Get out the brooms! Altoona swept the Reading Phils this week, taking game number four by a 4-0 count on Wednesday night. The Altoona club clinched their first playoff berth in the opening game of the series on Monday, then proceeded to take the second game of the double header and followed that up with shutout wins the past two nights as well to keep right on rolling. Reading was able to manage just 18 hits and two runs in the four-game series, while the Curve pounded out 37 hits and scored 23 runs.
On Wednesday, it was Ian Oquendo’s turn on the mound in front of 5,141 fans at Blair County Ballpark. Oquendo (4-0), who won his fourth game in five starts since his promotion from Lynchburg, tossed shutout ball over the first seven innings on three hits, striking out five and walking a pair.
Mike Johnston pitched the final two innings allowing no runs on one hit with one strikeout.
Former Curve righty Brad Guy started for the Phils. Guy pitched well, but made two bad pitches in four and 1/3 innings on the mound.
Both of them left Blair County Ballpark.
Guy recorded two quick outs in the bottom of the third, before walking Brett Roneberg. J. R. House ripped a long home run that landed halfway up the hill beyond the new left field bleachers for a two-run dinger that gave Oquendo all the support he would need.
“Everything has been great,” said House. “We have been winning and I have been able to get some ABs (at bats). I think I hit one further my first year here, but that one tonight felt good coming off the bat.”
House also made a great defensive play catching a foul ball behind the plate for the first out of the eighth. “It hung up enough for me to get back there and grab a hold of it. For all the young kids out there, that’s why you use two hands, because, I didn’t catch that in the glove.” House had Tommy John surgery to his right elbow and missed the first three and a half months of the season and is still recovering. “Some days I can’t throw at all,” explained the Curve catcher, “and some days it feels better than it ever has. I’m still about a month and a half away from being 100 percent. By the time I get to the (Arizona) Fall League and get my feet wet out there, I should be good to go.”
In the fifth, Guy retired Oquendo for the first out, but right fielder Ray Sadler belted a pitch just to the left of the Adam Hyzdu #16 pole in left field to make the score 3-0.
“I’m just coming over here to help out anywhere they need me,” said Sadler, who has played 10 games for the Curve since being obtained from the Chicago Cubs organization as part of the Randall Simon trade. “These guys gave me a good welcome when I first came here to make me feel comfortable. I was still a little shaky the first few games, but I learned to relax and just play ball. This clubhouse is great. When there is a problem, we come together and talk and solve the problem. Coming here from another clubhouse, it was teamwork, but in the clubhouse, everyone kind of was for themselves. Here, it’s all for one, one for all.”
Sadler also turned in one of the game’s top defensive plays when he gunned down Scott Youngbauer, who was trying to score from second base on Jay Sitzman’s single to right in the sixth inning. As Youngbauer approached home plate, House was there with the ball for the easy tag.
Altoona scored one more unearned run in the sixth inning. House was safe at first on a bang-bang play on an infield grounder when first baseman Nate Espy threw the ball wildly. Josh Bonifay singled with one out and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Ray Navarrete was walked intentionally to load the bases. Joe Caruso spoiled that strategy with a line single to left that scored House with the final run of the game.
“We have been playing well,” said Curve manager Dale Sveum. “Our pitching was just outstanding for four games only giving up two runs. We were really only a double play ball from allowing just a solo home run in four games. Obviously we swung the bats really well. We drove the ball, got some home runs tonight. Oquendo has done a great job since coming up. He hasn’t struggled at all with the jump up to the older hitters. He has thrown strikes and made them swing the bats. He’s had control of all his pitches and he’s really competed well.”
Chris Duffy, Jose Castillo and Josh Bonifay each had two hits. Duffy had a triple, but was stranded at third base in the first inning. Castillo doubled down the left field line in the eighth and was thrown out on a good relay trying to stretch the hit into a three-bagger.
The Curve have Thursday off before ending the season with five games at Blair County Ballpark against Erie, beginning with a doubleheader Friday. Game time is set for 6:05 for game one.
Eastern League ERA leader Landon Jacobsen (9-10, 2.83) will pitch game one against the Seawolves’ Kenny Baugh (6-9, 4.82) and in the nightcap, it will be Sean Burnett (13-6, 3.14) tied for the lead in the Eastern League in wins against Erie’s Preston Larrison (4-11, 5.00).
