In the first of back-to-back Kids Day games which begin at 10:35 a.m., the Altoona Curve sent the 6,045 fans, most of them children home with a 3-2 Curve win in 11 innings.
With both teams getting extra fine pitching for the second straight day, a sacrifice fly off the bat of light-hitting Altoona shortstop Brandon Chaves in the 11th inning proved to be the difference. “You always want to be up there and be the hero,” Chaves said. “Today was a lucky day.”
Josh Bonifay and Ronnie Paulino led off the bottom of the 11th by drawing walks from Norwich reliever Anthony Pannone, who had just come on in relief to start the frame. Navigators manager Dave Machemer brought in Norwich righty Luke Anderson at that point. Anderson got one out on a sacrifice bunt by Curve left fielder Ray Sadler that moved the runners up to second and third base, but then Craig Stansberry fought off several tough pitches on the inside to work a full-count walk to load the bases. With the defense in for a possible play at the plate, Chaves swung at the first pitch, lifting a fly ball deep enough to right field to score Bonifay with the winning run.
“He was aggressive, he expanded the zone and got something mid-to-upper level of the strike zone,” said Curve manager Tony Beasley in explaining the Chaves at bat. “And he did what he was supposed to do, get the ball in the air with the infield in and gave us a chance, and we were able to score the winning run.
“I thought Stansberry’s bat was huge also. If he gets Stansberry out, he walks Chaves and forces us to make a move with the pitcher due up. I would probably have used (Jose) Bautista, but he’s still iffy (after getting hurt running out a base hit on Monday). I didn’t have anybody else left to use.”
Stansberry hadn’t hit a fair ball all day, with three strikeouts and a foul pop in four previous trips to the plate.
Curve starter Paul Stewart had pitched the first seven innings allowing two runs on just three hits with six strike outs and two walks in one of his best outings of the season. Stewart began the season 3-1 with a 1.19 ERA, but then struggled dropping two decisions and giving up 17 earned runs in his next 16 innings on the mound.
“Stewart did a nice job,” said Beasley. “The bullpen has been kind of beat up. We were kind of strapped. Izzy (Hansel Izquierdo) was taking his citizenship test. Johnson hadn’t been on the mound to face hitters for a while. We used some guys last night, so we were kind of scrounging out there a little bit.”
James Johnson, who hadn’t pitched to live hitters since May 13, after a spell on the DL, tossed a pair of scoreless innings allowing just one hit and then Curve closer Justin Kaye finished the game with two scoreless innings to pick up his first win of the year striking out two and walking one.
“We got through it, we were able to pitch well enough to stay in the ballgame,” said Beasley, “and hang on long enough until we able to score a run and win the ballgame.”
Each team scored a solo tally in the first inning. Down 1-0, Jorge Cortes singled with one out, advanced to second on a base hit by Tom Evans and scored on a two-out single by Ronnie Paulino.
The Curve took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Cortes and Evans singled with one down and when Evans base hit to center got past Norwich centerfielder Fred Lewis for an error, Cortes scored all the way from first.
Carlos Valderrama tied the game by taking Stewart yard into the left field bleachers and the pitchers on both sides tossed goose eggs the rest of the way until the 11th.
