Curve Left Seasick in Series Finale

ERIE, Pa. – Kervin Pichardo hit his eighth home run of the season for Altoona on Sunday afternoon, but the Curve could not overcome an early 5-0 deficit as Erie won its fifth game of the series, 5-2, at UPMC Park.

Pichardo’s two-run shot came in the eighth inning after Nick Cimillo drew a walk to lead-off the frame. It was the first sign of life for Altoona, who had not had a baserunner to that point since a third-inning single. The Curve managed just three hits in the defeat.

Hunter Barco started the contest for Altoona but left in the second inning with an apparent injury after allowing a lead-off single to Jake Holton. Barco worked a scoreless first inning with a strikeout prior to his exit.

Emmanuel Chapman entered for the Curve and allowed Erie to score all five of their runs in the inning. Trei Cruz drew a bases-loaded walk before Brady Allen lifted a sacrifice fly. A few batters later, Hao-Yu Lee hit a three-run double to cap off Erie’s offense.

Eddy Yean was dominant in relief, tossing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts before Jack Carey threw a scoreless eighth inning. Troy Melton struck out eight batters in six scoreless innings for Erie to earn the win.

The Curve return to Peoples Natural Gas Field on Tuesday, July 31 to begin a six-game series against the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., with RHP Drake Fellows on the mound for Altoona against LHP John Michael Bertrand for Richmond.

For tickets and more information on the 2024 Altoona Curve Season, presented by Stuckey Automotive, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office. Additionally, the Stockyard Team Store is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during every home game and online 24/7/365.

We are on the board in the eighth with Kervin Pichardo's eighth home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/Ol4u5xJXmw

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) July 28, 2024