Curve Win Streak Snapped at Five Games
By:
Updated: July 3, 2012
Leading 2-1 entering the eighth, Altoona brought reliever Jeff Inman (1-2) into the game to try and hold on to the one-run lead. Inman walked Eric Campbell to start the inning and then Allan Dykstra singled to move Campbell to third and put the tying run 90 feet away. Jefry Marte drew the second walk of the inning to load the bases before Dustin Martin hit into a fielder's choice that scored Campbell from third to tie the game at two.
With runners at the corners, catcher Francisco Pena also hit into a fielder's choice that was hit too slowly to be turned into a double play and the go-ahead run scored in Dykstra and Binghamton had its first lead since Game 1 of the series.
Altoona tried to mount a comeback in the ninth as Robbie Grossman led off the inning with a single, his third of the day, and the tying run was at first. Jarek Cunningham followed and grounded into a fielder's choice that saw Grossman retired at second but the Curve still had the tying run at first. Brock Holt battled, seeing upwards of 10 pitches in his at bat, before flying out to left for the second out of the ninth. Jeremy Farrell grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game.
The Curve took the initial lead in the game in the fourth of B-Mets starter Darin Gorski on a very odd play with Farrell at the plate. Gorski had fallen behind Farrell 2-0 with runners at second and third and elected to walk the Curve cleanup hitter to load the bases. His intentional ball four was wide of the catcher Pena and went to the backstop, allowing Grossman to score from third and give the Curve the game's first lead at 1-0.
Cunningham also moved up on the wild pitch and he came into score on a sac fly by Ramon Cabrera to make it 2-0. Those would be the only runs of the day as the offense fell silent the rest of the night. Binghamton countered with its own run in the bottom of the fourth but the game stayed in Altoona's favor after a strong relay throw by Holt gunned down Pena trying to score on Wilfredo Tovar's double to end the inning.
Brandon Cumpton battled through five innings on Tuesday night and left in line for the win but finished with a no decision. Cumpton finished five innings and allowed one run on four hits but walked four on the day. Logan Kensing worked two scoreless innings in his second appearance off the DL.
From Altoona Curve reports:
