RubberDucks Outpitch Curve in 4-2 Defeat

CURVE, PA. – Thomas Harrington struck out six in 5.0 innings, but the Akron RubberDucks picked up a 4-2 win over the Curve on Friday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Akron starter Austin Peterson struck out ten over six innings in his Double-A debut for the ‘Ducks. Peterson retired 13 straight Curve hitters to start the game until Tsung-Che Cheng doubled to left and scored on Joe Perez’s two-run homer. Altoona managed just three hits and no walks against Akron’s starter on Friday night. Akron pitching racked up 15 strikeouts as Davis Sharp and Jack Leftwich covered three scoreless innings to finish the game.

Cheng had two hits and Jackson Glenn added a double in the sixth inning to account for Altoona’s four hits in the game.

Harrington worked around four hits in the third that led to Akron’s first two runs. Akron added a third run thanks to an error in the fourth inning by shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng. Grant Ford was the first reliever to emerge from the bullpen in the sixth and allowed three walks and a hit, but Emmanuel Chapman entered and quickly extinguished the fire in the sixth and set down all eight hitters he faced with five strikeouts to hold the line. Jack Carey tossed a scoreless ninth inning as Curve pitching combied for 11 strikeouts in the defeat.

The Curve continue their six-game series with the Akron RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Altoona will send RHP Po-Yu Chen to the mound, while the ‘Ducks counter with RHP Parker Messick.

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.