch the hit into a double, leftfielder Ray Sadler to second baseman Jeff Keppinger for the final out of the inning.
The Curve came back with an unearned run of their own to slice the lead to 2-1. Chris Duffy walked to start the frame. Duffy stole second base and continued on to third when the throw from Reading catcher Carlos Ruiz hit Duffy and bounced into left field. Curve catcher Ryan Doumit scored Duffy with a groundout to Reading first baseman Howard.
Reading then used three dingers to put themselves out of reach. The R-Phils scored three times in the fourth with the big blow a two-run shot over the left field wall by Ruiz, three more in the seventh, two scoring on a homer that was just to the inside of the left field foul pole by Quintana and three more an inning later when pinch hitter John Castellano crushed a home run to left center that scored Ruiz and Reading third baseman Jeff Phelps, who had walked.
Altoona was held to three hits by starter Layne Dawson and Eude Brito and they all came in the fourth inning, when the Curve scored twice to close the score to 5-3.
Ronnie Paulino singled to right for the only base hit of the game that left the infield for Altoona. Nate McLouth dropped a drag bunt down the first base line and outraced Dawson to the bag for a base hit. With runners on first and second, Ray Sadler beat out a swinging bunt that loaded the bases. DeCaster was hit by a pitch to force in Paulino with the first run of the at bat. Kevin Nicholson scored McLouth with a sacrifice fly to center. With still only one out, Josh Bonifay, riding a 12-game hitting streak, came up to hit for Borner, but Dawson got the Curve pinch batter to ground into a second-to short-to first double play to prevent further damage.
Dawson (2-1), who tossed the first seven innings, giving up three runs, two earned with three strikeouts and two walks and Brito, who came in to pitch a one-two-three eighth inning, retired the final 12 Curve batters in a row over the last four innings to guarantee the win.
Jim Deschaine led Reading with two singles and a double and Quintana, Keens, Ruiz and shortstop Danny Gonzalez each had two hits.
Borner (2-2) went four innings, giving up five runs, three earned on three hits with three Ks and one base on balls to pick up the loss for Altoona. Brandon Agamennone pitched two and 2/3 innings allowing three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Newcomer David Lundquist, a right-hander activated from extended spring training, tossed the final inning and 1/3, giving up Castellano’s three-run homer, walking one batter and four hits.
After a rain delay of one hour and 15 minutes and with virtually none of the crowd of 4,020 remaining,the umpires called the game with eight complete innings played.
Kevin Nicholson played shortstop for Altoona, after the incumbent shortstop Brandon Chaves, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee on in a collision at first base on Tuesday night, Nicholson drove in the only Curve run with a sac fly and made two outstanding plays in the field.
Reading and Altoona conclude the series this morning at 10:35 in the final Kids game, then host New Britain in a four-game Memorial Day weekend set.
