Walker Propels Curve To Victory

The win gave the Curve the series win as well as allowing them to enter the all-star break a game over .500 at 44-43.

The Curve needed another rally and got it in the tenth.  Baysox closer Bob McCrory walked Brian Peterson to start the inning.  Bryan Bass committed a key throwing error on a ball off the bat of Dave Parrish and the Curve had runners on the corners with nobody out.   Taber Lee then walked to load the bases.  However, McCrory struck out Jason Bowers and induced a force out at the plate from Vic Buttler.  With two outs, Walker doubled to left field to clear the bases and give the Curve a 9-6 lead.

The Curve got the game into the hands of closer Matt Peterson with a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the ninth.  But Paco Figueroa led off with his fourth hit of the ballgame and advanced to second as Val Majewski followed with a single.  Peterson got the first two outs of the inning, but Morgan Clendenin singled home Figueroa to tie the game, 6-6.  It was just the third blown save of the season for Peterson, who is currently second in the Eastern League with 18 saves.

Peterson (4-0) did earn the win despite putting two more men aboard in the bottom of the tenth.

The Baysox jumped on top against Munoz and the Curve in the second.  Oscar Salazar led off the inning with a double to left field and scored two batters later on an RBI single contributed by Bass.  The double was one of four hits on the night for Salazar and helped Bowie to a 1-0 lead.

Bowie made it 2-0 in the third inning.  With one out, Figueroa doubled down the left field line.  Munoz got Majewski to fly out to left field, but Salazar was at it again, doubling home Figueroa for a 2-0 lead.

The Curve got even in the fourth.  Bowie starter Chris Waters walked Andrew McCutchen to start the inning and McCutchen cruised around to cut the lead in half on a double for Javier Guzman.  Brian Peterson followed and scored Guzman with a single to the left side of the infield and the game stood tied, 2-2.

The Baysox took the lead back in the fifth and again it was Salazar who did the damage.  Salazar singled home Figueroa for a 3-2 Baysox lead.  But the Curve stormed to the lead in the sixth.  Waters walked both Jason Delaney and McCutchen to start the threat for Altoona.  Guzman then attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt which was thrown away by Waters allowing Delaney to score and leaving runners at the corners with nobody out.  Rosman Garcia relieved Waters, but delivered a wild pitch that allowed McCutchen to score for a 4-3 Altoona lead.  Peterson was then walked and both runners moved up on another wild pitch from Garcia.  Another pitch got to the backstop, but this time on a charged passed ball to Morgan Clendenin.  Guzman scored to put the Curve ahead, 5-3.  Parrish then singled back up the middle to plate Peterson and the Curve led, 6-3.

The Baysox cut the lead to one run with a pair of runs off of Curve reliever Dave Davidson in the seventh.  With one out, Figueroa doubled to start the Bowie rally.  Majewski was plunked by Davidson to put two runners aboard.  Parrish was then charged with a passed ball that allowed Figueroa to take third.  He scored from there as Davidson uncorked a wild pitch.  Salazar then collected his third RBI of the night as he singled to score Majewski.

Davidson got out of the inning and Chris Hernandez worked a scoreless eighth to keep the Curve in the lead.

Munoz turned in six innings in his return to the Curve, permitting three earned runs on nine hits.  Munoz did not factor in the decision.

McCrory (1-1) lost for the first time on the year after permitting the go-ahead runs to the Curve in the tenth inning.

The Curve will enjoy the league-wide All-Star break on Tuesday and Wednesday before welcoming in division leading Akron for a four-game series beginning Thursday night at 7:05 PM at Blair County Ballpark.  

-Altoona Curve