Pair of Curve Homers Not Enough on Tuesday Night

Nick Cimillo hit his first Double-A home run in the loss.

By Preston Shoemaker

July 23, 2024

ERIE, Pa. – Nick Cimillo hit his first Double-A home run with Altoona on Tuesday night to headline a six-run, 12-hit effort for the Curve offense, but it was not enough to overcome a late SeaWolves rally as Erie defeated the Curve, 8-6, at UPMC Park. Altoona jumped out to

ERIE, Pa. – Nick Cimillo hit his first Double-A home run with Altoona on Tuesday night to headline a six-run, 12-hit effort for the Curve offense, but it was not enough to overcome a late SeaWolves rally as Erie defeated the Curve, 8-6, at UPMC Park.

Altoona jumped out to an early first inning lead on an Abrahan Gutierrez RBI-single four batters into the game. It would be the only run the Curve could bring across in the frame, as they stranded the bases loaded. Gutierrez added an RBI-double later in the game to tie it 6-6 in the eighth.

Kervin Pichardo hit his sixth home run of the season in the second inning to give Altoona a 3-1 lead. Cimillo would later add two runs in the seventh on his 18^th home run of the season and first with the Curve.

Chris Gau started a bullpen game for the Curve, allowing two runs in two innings on the start. Carlos Mendoza homered for Erie in the bottom of the first inning before Brady Allen lifted a sacrifice fly in the second inning.

Grant Ford then bridged the gap for the Curve with four scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits with three strikeouts. Jaden Woods was touched for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, allowing a two-run home run to Allen and loading the bases with two outs for Jack Carey, who allowed a two-run double to Trei Cruz. Carey took the loss after allowing a two-run home run in the eighth inning to Ben Malgeri.

Altoona continues a six-game series with the Erie SeaWolves, Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, on Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. RHP Drake Fellows is slated to start for the Curve with RHP Garrett Burhenn on the bump for the SeaWolves. The Curve return to Peoples Natural Gas Field on Tuesday, July 31 against the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

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.