Today in Curve History

January

January 22, 2019 – The Curve revealed their promotional plan to temporarily change the team name to the ‘Allegheny Yinzers’ for seven games during the 2019 season.
January 31, 2012 – The Curve and Peoples Natural Gas struck the first naming rights deal to Altoona’s ballpark that renamed the stadium from Blair County Ballpark to Peoples Natural Gas Field.

February

February 21, 2019 – The Eastern League announced a monumental shift in the league’s playoff format. Rather than a full-season division champion and wild card from each division, the league instituted a split-season that crowned a two division champions (one for each half season) to determine playoff qualification. It was the first time since 1982 that the EL used a split season.
February 26, 2018 – The Curve announced the promotional schedule for the club’s 20th season at a special ceremony at Baker Mansion in Altoona. Promotional highlights included an 11-bobblehead series to commemorate the franchise’s all-time team and a visit to Peoples Natural Gas Field by Curve legend Adam Hyzdu.

March

March 7, 1998 – The groundbreaking ceremony for Altoona’s new ballpark took place on the future site of Peoples Natural Gas Field.
March 12, 2020 - Shortly after Major League Baseball paused spring training due to the coronavirus pandemic, Minor League Baseball announced the 2020 season would be delayed. The MiLB season was ultimately canceled on June 30.
March 17, 2018 – During a ceremony at LECOM Park in Bradenton to honor the 2017 Eastern League champions, the Curve and Pittsburgh Pirates announced the extension of their Player Development Contract through the 2022 season
March 30, 2013 – The Curve welcomed the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second-ever exhibition game between the MLB club and Double-A affiliate. A PNG Field-record 10,116 fans watched the contest, which resulted in an 8-6 win for the Curve. Former Curve outfielder Starling Marte hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 for the Bucs. Additionally, the Pirates and Curve announced an extension to their PDC through the 2018 season and Altoona revealed it would be the host site to the 2014 Eastern League All-Star Game.

April

April 2, 2006 – The Curve and Pittsburgh Pirates announce a four-year extension to their Player Development Contract through the 2010 season.
April 3, 2002 – The Altoona Curve ownership transfer from the Lozinak family to Chuck Greenberg became official less than 48 hours prior to Opening Day 2002. Todd “Parney” Parnell is tabbed as the club’s third general manager.
April 3, 2002 – On the day of the ownership transfer, the Curve hosted an exhibition game against Penn State’s baseball team at Blair County Ballpark. The Curve were victorious, 3-2, in the seven-inning contest.
April 3, 2003 – The Curve played the earliest Opening Day game in franchise history by starting the 2003 season at Reading. That record would be tied once more in 2008. On Opening Day 2003, the Curve lost, 8-7, while Josh Bonifay and Chris Duffy each made their Double-A debuts.
April 4, 2003 – Sean Burnett, the 19th overall selection in the 2000 draft and Pittsburgh’s No. 2 prospect, made his Double-A debut for the Curve at Reading. He threw five one-run frames but was handed the loss as a result of Altoona’s 5-0 loss.
April 4, 2013 – Gift Ngoepe became the first player born on the African continent to play for the Curve when he made his Double-A debut in the 2013 season opener at Erie. Ngoepe became the first African-born player to play Major League Baseball four years later when he debuted with the Pirates on April 26, 2017.
April 4, 2019 – James Marvel turned in the best Opening Day start by a Curve starting pitcher, leading a 5-0 victory at Akron to extend Altoona’s Opening Day winning streak to three in a row. Marvel set or tied Opening Day pitching records with six innings pitched, did not allow a run, held Akron to one hit and struck out nine hitters.
April 5, 2003 – Josh Bonifay connected on the first two hits of his storied Curve career, a double and the first of his club-record 55 homers, during an 11-2 win at Reading.
April 5, 2012 – On Opening Day, the Curve and Pirates announced the two ballclubs will meet for an exhibition game in 2013. On the field that night, Altoona bettered Erie, 7-4, with the help of a two-run homer by Robbie Grossman, who was making his Double-A debut and was one of the Pirates’ top prospects to open the season.
April 5, 2018 – The Curve rolled out one of the most prospect-laden Opening Day lineups in franchise history and defeated Akron, 6-5, at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Fresh off the 2017 Eastern League Championship, the 2018 Curve opened the season with three first-round picks (Cole Tucker, 2014; Ke’Bryan Hayes, 2015; Will Craig, 2016), one second-round pick (Bryan Reynolds, 2016 by San Francisco) and one third-round draft choice (Stephen Alemais, 2016). Additionally, 10 of Pittsburgh’s Top 30 prospects were on the Opening Day roster.
April 6, 2014 – Nick Kingham led a 5-1 win vs. Erie at PNG Field with six scoreless innings, struck out six and held the SeaWolves to three hits.
April 6, 2018 – Dario Agrazal dazzled in his second Double-A start and 2018 season debut with six hitless frames vs. Akron. Agrazal’s Double-A debut was cut short on June 21, 2017 and he missed the remainder of that season. In his return to the mound, he walked three and hit one batter and departed with a 6-0 lead before Akron stormed back to win, 7-6.
April 7, 2000 – The Curve played at home on Opening Day for the first time and defeated Harrisburg, 7-3. Rob Mackowiak went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs while Adam Hyzdu contributed an RBI during a 1-for-3 showing in his return to Altoona.
April 7, 2005 – Altoona opened the 2005 season with a 5-4 loss at Reading and had a pair of long-time major leaguers in the lineup: Rajai Davis and Jose Bautista. It was the Double-A debut for Davis, who went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and swiped the first of his single-season record 45 stolen bases. Bautista played his first game with the Curve after he went through the Rule 5 process during the 2004 season where he played for four MLB clubs.
April 7, 2007 – The third and final game of the season-opening series at Erie was postponed due to snow. It still stands as the only series in franchise history to be completely wiped out due to inclement weather.
April 7, 2011 – Future MLB All-Stars Brock Holt and Starling Marte made their Double-A debuts atop Altoona’s Opening Day lineup at Erie. The Curve lost the contest, however, by a 3-2 score.
April 8, 2004 – The Curve bettered Portland, 3-2, on Opening Day behind five scoreless innings by winning pitcher Ian Snell. Future big leaguers Nate McLouth and Jeff Keppinger each made their Double-A debuts. McLouth recorded the first of his single-season record 40 doubles while Keppinger, the 2004 Eastern League batting champion, went 1-for-3.
April 8, 2009 – Jim Negrych exploded for four hits during an 8-7 Opening Day loss at Erie. His 4-for-5 performance included three runs, two doubles and an RBI, which stands as the best offensive effort by a Curve hitter in a season opener.
April 8, 2010 – The eventual Eastern League champion Curve rolled out a loaded Opening Day lineup during a 5-1 Opening Day victory vs. Harrisburg. Led by No. 5 Pirates prospect Chase d’Arnaud, Top 30 prospects Jordy Mercer, Josh Harrison and Gorkys Hernandez were also in the Opening Day lineup and all made their Double-A debuts. Pitching prospects Daniel Moskos, Tim Alderson and Rudy Owens were also on the team’s roster.
April 8, 2019 – The Curve won, 6-3, at Erie to improve to 5-0 and tied the 2006 Curve for the most consecutive wins to begin a season in franchise history.
April 9, 1999 – The Curve open up the first game in franchise history at Reading. The game was suspended after one inning and completed the following day as a doubleheader.
April 9, 2005 – Former Pirates first-round draft pick Paul Maholm (eighth overall pick in 2003) made his Double-A debut with the Curve at Reading. He pitched five innings, struck out six and allowed three runs, two earned, in a no-decision while the Curve went on to win the game, 8-7.
April 9, 2009 – A pair of first-round picks made their Double-A debuts for the Curve in a 10-7 loss at Erie. Starting pitcher Brad Lincoln, the fourth overall selection by the Pirates in the 2006 draft, pitched four innings and struck out six despite three runs allowed. Daniel Moskos, the fourth overall pick by Pittsburgh in 2007, debuted out of the bullpen and allowed one run during his lone inning of work.
April 9, 2010 – The famous San Diego Chicken visited Blair County Ballpark.
April 9, 2011 – After he went hitless in his first two Double-A games, Starling Marte broke out with a 4-for-5 performance that included a double. That game started a 13-game hitting streak for Marte, accounted for the first four hits of his league-high 178 hits and included the first of his league-leading 38 doubles during his EL Rookie of the Year season.
April 9, 2013 – Andrew Lambo completed the first and only cycle in franchise history during a 14-6 win at Akron. He collected a single, double, triple and home run in order for the “natural cycle”. He completed one of baseball’s rarest feats in his first four at-bats and only needed five innings to do it.
April 10, 1999 – After the first game in franchise history was suspended due to rain after one inning the day before, the completion of the 1999 season opener resulted in a 6-2 loss for the Curve at Reading. However, the new franchise earned it’s first victory hours later. Altoona recorded a five-run first inning backed by 5.1, four-run frames from starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo to aid a 6-4 win in game two.
April 10, 2003 – Sean Burnett earned his first Double-A win in Altoona’s home opener. He pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked one and struck out five in the Curve’s 4-1 win vs. Reading.
April 10, 2006 – The Curve beat Erie, 9-1, to improve to 5-0 on the season and set the franchise’s longest winning streak to open up a season.
April 11, 1999 – Luis Iglesias hit the first home run in franchise history, a solo shot, during a 5-1 loss at Reading. The contest was the final game of the franchise’s first series.
April 11, 2004 – Bryan Bullington made his Double-A debut with the Curve vs. Portland. Bullington was the No. 1 overall pick by the Pirates in the 2002 draft and was the first No. 1 overall pick assigned to Altoona (Kris Benson, the 1996 No. 1 pick, played on MLB rehab for the Curve in 2002). The right-hander held the Sea Dogs to one unearned run over 5.1 innings but did not receive a decision in Altoona’s 6-1 win.
April 11, 2010 – Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft by the Washington Nationals, made his professional debut for the Harrisburg Senators at Blair County Ballpark. A standing-room-only crowd of 7,887 fans made the game the highest-attended April game in franchise history. ESPNews aired Strasburg’s half innings to a national audience. Strasburg pitched five innings, allowed four runs, one earned, and struck out eight while picking up the winning decision in Harrisburg’s 6-4 victory.
April 11, 2015 – Pirates’ top prospect Tyler Glasnow made his Double-A debut with the Curve during a 4-1 loss at Harrisburg. Glasnow threw five scoreless frames, allowed two hits, walked four and fanned six hitters in a no-decision.
April 11, 2016 – During a 9-1 loss to the Akron RubberDucks, Bradley Zimmer put on a power display at PNG Field. The left-hand hitting No. 1 prospect of the Cleveland Indians muscled his first of two homers in the game off the videoboard in left-center during the seventh inning. Later in the ninth inning, he hit a mammoth home run to right-center field that cleared the lower turn of “The Skyliner” roller coaster.
April 12, 1999 – Curve pitcher Aaron France socked a solo home run at Harrisburg, the first pitcher in team history to do so in just the franchise’s fourth game. France pitched 4.2 scoreless innings of relief during a 6-4 victory.
April 12, 2010 – The Curve faced Richmond’s new Double-A franchise, the Flying Squirrels, for the first time. Altoona won the game, 4-1, at Blair County Ballpark.
April 12, 2013 – Jameson Taillon started Altoona’s home opener vs. Harrisburg and struck out 10 hitters. However, the right-hander was tagged with the losing decision after he allowed two runs of a 4-0 defeat.
April 13, 1999 – Kevin Haverbusch blasted the first grand slam in franchise history during an 11-8 victory at Harrisburg. It turned out to be a difference-maker in the contest as well. Haverbusch’s slam aided a five-run seventh inning and Altoona took a 9-5 lead before the Curve held on for an 11-8 win.
April 13, 2010 – The Curve and Richmond Flying Squirrels played a 14-inning contest that ended in a 1-0 win for the Curve. Josh Harrison connected on a walk-off single to end the second-longest 1-0 game in team history. Michael Crotta pitched seven scoreless, one-hit innings for the Curve while Richmond’s Mike McDonald lasted six scoreless innings.
April 14, 2000 – The Curve mounted a valiant comeback against Reading at Blair County Ballpark. Reading led the contest, 8-4, until the Curve scored six times in the bottom of the eighth for a 10-8 victory.
April 14, 2005 – Paul Maholm earned his first Double-A win in Altoona’s home opener. The Curve beat Erie, 7-3, and Maholm pitched six two-run innings without an earned run allowed. Ben Shaffar pitched the final three innings with seven strikeouts and allowed one run.
April 15, 1999 – The first home game in franchise history at Blair County Ballpark took place in front of 6,171 fans. After a 57-minute rain delay, the Curve defeated the Bowie Baysox, 6-1, with the help of six scoreless innings by starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo.
April 15, 2010 – One year after starting the 2009 season with an 0-8 record, the Curve defeated Erie, 13-5, to improve to 7-1 on the young season. Matt Hague led the way offensively with three extra-base hits, two doubles and a home run.
April 16, 1999 – Altoona received Pirates pitcher Marc Wilkins for the team’s first-ever MLB rehab assignment. Wilkins pitched a scoreless ninth inning to finish off an 8-3 win vs. Bowie.
April 16, 2002 – The Curve hammered out 19 hits during a 10-4 victory vs. Erie at Blair County Ballpark.
April 16, 2009 – Altoona avoided a no-hitter vs. Erie when Jamie Romak hit a two-out double in the bottom of the ninth off Erie’s third pitcher of the game, Brett Jensen. Erie won the game, 3-0.
April 17, 2004 – The Curve played the fastest nine-inning game in franchise history on City Island in Harrisburg. The contest took just 1:51 and the Curve defeated the Senators, 1-0. Altoona’s Bryan Bullington earned his first Double-A win with six scoreless innings.
April 17, 2009 – The Curve dropped to 0-8 after a 3-1 loss vs. Erie, the longest losing streak to start any season in team history.
April 17, 2013 – Jameson Taillon spun seven scoreless, two-hit frames and struck out six batters for his second win of the season. The Curve defeated Richmond, 4-3.
April 17, 2015 – Tyler Glasnow made his first start at PNG Field and earned his first Double-A win during a 2-1 victory vs. Akron. The Pirates’ top prospect pitched six one-run frames and struck out seven hitters.
April 18, 2005 – Rajai Davis scored a then-team record four runs and stole three bases during an 8-4 win vs. Akron. At the plate, he went 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI.
April 18, 2008 – Melvin Dorta went 5-for-5 with two doubles despite a 13-4 loss vs. Erie.
April 18, 2009 – The Curve snapped their eight-game losing streak to start the season with a 7-5 win over Erie.
April 19, 1999 – The Curve pitched the first team shutout in franchise history with a 9-0 victory vs. Harrisburg. Paul Ah Yat threw seven, three-hit frames paired with single scoreless innings from Matt Dunbar and David Daniels.
April 19, 2000 – The Bowie Baysox pitched the first no-hitter in Blair County Ballpark history. It was also the first no-hitter experienced by the Curve, home or away. During the second game of a doubleheader, Baysox starter Sean Douglass held the Curve hitless over the first six innings before Jimmy Hamilton closed out the seventh.
April 20, 2002 – The Curve posted eight runs in the first inning at Bowie that fueled a 13-2 win. Shawn Garrett knocked in four RBIs with a homer while John Pachot went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. On the mound, Mike Gonzalez pitched six two-run innings with seven strikeouts.
April 20, 2006 – The Curve posted the most runs and largest margin of victory in franchise history with an 18-4 win vs. Akron.
April 20, 2013 – Francisco Liriano made a rehab start for the Curve at Harrisburg but allowed four runs on four hits and three walks over 2.2 innings. Altoona lost the game, 4-1, in the first game of a doubleheader.
April 20, 2019 – James Marvel pitched a one-hit, complete-game shutout at Richmond.
April 21, 2003 – Shawn Garrett led a 9-7 win at Erie by reaching base four times and drove in five RBIs. Garrett went 2-for-2 with two homers, walked one and was hit by a pitch during the first game of a doubleheader.
April 21, 2010 – Tony Watson earned his first Double-A win thanks to 3.1 scoreless innings of relief and three late runs scored by the Curve during a 9-6 win at Akron.
April 21, 2014 – Elias Diaz roped four singles and knocked home three RBIs during a 10-1 win vs. Harrisburg.
April 22, 2010 – Rudy Owens tossed six one-run frames vs. Erie during a 3-2 Curve victory. Owens received his first of 12 wins during the Curve’s 2010 championship season. Jordy Mercer led the offense by going 3-for-4 with a double, triple and home run.
April 22, 2011 – The Curve defeated Richmond, 11-5, in 15 innings thanks to a six-run outburst in the top of the 15th. Starling Marte drove in six runs, including a three-run triple that broke the game open and he scored on the play due to a throwing error by the right fielder.
April 23, 2002 – Curve pitchers Adrian Burnside, Neal McDade and Chris Spurling combine for Altoona’s first no-hitter and the first nine-inning no-no at Blair County Ballpark. The 2-0 win vs. Akron began with five hitless frames by Burnside despite six walks. McDade followed with three no-hit innings and Spurling closed things out with a perfect ninth inning.
April 23, 2007 – Andrew McCutchen tied a then-team record with four runs scored during an 8-7 loss vs. Bowie. He went 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, one triple and drew a walk.
April 23, 2013 – Future MLB All-Star Charlie Morton made a rehab outing for the Curve at Richmond and pitched four one-hit innings.
April 23, 2014 – The Curve and Harrisburg Senators went back-and-forth in a classic at PNG Field. After the Curve jumped out to a 5-0 lead through three innings, Harrisburg answered and built up a 9-6 advantage entering the bottom of the ninth. Then, Altoona rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth to win, 10-9. Justin Howard led off the ninth with a solo home run and Elias Diaz won it with a sacrifice fly. Stetson Allie had a big day by going 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and totaled five RBIs.
April 24, 2015 – Keon Broxton enjoyed a six-RBI game to help the Curve to a 12-3 win at Erie. Altoona’s leadoff hitter went 2-for-5 with a double and a seventh-inning grand slam.
April 24, 2020 – The Eastern League and Binghamton Rumble Ponies announced the cancellation of the 2020 Eastern League All-Star Game due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The minor league season was ultimately canceled on June 30.
April 25, 1999 – Starting pitcher Paul Ah Yat threw eight one-hit, one-run innings with 10 strikeouts at Bowie. His no-hit bid lasted 7.1 innings, the second-longest by an individual in franchise history. As a result, Ah Yat was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week, the first player in franchise history to receive league-wide recognition.
April 25, 2006 – Trailing Portland, 4-1, entering the bottom of the ninth inning, Adam Boeve hit a two-run homer before a solo shot by Brett Roneberg tied the game two batters later to force extra innings. The Curve won in 11 innings on a walk-off single by Brandon Chaves.
April 25, 2011 – Future MLB All-Stars Brock Holt and Starling Marte each collected four hits in an 8-7 win at Harrisburg.
April 26, 2000 – The Curve lost their franchise record 11th straight game with a 3-2 defeat at Harrisburg. The streak is snapped the next day at home with a 3-2 win over Erie.
April 26, 2001 – Pitcher Randy Galvez hit a home run at Harrisburg, the third by a pitcher in franchise history. On the mound, Galvez turned in a quality start with six innings and three runs allowed, two earned, for the winning decision.
April 26, 2005 – The Curve and Erie SeaWolves smash eight combined home runs at Jerry Uht Park, a game that Erie won, 15-11. Josh Bonifay, Brad Eldred and Tom Evans all homered for the Curve while Eldred started a six-game home run streak.
April 27, 1998 – Altoona is officially granted a new franchise by the Eastern League.
April 27, 2000 – The Curve snapped the longest losing streak in franchise history (11 games). The Curve trailed Erie, 2-1, at the stretch and tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh. Adam Hyzdu delivered a walk-off double with two outs to lift Altoona to a 3-2 victory.
April 27, 2003 – A pair of first-round pitchers square off at Blair County Ballpark with Altoona’s Sean Burnett (2000 by the Pirates) facing Jeremy Guthrie (2002 by Cleveland) for Akron. Guthrie went the distance with a three-hit shutout and struck out six Curve hitters while Burnett allowed three runs over five frames. Akron won the contest, 4-0.
April 27, 2004 – During the first game of a doubleheader, Curve starter Ian Snell and Norwich’s Josh Habel threw dual complete games in Connecticut. Josh Bonifay connected on an RBI double in the seventh for the game’s lone run while Snell held Norwich to three hits in his shutout effort.
April 27, 2013 – The Curve played their 1000th regular-season home game at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Curve fan Susan Mielnik is also honored for attending her 1000th consecutive regular-season home game. On the field, Jameson Taillon made the start for the Curve but Altoona lost to Erie, 3-1.
April 28, 2004 – Altoona swept a doubleheader at Norwich, which completed a four-game series over two days that featured back-to-back doubleheaders. The Curve went 3-1 in the series.
April 28, 2013 – Charlie Morton pitched six one-run innings on MLB rehab during a 3-1 Curve win vs. Erie.
April 28, 2015 – Altoona played a tight contest at Akron. Tied up a 1-1 through 13 innings, the Curve scored three times in the top of the 14th but Akron plated four of their own to beat Altoona, 5-4.
April 29, 2005 – Brad Eldred tied Rob Mackowiak’s Curve record with his third grand slam during a 10-3 win vs. Trenton.
April 29, 2018 – The Curve overcame a seven-run deficit to win at Harrisburg, tying a team record for the largest comeback to win. The Senators led, 8-1, before the Curve stormed back to win, 9-8, including six runs by Altoona in the top of the ninth.
April 29, 2019 – Casey Mize pitched a no-hitter in his Double-A debut for the Erie SeaWolves at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The historic performance resulted in the first individual nine-inning no-hitter ever thrown at Altoona's ballpark. The first overall pick by the Tigers in the 2018 draft struck out seven Curve hitters during Erie’s 1-0 win. After Mize hit his first batter of the game, he mowed down every other hitter aside from a two-out walk in the seventh inning.
April 30, 2017 – Curve pitcher Alex McRae hit a solo home run vs. Harrisburg, the first by an Altoona pitcher since 2010 and just the second at PNG Field. His blast tied the game, 1-1, and fueled a three-run third. McRae also pitched seven two-run innings and earned the winning decision of Altoona’s 3-2 victory.

May

May 1, 2001 – Led by four hits from Shaun Skrehot, the Curve set a then-team record with 21 hits in a 12-2 win vs. Harrisburg.
May 1, 2007 – Future World Series MVP Steve Pearce made his Double-A debut with the Curve as a pinch-hitter at Connecticut.
May 1, 2014 – Alen Hanson and Gift Ngoepe opened a game at Erie with back-to-back home runs, the first time in franchise history that the Curve hit consecutive homers to begin a game. The Curve won that contest, 9-4, which was part of a doubleheader that began at 11:06 in the morning.
May 1, 2015 – Tyler Glasnow and Josh Bell led the Curve to a 2-0 win over Erie. Glasnow was nearly unhittable on the mound and allowed just one hit and struck out seven over six scoreless innings. Additionally, Glasnow sat down the first 14 batters he faced and his only baserunner reached on a fifth-inning single. Bell, meanwhile, went 3-for-4 and knocked home both Altoona runs.
May 2, 1999 – The first walk-off win in Curve history was recorded after a solo home run by Tike Redman lifted Altoona over Bowie, 5-4.
May 2, 2001 – The Curve turned the first triple play in franchise history vs. Harrisburg. The play went from catcher J.R. House to shortstop Shaun Skrehot to second baseman Chris Peterson.
May 2, 2004 – Ian Snell struck out 12 Erie SeaWolves to lead a 2-1 Curve win. The pitching prospect was dominant with eight one-run innings and surrendered five hits. The Curve won in 10 innings after a walk-off single by Tomas de la Rosa.
May 2, 2005 – Brad Eldred smacked two more home runs vs. Reading to extend his home run streak to six consecutive games. As Eldred broke Adam Hyzdu’s 1999 club record of five straight games with a homer, it turned out to be Eldred’s final game with the Curve before his promotion to Triple-A. In just 60 games with the Curve from 2004-05, Eldred hit 30 homers with 87 RBIs and a 1.104 OPS.
May 2, 2007 – Steve Pearce made his first start for the Curve at Connecticut. He hit a line-drive homer in his first at-bat and doubled in his second plate appearance as the Curve won, 5-4.
May 2, 2010 – The Curve faced Stephen Strasburg for a second time after his April 11 MiLB debut. Altoona posted four runs in the second inning and handed the right-hander his first professional loss in a 6-2 win at Harrisburg.
May 2, 2015 – Josh Bell drove in all five runs of the Curve’s 5-3 win vs. Erie. Bell recorded a sacrifice fly in the first, an RBI groundout in the third inning and capped the night off with a dramatic two-out, three-run walk-off homer in the ninth to take Altoona from down 3-2 to a 5-3 victory. That walk-off home run was Bell’s first Double-A homer.
May 3, 2002 – Tony Alvarez compiled a 5-for-5 game vs. Bowie and the Curve downed the Baysox, 10-5, at Blair County Ballpark.
May 3, 2006 – Brett Roneberg went 5-for-6 at Erie. The Curve entered the ninth inning down, 5-4, and scored seven runs to down the SeaWolves, 11-5.
May 3, 2010 – The Curve visited The Diamond in Richmond for the first time and lost, 9-5, to the Flying Squirrels.
May 3, 2016 – The Curve’s 14-0 loss at Erie set a franchise record for the largest shutout defeat in club history.
May 4, 2003 – After homering in four straight games, Josh Bonifay nearly tied Adam Hyzdu’s record home run streak with a double off the wall in the ninth inning. The Curve defeated Akron, 11-1.
May 4, 2005 – Tom Gorzelanny made his first regular-season Double-A start and earned the winning decision after six scoreless innings at Blair County Ballpark. As the Curve downed Reading, 7-6, Gorzelanny allowed just two hits and struck out seven.
May 4, 2010 – Rudy Owens pitched six no-hit innings and struck out 11 hitters at Richmond as the Curve earned a 9-1 win.
May 5, 2000 – Adam Hyzdu tied his own franchise record with seven RBIs at Bowie. Hyzdu had four hits, including a pair of home runs, as the Curve thrashed Bowie, 16-7.
May 6, 2003 – Landon Jacobsen went the distance during an 11-1 win at Akron. Over nine innings, Jacobsen allowed one run on three hits, walked two and struck out one.
May 6, 2015 – Adam Frazier made his Double-A debut as a pinch-hitter vs. Richmond and delivered a single in his first plate appearance.
May 7, 2003 – Jose Castillo recorded a five-hit game (5-for-6) at Akron while the Curve racked up 21 total hits in a 10-2 victory.
May 7, 2018 – The Curve and Bowie Baysox played a nine-inning game in just one hour and 51 minutes, resulting in a 2-0 victory for Bowie and the shortest nine-inning contest ever played at PNG Field. Newly-acquired right-hander Joe Musgrove started the game for the Curve on an MLB rehab assignment and pitched four innings with one run allowed, a solo homer in the first frame.
May 8, 2001 – Adrian Brown recorded the second five-hit game in franchise history in a 5-for-5 performance at Bowie. Brown also scored four runs in Altoona’s 8-7 win at Blair County Ballpark.
May 8, 2012 – The Curve hosted Manny Machado and the Bowie Baysox. Machado hit a pair of doubles and walked twice in his first game played at Altoona while the Baysox won, 7-4.
May 8, 2015 – Charlie Morton made his final of six MLB rehab outings over three years with the Curve at Harrisburg. He pitched seven scoreless innings with a pair of hits allowed, five strikeouts and walked two as the Curve won, 10-4. Morton was traded to Philadelphia after the 2015 season and eventually blossomed into an All-Star and World Series champion with the Houston Astros.
May 8, 2018 – For the second day in a row, the Curve and Bowie Baysox finished a game under two hours. The contest took one hour and 59 minutes thanks to a brilliant outing by Altoona’s left-handed starter Brandon Waddell, who came one out away from a complete-game shutout, as the Curve won, 2-1.
May 9, 2010 – Despite a 10-7 loss to Erie in Altoona, Rudy Owens, Michael Dubee and Ronald Uviedo combined for 16 strikeouts and set a single-game franchise record for the most strikeouts over a nine-inning game. Owens fanned nine over five innings while Dubee struck out four and Uviedo whiffed three.
May 9, 2013 – Neil Walker returned to Altoona for the first of four games on MLB rehab assignment. He doubled during a 1-for-4 night as the Curve defeated Richmond, 9-8.
May 10, 1999 – The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Adam Hyzdu and assigned him to Double-A Altoona. The 27-year-old made his Curve debut at Akron that night and went 1-for-3 with a double, stole a base, walked twice and scored three times in a 7-5 victory for Altoona.
May 11, 2005 – The Curve outlasted Harrisburg, 13-10, while Jorge Cortes recorded four hits and four RBIs.
May 11, 2011 – Jordy Mercer exploded for two homers and five RBIs during a morning game on City Island, resulting in 13-2 win for the Curve.
May 12, 2012 – Tony Plagman led Erie to an 11-6 win over the Curve with three home runs, including a grand slam in the sixth inning. Plagman totaled eight RBIs and also scored three times while going 4-for-5 at the plate.
May 12, 2013 – Neil Walker completed his four-game MLB rehab assignment with the Curve by going 2-for-3 with an RBI and walk during Altoona’s 2-1 win vs. Richmond.
May 13, 1999 – Adam Hyzdu played his first home game at Blair County Ballpark. He went 1-for-4 but the Curve were dropped, 13-1, by Harrisburg.
May 13, 2000 – The Curve led Trenton, 7-1, before the Thunder stormed back with seven runs in the eighth inning against the Curve bullpen. The loss stood as the largest blown lead in franchise history for nearly a decade.
May 14, 1999 – Adam Hyzdu recorded the first five-RBI game in franchise history and went 3-for-3 with a double as the Curve defeated Harrisburg, 9-2. Ron Wright chipped in with four hits and two doubles.
May 14, 2016 – The Curve stunned Richmond at The Diamond by erasing a 6-1 deficit with six runs in the top of the ninth, including two-run doubles by Erich Weiss and Jin-De Jhang.
May 14, 2019 – Following a scoreless first inning of relief on the mound, Curve pitcher Beau Sulser slugged a solo home run at Binghamton to lead off the third inning.
May 15, 2000 – The Curve hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first exhibition game between the MLB club and Double-A affiliate. Altoona won the game, 8-5, in front of 7,346 fans. The Pirates fielded a lineup that included Jason Kendall, Kevin Young, Brian Giles and future Curve manager Dale Sveum.
May 15, 2007 – Neil Walker enjoyed a perfect day at the plate and went 4-for-4 with a double and homer. The Curve defeated Portland, 6-2.
May 15, 2010 – Shelby Ford drove in five runs on two home runs as the Curve blew out Richmond, 9-2, at The Diamond.
May 16, 2005 – Mike Connolly went the distance at Bowie during a 6-1 Curve win. He held the Baysox to one run on five hits, walked two and struck out a pair.
May 16, 2013 – Charlie Morton appears on MLB rehab vs. Trenton and pitched four two-run innings during a 6-2 Altoona win.
May 17, 2006 – Vic Buttler homered, tripled, singled and drove home six runs during Altoona’s 13-5 win vs. Reading.
May 18, 2005 – Jose Bautista recorded four hits (4-for-5), including a double, and knocked home three runs during a 13-7 Curve loss at Bowie. Josh Bonifay also went 3-for-5 with a homer and double.
May 19, 1999 – The Curve and Bowie Baysox played an 11-inning offensive thriller in Maryland. Altoona scored four runs in the top of the ninth to force extra innings but the contest resulted in a 14-11 win for the Baysox.
May 19, 2000 – Indiana, Pa. native Michael Ryan went 2-for-5 with a double for the New Britain Rock Cats during his first visit to Altoona’s new ballpark. Ryan went on to manage the Curve for three seasons from 2017-19, led the franchise to the 2017 Eastern League championship and sits atop the organization’s all-time managerial wins list.
May 19, 2017 – Montana DuRapau set a new franchise record for career saves when he locked down his 30th as a member of the Curve. He pitched two scoreless innings to close out an 11-10 win vs. Erie and went on to record 38 total saves for the Curve from 2015-18.
May 19, 2020 – The Altoona Curve mascot "Loco" appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated's June issue. The feature story detailed the challenges facing minor league teams across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Professional Baseball Agreement negotiations that would dramatically slash the number of affiliated minor league teams.
May 20, 1999 – Adam Hyzdu bashed the first two home runs of his Curve career in the same game and went 4-for-6 with four RBIs to aid a 12-inning, 10-8 win at Bowie.
May 20, 2008 – Former Curve shortstop Jack Wilson (2000) rejoined the club at Akron for a MLB rehab assignment.
May 20, 2017 – Connor Joe went 4-for-4 with three doubles and scored three runs during a 4-1 win vs. Erie.
May 21, 2007 – Andrew McCutchen legged out an inside-the-park home run during an 8-4 loss at Akron.
May 21, 2009 – Brad Lincoln led a 2-0 shutout win at Bowie, holding the Baysox to two hits over a nine-inning complete game. The win resulted in Lincoln’s first and only Double-A victory and included four strikeouts and two walks. Jason Delaney drove in the only two runs of the game with a two-run double in the second inning.
May 21, 2011 – Aaron Pribanic threw a complete-game shutout against Akron despite seven hits allowed and one strikeout. The Curve won by a 2-0 final score.
May 21, 2013 – Charlie Morton pitched 4.2 innings on MLB rehab at Reading but the Curve lost, 3-0.
May 22, 1999 – Kevin Haverbusch helped the Curve to a 4-3 win vs. Akron with three sacrifice flies.
May 22, 2004 – The Curve swept a doubleheader at Akron with great pitching and timely hitting. During a 5-2 game one win, Bryan Bullington pitched six two-run frames with one earned run allowed while Nate McLouth doubled twice with four RBIs. In a 3-0 game two victory, Ian Snell and Jeremy Guthrie went toe-to-toe for seven innings before Altoona rallied for three runs in the ninth.
May 23, 2008 – The Curve and Pittsburgh Pirates announced a four-year extension to their Player Development Contract through the 2014 season. Additionally, Jack Wilson continued his MLB rehab assignment and went 2-for-3 with a walk as the Curve returned home vs. Trenton.
May 24, 2006 – Belgium-born Brant Ust socked two homers and drove in five runs during Altoona’s 11-9 win vs. Bowie.
May 24, 2010 – Alex Presley recorded perhaps the greatest single-game offensive performance in franchise history. During an 11-1 win at Akron, Presley recorded eight RBIs to surpass Adam Hyzdu’s single-game record of seven. At the plate, Presley went 4-for-5 with a double, triple and two homers for 13 total bases.
May 24, 2015 – Josh Bell cranked out four hits and four RBIs during an 11-3 win at New Hampshire.
May 25, 2003 – Pittsburgh’s 2001 first-round draft choice and No. 1 prospect, John Van Benschoten, was called up from Lynchburg with a 6-0 record and 2.22 ERA. He made his Double-A debut with the Curve vs. Binghamton and pitched four innings, allowed two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. Altoona went on to win the contest, 5-4. Van Benschoten was the second first-rounder to debut at Double-A that season, joining Sean Burnett.
May 25, 2015 – Dan Gamache became the first player in seven seasons to record a five-hit game when he went 5-for-5, including a two-run homer in the seventh, at New Hampshire. Keon Broxton also had a perfect day at the plate with a 4-for-4 showing including a home run, double and walk. The Curve won, 9-4.
May 26, 2006 – Pirates first baseman Sean Casey began a MLB rehab assignment with the Curve. Casey went 0-for-3 but the Curve won, 8-6, at Erie.
May 26, 2008 – Jack Wilson finished his MLB rehab assignment with a single and walk as Altoona’s DH vs. Trenton.
May 26, 2013 – The Curve were on the wrong side of history vs. Richmond at PNG Field. The Flying Squirrels throttled the Curve, 20-9, and pounded out 22 hits in a game that took three hours and 55 minutes. Richmond also scored nine runs in the first inning and Curve starting pitcher Luis Sanz did not record an out before he was pulled from the game. Richmond’s offensive output set single-game records for the Curve with the most runs allowed, most hits allowed, most runs allowed in the first inning and it turned out to be the longest nine-inning game in PNG Field history. Jarrett Parker led the way for Richmond with two homers, both in the first inning, and drove in seven runs.
May 27, 2006 – In his second game on MLB rehab, Sean Casey slugged a solo home run in the first inning during a 9-5 loss at Erie.
May 27, 2007 – Neil Walker homered twice during a 7-6 win at Bowie.
May 27, 2010 – The Curve turned the second triple play in franchise history. On a line drive hit by Akron’s John Drennen, Chase d’Arnaud caught the batted ball, stepped on second base and threw to first baseman Matt Hague to get an innings worth of work in a matter of seconds.
May 28, 2006 – Pitcher Mike Connolly picked up his 25th career win for the Curve, passing Brian O’Connor and John Grabow for the most in team history. However, Connolly’s new record only stood for two months until teammate Landon Jacobsen tied him on July 16 and took sole possession on July 21. Additionally during this contest, Sean Casey finished his MLB rehab assignment with the Curve and went 2-for-4 with an RBI and walk.
May 29, 1999 – Garrett Long homered twice and knocked in six runs during an 11-1 win over Portland. Bronson Arroyo dodged nine hits to pitch seven one-run innings for his sixth win of the inaugural campaign.
May 29, 2000 – The Curve committed six errors during an 11-0 loss vs. Binghamton in the first game of a doubleheader.
May 29, 2004 – Jeff Keppinger went 4-for-4 with three doubles as the Curve defeated New Britain, 9-8.
May 30, 2000 – Altoona defeated Portland, 5-4, in 11 innings at Blair County Ballpark in an unusual way. With Humberto Cota at third base, Portland pitcher Scott Henderson balked in the winning run for the Curve.
May 30, 2012 – Matt Curry doubled three times and went 3-for-4 during a 5-4 loss to Richmond.
May 31, 2011 – Brock Holt doubled twice during a four-hit day and 2-1 Curve victory at Trenton.

June

June 1, 2018 – Ke’Bryan Hayes aided a 4-3 win at Hartford with a 4-for-5, three double performance.
June 2, 1999 – The Curve pounded out 18 hits at Norwich and scored twice in the top of the ninth to squeak past the Navigators, 9-7. Jeff Patzke went 4-for-4 and Adam Hyzdu homered during a two-hit day. Alfonso Soriano homered twice for Norwich.
June 2, 2000 – The Curve and Portland engaged in an offensive shootout at Blair County Ballpark. The Sea Dogs were victorious, 13-11, while the two clubs combined for 35 hits.
June 2, 2013 – Alex Dickerson racked up seven RBIs with the help of a grand slam in a 13-6 win at Portland. He was one RBI shy of the single-game franchise record of eight, a record that he tied six weeks later on July 26 at New Hampshire.
June 3, 2012 – Brandon Cumpton tossed eight scoreless innings vs. Portland to lead a 2-0 win for the Curve.
June 4, 2000 – Almost one year to the day after Bronson Arroyo threw the first complete-game shutout in team history, Stephen Sparks became the second pitcher to throw a shutout. The Curve won, 7-0, at Harrisburg while Sparks struck out seven, walked two and held the Senators to four hits during the nine-inning effort.
June 4, 2004 – Landon Jacobsen took a no-hitter into the seventh inning to tie Paul Ah Yat’s then-record for the longest no-hit effort (6.1 innings). Franklin Gutierrez hit a bloop single with one out in the seventh to break it up but the Curve defeated Akron, 4-1.
June 4, 2005 – Jose Bautista led a 16-hit barrage by the Curve with a 4-for-5 performance. Bautista hit a solo homer and knocked in four runs as the Curve won, 10-8, at Reading.
June 5, 2001 – Altoona erased a seven-run deficit to beat Harrisburg, 9-7, at Blair County Ballpark. The Senators led 7-0 in the fourth before the Curve plated one in the fifth, two in the sixth and six runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead. The comeback set a franchise record for the Curve’s largest come-from-behind win.
June 5, 2004 – The Curve set a franchise record (most runs scored in an inning) with a 10-run second inning at Akron and defeated the Aeros, 13-2. Chris Duffy homered twice and totaled five RBIs while Josh Bonifay recorded six RBIs and went 2-for-4.
June 6, 2009 – The Curve beat Akron, 3-0, thanks to a complete-game, four-hit shutout by Sean Smith. In the second game of a doubleheader, Smith struck out seven hitters over seven innings.
June 6, 2017 – Jordan Luplow became the fastest Curve slugger to reach 14 homers during a 7-6 loss at Bowie.
June 7, 2003 – Jeff Bennett closed out a 6-1 win vs. Harrisburg with an immaculate inning, striking out the side on nine pitches in the ninth inning.
June 7, 2007 – Steve Pearce and Neil Walked led the charge in Altoona’s 13-6 win at New Britain. Pearce had five RBIs and went 4-for-5 with a double while Walker went 4-for-6 with a double and two RBIs. Jason Bowers set a franchise record with five walks and Brett Roneberg tied a then-team record with four runs scored.
June 8, 1999 – Bronson Arroyo dodged 11 hits by Bowie and pitched the first complete-game shutout in franchise history. The Curve won, 2-0, at Blair County Ballpark as Arroyo struck out three and walked one over nine innings for his eighth win of the season.
June 8, 2003 – The Curve outlasted Harrisburg in 15 innings with a 2-1 win.
June 8, 2004 – Ronny Paulino, Kevin Nicholson and Ray Sadler made Curve home run history with three straight home runs to snap a 3-3 tie vs. Harrisburg. It marked the first set of back-to-back-to-back homers in franchise history and eventually led to a 9-3 win at Blair County Ballpark.
June 8, 2008 – A trio of Curve batters put up big numbers during a 13-4 win vs. Connecticut. Shelby Ford went 5-for-6 with a double and triple, Jonel Pacheco doubled three times and Miguel Perez drove in five runs.
June 8, 2019 – Domingo Robles earned his first Double-A win with a four-hit, complete-game shutout in the first game of a doubleheader vs. Akron.
June 9, 2012 – The Curve faced the tallest professional baseball player of all time, 7-foot-1 pitcher Loek van Mil. The Dutch right-hander threw two scoreless innings for Akron and was the winning pitcher after the RubberDucks defeated the Curve in 10 innings.
June 9, 2013 – Future two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom made his last Double-A outing at PNG Field for the Binghamton Mets. deGrom threw seven two-run frames as Binghamton beat Altoona, 5-3.
June 9, 2019 – Curve right-hander Pedro Vasquez struck out eight Akron RubberDucks over six one-hit innings. Altoona won the game, 4-2.
June 10, 2010 – The Curve got no-hit and lost in seven innings, 1-0, to Harrisburg. In the second game of a doubleheader, Cole Kimball, Chuck James and Zech Zinicola combined on the no-hitter for the Senators. Meanwhile, Rudy Owens countered with six one-run frames for the Curve in the loss.
June 11, 2003 – John Van Benschoten earned his first Double-A win after six one-run frames, one unearned run allowed and three hits during a 3-1 win at New Britain.
June 11, 2015 – The Curve played an 18-inning game at Reading and lost, 8-7. It was the third-longest game in franchise history by both innings and time (5:07). Altoona led 7-4 before Reading rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and send it to extras.
June 12, 2006 – The Curve played Reading at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Reading defeated Altoona, 5-4.
June 12, 2007 – Brett Roneberg and Steve Pearce each collected three hits and homered twice during a 13-3 win vs. New Britain.
June 12, 2013 – David Bromberg whiffed 12 batters over six one-run innings at New Britain to aid a 3-1 win in the second game of a doubleheader.
June 13, 2000 – Sam McConnell blanked Bowie on the road with five hits allowed during a complete-game shutout, resulting in a 2-0 win.
June 13, 2002 – The Curve shut out Erie, 9-0, in Altoona behind a five-hit, complete-game shutout by John Grabow.
June 13, 2010 – 7-foot-1 pitcher Loek van Mil became the tallest person to take the field at Blair County Ballpark when he appeared for New Britain. He recorded the final out of the eighth inning with a strikeout of Shelby Ford. He went on to play for Akron in 2012 and appeared in Altoona a second time on June 24, 2012.
June 13, 2018 – The Curve faced Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback-turned outfielder Tim Tebow for the first time during his lone season with Binghamton. Tebow went 1-for-4 with a double during the seventh inning of a 7-2 Curve win. Tebow went 0-for-2 the next day and did not face Altoona again that season.
June 14, 2012 – The Curve rallied from down 6-1 with six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to stun Trenton, 7-6, at Blair County Ballpark. Jarek Cunningham delivered the game-winning hit on a two-run, two-out walk-off double.
June 14, 2013 – One of Pittsburgh’s prized prospects, Gregory Polanco, made his Double-A debut. During an 8-4 win vs. Trenton, Polanco went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs.
June 14, 2016 – Austin Meadows broke Kevin Sefcik’s franchise record 21-game hitting streak by hitting safely in his 22nd straight game with a seventh-inning double. Meadows’ streak reached 24 games before he was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis.
June 15, 1999 – The Curve defeated Binghamton, 5-1, in 14 innings with a walk-off grand slam by Alex Hernandez, the only walk-off grand slam in franchise history.
June 15, 2003 – Altoona stormed back from down 9-6 with seven runs in the top of the ninth inning to win, 13-9, at Harrisburg.
June 16, 2004 – Jeff Keppinger went 5-for-6 at Harrisburg while the Curve won, 7-4, in 11 innings. Combined with a four-hit game the day before, Keppinger’s batting average rose to .411 after the five-hit outing. Keppinger won the 2004 EL batting title that season with a .338 batting average for Altoona and Binghamton.
June 16, 2005 – Jose Bautista blistered a three-run double in the top of the ninth inning to take the Curve from down 2-1 to a 4-2 lead and final score at Norwich.
June 16, 2006 – Vic Buttler set a new single-season franchise record when he hit his 13th triple of the season in just his 57th game. He finished the year with 14 triples, all before the All-Star Break.
June 16, 2016 – Austin Meadows extended his franchise-record hitting streak to 24 games with a first-inning home run vs. New Hampshire. It turned out to be his final game before he was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis.
June 17, 2000 – Wilson Guzman pitched a two-hit, complete-game shutout during the second game of a doubleheader at Akron. Altoona won, 3-0, resulting in the third complete-game shutout by a Curve pitcher over a two-week period in June 2000.
June 17, 2008 – Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, and his wife, Rosalynn, attended the Curve vs. Reading game at Blair County Ballpark while on a fishing trip in nearby Huntingdon. He watched the contest in a black Curve jersey from Suite 410.
June 17, 2016 – The Curve played their first game against the Hartford Yard Goats at PNG Field. Hartford defeated Altoona, 3-2.
June 17, 2017 – Altoona completed their first game at Hartford’s Dunkin Donuts Park. The game was started and suspended on June 16 and completed the next day with a 4-2 Hartford win. Altoona won the second game of the day, 2-0.
June 18, 2003 – Sean Burnett spun a two-hit, complete-game shutout vs. Trenton. In the 3-0 Curve win, Burnett improved to 7-3 and struck out three hitters in the nine-inning effort.
June 18, 2016 – Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in 2015, Kevin Newman, made his Double-A debut for the Curve. He went 2-for-5 during an 11-3 win vs. Hartford.
June 19, 2011 – Phil Irwin dazzled in his Double-A debut with six scoreless, two-hit innings pitched to aid a 4-1 Curve win vs. Harrisburg. Irwin did not yield a hit until there were two outs in the fifth inning.
June 19, 2019 – The Curve played the first game of the Second Half in the final game of a three-game series vs. Harrisburg. Prior to the season, the Eastern League instituted a split-season format to determine playoff qualification, a move that would crown champions of the league’s two divisions for each half. Records were reset mid-season to 0-0 for the first time since Altoona joined the league in 1999. Altoona’s James Marvel struck out nine hitters over 7.2 one-run innings as the Curve defeated the First Half champs by a 3-1 score.
June 20, 2012 – Gerrit Cole made his Double-A debut with the Curve and earned the win during Altoona’s 9-4 win vs. New Britain. Cole, the No. 1 overall pick by the Pirates in the 2011 draft, struck out six hitters and allowed two runs on five hits over five innings.
June 20, 2017 – Elvis Escobar went 5-for-5 vs. Trenton with two triples, one double and scored three times with two RBIs. Altoona won, 14-4.
June 21, 2004 – Ronny Paulino delivered a walk-off, solo home run in the 10th inning to lift the Curve over Akron, 5-4.
June 22, 2004 – Former first-round picks Bryan Bullington (No. 1 overall in 2002) and Jeremy Guthrie (22nd overall in 2002) pitched head-to-head at Blair County Ballpark. Guthrie went seven, one-run innings while Bullington allowed five runs, two earned, over 6.2 innings. However, the Curve pulled out a 6-5 win in 10 innings.
June 22, 2006 – Landon Jacobsen blanked Harrisburg over six innings of a shortened complete-game shutout and 7-0 Curve win.
June 23, 2009 – Pedro Alvarez, the Pirates’ No. 1 prospect and the second overall pick in the 2008 draft, was promoted to Double-A Altoona from Lynchburg. He went 0-for-4 in his debut game at Erie.
June 23, 2016 – Curve reliever Jared Lakind’s 25.1-inning scoreless streak was snapped on a ninth-inning ground out in Binghamton. His string of consecutive scoreless innings is the longest streak by a pitcher in franchise history. The Curve won the contest, 9-6.
June 24, 1999 – The Curve rallied for nine runs in the sixth inning at New Britain before completing an 11-5 win. Starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo earned his ninth win of the season.
June 24, 2009 – Pedro Alvarez ripped his first Double-A hit, a two-run homer, in the fourth inning of an 8-4 win at Erie.
June 25, 1999 – Adam Hyzdu set a then-single-game record with seven RBIs during a 9-3 win at New Britain. Two home runs, including a grand slam, did the damage for Hyzdu. He tied the feat on May 5, 2000 and his record stood until Alex Presley drove in eight runs on May 24, 2010.
June 25, 2004 – Nate McLouth extended his on-base streak to 30 games after going 2-for-2 in a 6-4 win at Erie. His streak was ended the next day but McLouth compiled a second on-base streak longer than 30 games later in the season. This 30-game streak was a team record at the time until he and Ronny Paulino surpassed it later that season.
June 25, 2013 – Kelvin Brown popped off the bench and hammered two solo home runs as part of a 3-for-3, four runs scored performance. Brown entered the game as a pinch-runner for Brock Holt in the third inning and Altoona won the game, 13-8.
June 25, 2018 – Pittsburgh’s top prospect Mitch Keller made his final Double-A start with an eight-inning, one-hit effort that featured six strikeouts. Altoona won, 4-0, as Keller picked up his fourth straight winning decision. His lone hit allowed came from the second hitter of the game before he rolled up an inning-ending double play and faced the minimum through five innings.
June 25, 2020 – The Pittsburgh Pirates and Altoona Curve announced Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona would serve as the Bucs' alternate training site for the shortened 2020 MLB season. The alternate training site, also referred to as satellite camp or taxi squad, hosted the remainder of Pittsburgh's 60 eligible players that were not on the Major League roster. This was a signal of the upcoming cancellation of the minor league season and the alternate training site would be each Major League team's only group of reserve players for the 60-game season that required a second spring training session leading up to a mid-July Opening Day.
June 26, 2004 – The Curve played the Erie SeaWolves at PNC Park and lost, 2-0. Ian Snell pitched seven one-run innings with seven strikeouts despite shouldering the losing decision.
June 26, 2005 – Tom Gorzelanny threw a three-hit, complete-game shutout vs. New Britain. The left-hander walked one and struck out seven in a 7-0 win for the Curve.
June 26, 2009 – Pedro Alvarez made his home debut for the Curve vs. Bowie and went 0-for-5.
June 26, 2018 – The Curve pitched back-to-back 1-0 shutouts for the first time in franchise history during a doubleheader vs. Harrisburg. Taylor Hearn tossed a four-hit, complete-game shutout in the first game with seven strikeouts over seven innings. Paired with a 4-0 shutout win over the Senators the day before, the dual 1-0 wins marked the first time in franchise history that Altoona pitched three consecutive shutout victories.
June 27, 2010 – Josh Harrison set a single-game franchise record with four doubles during a 12-3 win vs. Bowie. He also scored three times while Jordy Mercer recorded four RBIs with a three-run homer and a double during a 3-for-5 performance.
June 27, 2018 – The Curve extended the team’s scoreless streak to 25 innings in the first inning, coming 3.1 innings shy of the franchise record. The streak ended on an inning-ending double play that started with a sacrifice fly. Altoona won the contest, 7-2.
June 28, 2007 – Luis Munoz shut out Trenton on five hits while the Curve won, 2-0, in the first game of a doubleheader. In game two, Neil Walker led the charge of an 11-2 win with a grand slam and five RBIs.
June 28, 2010 – A 6-1 lead slipped away from the Curve when Binghamton rallied for six runs in the bottom of the ninth. Luis Hernandez ended the contest with a walk-off, two-run double to give the Mets a 7-6 win.
June 29, 1999 – Erie’s Russ Ortiz pitched a nine-inning one-hitter as the SeaWolves beat the Curve 5-0 at Blair County Ballpark. Ortiz walked three, struck out six and hit a batter while Jeff Patzke accounted for the Curve’s only hit.
June 30, 2006 – Vic Buttler recorded his 14th triple of the season, extending his single-season franchise record. He did not triple again for the remainder of the season and still led the Eastern League in the category by four triples over second place.
June 30, 2019 – James Marvel won his fifth straight start with seven two-run inning during his final start before his promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis.
June 30, 2020 – Minor League Baseball formally announced the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

July

July 1, 2010 – Pitcher Tim Alderson hit a two-run homer at Reading, making him the only Curve pitcher with multiple homers. He also pitched six one-run innings with six strikeouts for the winning decision during a 7-1 victory.
July 1, 2012 – Stefan Welch went 4-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs in a 7-4 win at Binghamton.
July 1, 2015 – Steven Brault earned his first Double-A win during a 2-0 Curve victory at Trenton. Brault allowed just one hit over seven innings. He retired the first 12 hitters he faced, allowed a double to Gary Sanchez in the fifth and sat down his last nine batters.
July 2, 1998 – “Curve” is chosen as the nickname for Altoona’s new minor league franchise, beating out other finalists of “Fish”, “Ridge Runners” and “Lake Monsters”.
July 2, 2000 – Adam Hyzdu hit the first pinch-hit home run in franchise history at Harrisburg. After he hit the solo shot, he remained in the game to play center field and blasted a second homer, a two-run blast, that turned out to be the game-winning hit. Altoona bettered Harrisburg, 5-4, on City Island.
July 2, 2001 – The Curve played the longest scoreless game in team history and defeated Bowie, 1-0, in 15 innings. Justin Reid pitched eight scoreless innings for the Curve and Bowie’s Juan Figueroa went seven scoreless frames. Both starters allowed seven hits but did not give up a run. The game was just the second in team history that was tied 0-0 after nine innings and the contest remained scoreless until Shaun Skrehot knocked home the winning run on a 15th-inning single. Infielder Richard Paz earned the winning decision for the Curve, the first position player in team history to pick up a win.
July 3, 2002 – Curve pitcher Adrian Burnside went 3-for-3 with two RBIs during a 10-9 win at Harrisburg.
July 3, 2005 – The Curve hammered New Hampshire, 12-3, in Manchester. Javier Guzman added four hits with a homer and double.
July 3, 2019 – The Curve stunned Akron, 6-4, with four runs in the top of the eighth inning highlighted by a solo homer from Chris Sharpe and a go-ahead, two-run shot by Bligh Madris. The comeback win was Altoona’s final game in Akron for the season and closed out a 6-1 record at Canal Park for the year, resulting in Altoona’s best record at Akron at one of the toughest venues to play in the franchise’s history.
July 4 - Five of the Curve’s Top 10 regular season crowds have been Fourth of July games (2003, 2004, 2014, 2017 and 2019). Altoona won all five of those games.
July 4, 2004 – Vice President Dick Cheney threw out the first pitch and addressed the fans at Blair County Ballpark prior to Altoona’s game against Harrisburg. The Curve defeated the Senators in a rain-shortened contest, 2-0.
July 4, 2007 – Trenton pitcher Brett Smith threw a no-hitter against the Curve despite seven walks. The Thunder crushed the Curve, 10-0, in a game that was called after five innings at Trenton.
July 4, 2019 – The Curve knocked off Erie, 6-5, on a two-run, walk-off double by Robbie Glendinning in the 10th inning. It was the first Independence Day game in Curve history that went to extra innings and Altoona’s first walk-off win on July 4.
July 4, 2020 – Despite no minor league season in 2020, the Curve blasted off the Fabulous Fourth of July Fireworks that was broadcast live on WTAJ-TV and Talk Radio WRTA.
July 5, 1999 – Catcher Yamid Haad became the first Curve player to reach the Majors when he debuted as a pinch-hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium. He was recalled from Double-A Altoona and sent back down before he could get into another game. He returned to the big leagues with the Giants in 2005.
July 5, 2010 – Former Curve standout Zach Duke made a MLB rehab assignment and pitched three one-run innings during a 6-1 win vs. Binghamton.
July 6, 2004 – The Curve faced the New Hampshire Fisher Cats for the first time and lost, 6-3, at Blair County Ballpark.
July 7, 2000 – Stephen Sparks pitched his second complete-game shutout of the 2000 season after holding Reading to five hits in a 5-0 win. Sparks stands as one of just two pitchers in team history to throw multiple nine-inning shutouts in the same season (Tom Gorzelanny in 2005).
July 7, 2001 – Altoona erased a 4-1 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat Erie, 5-4. Shaun Skrehot delivered a walk-off, two-run single with the Curve trailing, 4-3. It was the first walk-off hit that occurred with the Curve trailing at the time of the game-winner.
July 7, 2009 – The Curve lost to Erie, 19-2; the largest margin of defeat in franchise history.
July 7, 2020 – Pirates reserves hold their first formal workout for the 2020 season at the Pittsburgh's alternate training site, Peoples Natural Gas Field.
July 8, 1999 – A pitchers duel in Harrisburg ended in a 1-0 score after Senators outfielder Milton Bradley hit a walk-off double in the ninth.
July 8, 2000 – After Bowie scored once in the first and the Curve scored twice in the bottom of the inning, Altoona’s Wilson Guzman and Bowie’s Jeff Wilson each went the distance in a 2-1 Curve win.
July 9, 2011 – The Curve played a wild game against Bowie at Blair County Ballpark, taking four hours and 35 minutes to play 13 innings. Bowie scored six runs in the top of the ninth to take a 10-6 lead. However, Altoona rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth, including a second homer of the game by Quincy Latimore and a pair of bases-loaded walks to tie the game. The Baysox ultimately won the game, 12-10.
July 9, 2012 – Brock Holt connected on a walk-off single to lift the Curve to a 3-2 victory vs. Binghamton. The game-winner was Holt’s fourth during his Curve career, the most by any player in franchise history.
July 10, 1999 – Altoona defeated Akron, 7-3, with a big third inning. The Curve hit three homers in the same inning for the first time in franchise history which included back-to-back homers by Adam Hyzdu and Garrett Long, also the first homers in consecutive at-bats in franchise history.
July 10, 2000 – Pirates pitcher Jimmy Anderson was optioned to Altoona to continue his pitching routine through the MLB All-Star Break. He pitched a complete game and allowed one unearned run on seven hits in his lone start for the Curve.
July 10, 2004 – Ray Sadler set a franchise record with four stolen bases at Portland.
July 10, 2010 – Zach Duke continued his MLB rehab assignment, pitching four innings of a 2-1 Curve win vs. Richmond.
July 10, 2015 – Tyler Glasnow carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and completed six one-run innings with seven strikeouts. The Curve defeated Bowie, 8-5.
July 11, 2006 – At the 2006 Eastern League All-Star Gala, Eddie Money performed at Blair County Ballpark to kick off the All-Star Game festivities.
July 11, 2008 – Melvin Dorta became the first and only player in franchise history to record a second five-hit game for the Curve when he went 5-for-6 in Erie. Dorta homered, tripled and drove in four RBIs during a 10-8 win.
July 11, 2014 – The Curve swatted a team-record six home runs at Harrisburg and won, 13-12, in 11 innings.
July 12, 2006 – Altoona hosted the 2006 Eastern League All-Star Game in front of a then-ballpark record 9,308 fans.
July 12, 2008 – The Curve lost a shootout at Erie, 12-11.
July 12, 2019 – Michael Ryan became the third and fastest manager in franchise history to reach 200 wins when he did so in his 365th game as Curve skipper. Altoona won at Erie, 1-0, thanks to a solo homer by Logan Hill during the fourth inning and overcame 18 strikeouts, the most offensive strikeouts during a nine-inning game in team history.
July 13, 2000 – The longest game in Curve history was played at Norwich and took six hours and 17 minutes to play 19 innings. Altoona broke up a 2-2 tie in the top of the 19th with four runs and withstood a three-run comeback by the Navigators in the bottom of the inning to win, 6-5.
July 14, 1999 – Kevin Haverbusch represented the Curve as the franchise’s first all-star in Mobile, Ala. for the Double-A All-Star Game.
July 14, 2003 – The Curve held the first Awful Night promotion, an annual promotional night that occurred seven straight years through 2009.
July 15, 2012 – Akron pitcher Giovanni Soto pitched a no-hitter against the Curve, becoming the first individual to no-hit the Curve over nine innings. Soto walked three hitters and even allowed one run in the sixth with a walk to Jarek Cunningham, a throwing error advanced him to third and a ground out scored him. Akron defeated the Curve, 2-1.
July 16, 2007 – Jason Delaney and Adam Boeve each homered twice in a 10-5 win vs. Bowie while Delaney had a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate.
July 16, 2014 – The Curve hosted the 2014 Eastern League All-Star Stop for the second time in franchise history. 6,055 fans attended the game and the POW/MIA chair was dedicated at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
July 16, 2015 – Tyler Glasnow was brilliant for the Curve by pitching seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. He held Richmond to just three hits while the Curve won, 5-0.
July 17, 2004 – Zach Duke joined the Curve and made his Double-A debut. He pitched six scoreless innings and struck out six while he held Reading to four hits. The Curve defeated Reading, 7-0.
July 17, 2010 – The Curve played the highest-scoring game in team history during an 18-15 win at Harrisburg. The game took four hours and 33 mintues, the longest nine-inning game in Curve history. Altoona trailed 14-8 after eight innings and posted 10 runs in the top of the ninth, including three home runs.
July 17, 2014 – Josh Bell made his Double-A debut and went 0-for-2 with two walks. Bell, an outfielder when before he started to play first base the following season, was the first pick in the second round by Pittsburgh in 2011 and the team’s No. 7 prospect entering the season.
July 17, 2019 – Curve closer Matt Eckelman converted his 26th consecutive save with a scoreless ninth and a 6-5 Curve win vs. Trenton. His streak started on August 3, 2018 and stands as the longest successful save streak in franchise history.
July 18, 1999 – The Curve defeated Reading, 9-3, with big performances by Kevin Haverbusch (2-for-3, home run and five RBIs) and Adam Hyzdu (three doubles).
July 18, 2007 – Just two days following a four-hit, two-homer game, Jason Delaney went 5-for-5 with a double. The Curve cranked out 20 hits in a 10-4 win.
July 18, 2014 – Adrian Sampson came two outs away from a no-hitter vs. Bowie. Mike Yastrzemski broke up the no-no on a double with one out in the ninth. Sampson completed the complete-game shutout two batters later and finished the game on just 98 pitches. The performance still stands as the closest call for an individual no-hitter in Curve history.
July 19, 1999 – Bronson Arroyo earned his 10th victory of the inaugural season with seven scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts. The Curve defeated Erie, 4-2.
July 19, 2016 – The Curve opened up a three-game series at Peoples Natural Gas Field in which they were the road team. The Hartford Yard Goats’ new stadium was not completed in time for the team’s inaugural season. Hartford swept the series with a 10-2 win followed by a doubleheader sweep the next day with 4-2 and 2-1 final scores.
July 20, 2001 – The Curve scored one run in the first inning and Justin Reid did the rest of the work on a four-hit, complete-game shutout to defeat New Haven, 1-0. The lone run of the game was scored by Shaun Skrehot on a sacrifice fly by J.R. House. The ballgame took just one hour and 54 minutes, the shortest nine-inning game at Blair County Ballpark until 2018.
July 20, 2017 – Cole Tucker, Pittsburgh’s 2014 first-round draft choice with the 24th overall pick, made his Double-A debut with the Curve at Bowie. He went 0-for-5 in a 7-6 loss to the Baysox.
July 20, 2018 – During a 10-8 win at Reading and the first game of a doubleheader, Will Craig and Bryan Reynolds each hit two home runs. Their second homers of the night were in back-to-back blasts in the seventh inning to put the Curve ahead by two runs in the final inning.
July 21, 2003 – Altoona’s Sean Burnett, the Pirates’ No. 2 prospect, faced Dustin McGowan, the top prospect of the Blue Jays, for New Haven in one of the highest-profile pitching matchups in Blair County Ballpark history. Each pitcher threw seven, two-run innings and allowed 17 combined hits but New Haven won, 4-3.
July 21, 2004 – Altoona closed out a seven-day homestand from July 15-21 and welcomed 44,488 fans, the largest attendance figure over the course of a week in franchise history. In the final game of the series, Brad Eldred made his Double-A debut with the Curve during a loss to Erie.
July 21, 2006 – Landon Jacobsen passed teammate Mike Connolly as the Curve’s all-time wins leader when he recorded his 26th victory. Jacobsen pitched six one-run frames at Bowie during a 9-2 Curve win.
July 21, 2015 – The Curve offense had a day for the record books during a doubleheader against Erie. In just seven innings in game one, the Curve racked up a team record 24 hits and tied a team record with 18 runs scored during an 18-7 victory. Jose Osuna set a team record by scoring five runs. In the second game, the Curve erased a 7-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh to defeat the SeaWolves, 8-7, on a two-run double by Andy Vasquez.
July 22, 2006 – Ron Chiavacci pitched five innings of relief and struck out nine hitters, the most by a reliever in team history. Altoona lost the game, 4-0.
July 22, 2007 – Steve Pearce tied Ronny Paulino’s franchise record 33-game on-base streak with a three-hit, three-RBI performance. Pearce’s streak was snapped the next day after he went 0-for-4.
July 22, 2012 – Robbie Grossman went 4-for-5 with a triple and five RBIs in Altoona’s 11-2 win vs. Erie.
July 23, 2002 – Brian O’Connor led a 5-0 win after a complete-game shutout with nine strikeouts in the second game of a doubleheader vs. Harrisburg. In the first game, Kutztown baseball product Ryan Vogelsong made his Curve debut but was tagged for nine runs in a 9-5 loss.
July 23, 2005 – Josh Bonifay became the Curve’s all-time RBI leader with a two-run double in the fourth inning to pass Adam Hyzdu’s previous record of 184 RBIs. Bonifay finished his Curve career with 209 RBIs.
July 23, 2014 – Keon Broxton, Gift Ngoepe and Carlos Paulino hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to start the second inning of their 8-5 win at New Britain. It was the second set of three consecutive homers in team history.
July 24, 2002 – Six RBIs and two homers from Tony Alvarez turned out to be the difference in Altoona’s 13-7 win vs. Harrisburg.
July 25, 2005 – Jose Bautista blasted a solo homer in the bottom of the 12th to lift the Curve to a 5-4 over Binghamton. Hansel Izquierdo pitched eight scoreless innings before Binghamton scored four in the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
July 25, 2013 – Four pitchers teamed up for the Curve’s second no-hitter in franchise history. In a 5-0 win at New Hampshire, Ethan Hollingsworth pitched four innings, Jason Townsend threw three innings and single innings by Jhonathan Ramos and Ryan Beckman completed the hitless effort.
July 26, 2007 – Jason Delaney delivered an RBI for the 12th straight game to bookend his franchise record for the most consecutive games with an RBI. The streak lasted from July 15-26.
July 26, 2013 – Alex Dickerson tied Alex Presley’s single-game record with eight RBIs during a 13-6 win at New Hampshire. Dickerson’s big day was highlighted by a three-run double in the fifth and a three-run homer in the seventh. Gregory Polanco also drew four walks in the contest.
July 26, 2015 – Tyler Glasnow fanned 12 Akron hitters at Canal Park but was outdueled by Shawn Morimando, who threw six scoreless innings that led to a 2-0 Akron win. It was Glasnow’s last Double-A start before his promotion to Triple-A but he returned for a pair of MLB rehab starts in 2016.
July 27, 2001 – Former MLB All-Star Terry Mulholland made a one-inning start for the Curve on MLB rehab.
July 27, 2005 – Rajai Davis went 5-for-6 with a double and scored twice during a 14-8 win vs. Binghamton.
July 27, 2010 – The Curve struck out 20 hitters over 13 innings at Erie, a single-game team record. Bryan Morris (eight strikeouts), Dustin Molleken (six) and Michael Dubee (six) pitched 12 scoreless innings before a walk-off, two-run homer by Erie’s Cale Iorg broke a 0-0 tie in the 13th.
July 27, 2012 – Phil Irwin two-hit New Hampshire in Altoona to lead a 1-0 Curve win. During the first game of a doubleheader, Irwin struck out nine and walked one during his complete-game shutout.
July 27, 2016 – Stetson Allie homered and doubled twice in a 5-for-5 performance. He knocked in three runs of an 11-10 win vs. Erie and scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the ninth inning.
July 28, 2000 – Garrett Long legged out the first inside-the-park home run in franchise history during a 7-4 win at New Britain.
July 28, 2001 – Former MLB All-Star Terry Mulholland pitched 1.1 innings in his final rehab outing with the Curve.
July 28, 2019 – Matt Eckelman became the second pitcher in team history to reach 30 career saves when he locked down a 3-1 win vs. Richmond. Pitching prospect Cody Bolton earned his first Double-A win with six one-run innings and eight strikeouts.
July 29, 1999 – Bronson Arroyo went the distance for a one-run, nine-inning effort and earned his 12th win of the Curve’s first season.
July 29, 2000 – Adam Hyzdu socked his 25th home run to break his own single-season record of 24 that he set during the inaugural 1999 season. Altoona lost the contest at Binghamton, 6-4.
July 30, 2004 – Jeff Keppinger was traded to the New York Mets along with Kris Benson for Jose Bautista, Ty Wigginton and Matt Peterson. Keppinger hit .334 in 82 games with the Curve and reported to Binghamton after the trade. Keppinger eventually won the Eastern League batting title with a .338 average.
July 30, 2015 – A few days after his promotion to Altoona, Jacoby Jones was traded by the Pirates to Detroit for Joakim Soria.
July 30, 2019 – Oneil Cruz made his Double-A debut for the Curve at Trenton as a defensive replacement during a suspended game from May 30 and started the seven-inning game that followed. The 6-foot-7 shortstop became the tallest position player in franchise history.
July 31, 2001 – The Curve received Adrian Burnside as a result of the Pirates trade with the Dodgers that sent Terry Mulholland to Los Angeles for Burnside and Mike Fetters.
July 31, 2003 – Just a matter of days after he joined the Curve due to a trade with the Red Sox, Anastacio Martinez was traded back to the Red Sox with Brandon Lyon and Jeff Suppan for Mike Gonzalez, Freddy Sanchez and cash.
July 31, 2010 – Andrew Lambo was traded from the Dodgers to the Pirates for Octavio Dotel and assigned to Double-A Altoona for the remainder of the season.
July 31, 2018 – Curve pitcher Taylor Hearn was involved in a deadline deal that sent him to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Keone Kela.

August

August 1, 2008 – The Curve were blown out by Bowie, 19-3, which was a record at the time for the most lopsided loss in franchise history. Luis Montanez hit for the cycle and went 5-for-6 with RBIs for the Baysox. Matt Weiters was the only Bowie player without a hit.
August 1, 2009 – Pedro Alvarez hit a solo homer and drew four walks in Altoona’s 8-4 win vs. Trenton.
August 1, 2016 – On trade deadline day, Curve catcher Reese McGuire and outfielder Harold Ramirez are traded to the Blue Jays along with Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano.
August 1, 2019 – Trenton’s Brian Keller threw a no-hitter against the Curve during the first game of a doubleheader.
August 2, 2005 – Longtime Major Leaguers Justin Verlander and Tom Gorzelanny in Erie. Verlander, who pitched for Erie and made his first two starts for the Tigers in doubleheaders as the 26th man earlier that season, pitched three scoreless, hitless innings in what would be his final outing of the season. Altoona's Gorzelanny struck out 10 hitters over six one-run innings and the Curve won, 5-2.
August 2, 2006 – Mike Connolly recorded his 322nd career strikeout for the Curve to set a new all-time franchise record. The right-hander struck out Shawn Hill looking to finish the second inning to pass John Grabow’s record of 321. Connolly’s record-setting day was part of a no-decision in which he allowed four runs in four innings while the Curve lost, 8-7, at Harrisburg.
August 3, 2017 – Wyatt Mathisen went 5-for-5 and Jin-De Jhang added five RBIs with a three-run homer and two-run triple as the Curve defeated Trenton, 10-5.
August 4, 2009 – During a 12-6 win at Portland, the Curve racked up 10 doubles and 11 extra-base hits, both single-game records. Pedro Alvarez doubled twice and hit a solo homer to lead the way.
August 5, 2002 – The Pirates and Curve announced a second four-year Player Development Contract that secured affiliation between the two ball clubs through the 2006 season. On the field, future MLB All-Star and World Series champion Ryan Vogelsong earned his lone win of his Curve tenure after he pitched seven two-run frames with seven strikeouts during a 10-2 win vs. Erie.
August 5, 2012 – Brock Holt played his final game with the Curve before his promotion to Triple-A. He went 3-for-4 to boost his batting average to .322, which held up to win the Eastern League batting title.
August 5, 2017 – Curve infielder/outfielder Connor Joe is involved in a trade with the Atlanta Braves that brought Sean Rodriguez to the Pirates.
August 6, 2003 – Ian Snell (Oquendo) made his Double-A debut with the Curve at Harrisburg. He earned the winning decision in Altoona’s 8-4 win with six innings of work and four runs allowed, three earned.
August 6, 2017 – Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh’s top pitching and 2014 second-round draft choice, made his Double-A debut for the Curve at Trenton. Keller threw six two-run frames and did not factor into the decision of an 11-inning, 4-2 loss.
August 7, 1999 – Adam Hyzdu homered for the fifth straight game, which stood as the longest home run streak in team history until 2005. His 1-for-3 performance also extended his season-best hitting streak to 18 games, which stood as the franchise’s longest hitting streak until 2002.
August 7, 2000 – Adam Hyzdu clobbered two home runs to increase his total to 28, which was his sixth career two-homer game and still stands as the most by a player in team history. Hyzdu went 4-for-5 with five RBIs during the 6-2 win vs. Erie at Blair County Ballpark.
August 7, 2009 – Tim Alderson pitched six hitless innings with one walk and improved his record to 8-1 as the Curve won, 7-2, at New Hampshire.
August 7, 2010 – For the second time in 2010, the Curve scored 18 runs at Harrisburg with a 10-run ninth inning. Chase d’Arnaud, Kris Watts and Miles Durham all added four hits apiece.
August 7, 2016 – For the second time in 2016, the Curve were beaten by a 14-0 score to tie a club record for the largest shutout loss in team history. Phillies top prospect Rhys Hoskins drew five walks in the game.
August 8, 2002 – The Curve were featured in a full-page feature story in the USA Today sports section. The article was titled “Curve Shape a Region’s Heart” and documented the gameday happenings at Blair County Ballpark.
August 8, 2008 – Jose Tabata became the second teenager (Andrew McCutchen) to play for the Curve when he debuted with the team at Harrisburg. Tabata spent most of the season with Trenton before he was traded from the Yankees on July 26 along with Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. Tabata was on the disabled list for nearly a month and played his first games as a Pirate for the GCL squad before he joined the Curve in his return to Double-A.
August 8, 2012 – Manny Machado homered against the Curve at Blair County Ballpark during his last minor league game. Machado was recalled by the Orioles after the contest and made his MLB debut on August 9 at Camden Yards vs. Kansas City.
August 9, 2002 – Shawn Garrett drove in five of the Curve’s six runs during a 6-1 win vs. Harrisburg, which included a seventh-inning grand slam.
August 9, 2005 – Jose Bautista launched his 20th homer of the season, joining Josh Bonifay in the 20-homer department. Bautista and Bonifay are the last pair of Curve teammates to hit 20 homers in the same season and third all-time.
August 9, 2009 – Yoslan Herrera improved his record to 9-0 with a 6.1-inning, two-run effort at New Hampshire. His ninth straight winning decision set team records for the most consecutive wins and most wins to start a season. Herrera was defeated in his next start, which was at home against the Fisher Cats and his only loss of the campaign.
August 10, 2000 – Rico Washington and Eric Furniss each blasted a piar of home runs in the same game during a 13-2 win at Reading. It was the first time the Curve had two players hit multiple homers in the same game.
August 10, 2003 – The Curve split a doubleheader vs. Harrisburg in front of 9,255 fans, the highest attended regular season game in franchise history. Harrisburg won the first game, 4-2, while the Curve claimed the second contest, 4-3.
August 10, 2004 – The Curve visited Manchester, N.H. for the first time and won the series opener against the Fisher Cats, 6-2. Nate McLouth extended his second 30-plus-game on-base streak of the season to 32 games with a 2-for-4 performance.
August 11, 1999 – Adam Hyzdu blasted his 20th homer of Altoona’s inaugural season. It also proved to be the game-winner during a 5-3 win vs. New Britain.
August 11, 2003 – Ian Snell made his first outing at Blair County Ballpark and earned his second win. Snell tossed seven, two-run innings and struck out eight hitters while the Curve defeated Bowie, 8-4.
August 11, 2004 – Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson performed a concert at Blair County Ballpark as one of 22 stops at minor league ballparks over a month-long tour named “The Bob Dylan Show”.
August 11, 2016 – The Curve overcame a single-game club record seven errors to beat Harrisburg, 8-4.
August 12, 2004 – Ian Snell struck out 11 hitters, including seven in a row, at New Hampshire over five, one-hit and scoreless innings. Backed by an 11-run offensive output, he earned his 10th win of the season.
August 12, 2006 – The Curve scored five runs to break a 4-4 tie in the top of the 14th inning to win at New Britain, 9-4.
August 13, 2000 – Humberto Cota went 5-for-6 at Bowie to record the first five-hit performance in franchise history. The Curve won the game, 4-3, in 12 innings.
August 13, 2010 – The longest game in Blair County Ballpark history is played between the Curve and New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The 19-inning affair tied a franchise record for innings played while the five-hour, 49-minute contest stands as the second-longest in terms of time. Miles Durham socked a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 19th to give the Curve a 4-3 victory.
August 14, 2010 – Justin Wilson fanned 11 hitters over eight scoreless, two-hit innings while the Curve defeated New Hampshire, 2-0.
August 15, 2004 – Brad Eldred had a monster day during a 10-5 win at Reading. Eldred went 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double and six RBIs. At this point, he had 23 RBIs during the month of August and finished the month with 50 RBIs and 14 homers, both franchise-record production in one month.
August 15, 2006 – Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker, a pair of Pirates first-round picks, the team’s top two prospects and future staples of Pittsburgh’s Major League lineup, made their Double-A debuts together during a 2-1 loss at Connecticut. McCutchen, the 11th overall pick in 2005, went 1-for-4 with a fourth-inning single and became the youngest player to ever play for the Curve (19 years, 10 months, five days). Walker, a catcher at the time, was the 11th pick in the 2004 draft and hit a solo homer for Altoona’s lone run of the game.
August 15, 2008 – The Curve tied a team record with the largest shutout win in team history after beating New Hampshire, 12-0. Jamie Romak led the way by going 4-for-5 with two homers and six RBIs.
August 16, 2012 – Gerrit Cole struck out nine batters over six innings at Portland but shouldered the losing decision of a 2-1 loss.
August 17, 2000 – Adam Hyzdu’s defensive heroics secured a 9-7 win for the Curve. Akron scored five times in the top of the ninth to close the gap and had the tying run at the plate when Billy Munoz skied a ball towards the right field fence. Hyzdu robbed a potential homer for the game’s final out and kept the Curve’s two-game division lead in tact.
August 17, 2003 – Ray Sadler was acquired by the Pirates from the Chicago Cubs for Randall Simon. Sadler was assigned to Altoona after the trade.
August 17, 2007 – Almost one year to the day after debuting at Double-A together, former first-round picks and top prospects Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker were promoted to Triple-A.
August 17, 2019 – Pedro Vasquez led a 5-0 shutout win vs. Bowie with eight scoreless innings on the mound with three hits allowed, one walk and four strikeouts.
August 18, 2001 – Mike Gonzalez threw a six-hit, nine-inning shutout at Harrisburg and Altoona won, 3-0.
August 18, 2003 – The Curve scored once in the first inning and rode it out with eight shutout frames from Sean Burnett, who earned his 13th win of the season, during a 1-0 victory vs. Bowie.
August 18, 2006 – Andrew McCutchen socked his first Double-A home run, a two-run blast, during his first game at Blair County Ballpark. McCutchen totaled four RBIs while the Curve defeated Harrisburg, 13-1.
August 18, 2019 – Michael Ryan became the winningest manager in franchise history when the Curve defeated Bowie, 5-4, for his 214th victory at the helm.
August 19, 1999 – Bronson Arroyo recorded his league-best and franchise-record-setting 15th win after his 7.2, one-run innings led to a 3-2 win vs. Trenton. It was Arroyo’s last outing with the Curve due to his promotion to Triple-A Nashville.
August 19, 2000 – Adam Hyzdu hit his 30th home run and drew four walks during an 8-6 win vs. Harrisburg.
August 19, 2004 – The Curve were no-hit for the second time in team history. Bowie pitcher Dave Crouthers led the way with seven no-hit frames followed by single innings from Andy Mitchell and Jacobo Seque.
August 19, 2009 – Tim Alderson hit a solo homer at Harrisburg, the first by a Curve pitcher since 2001.
August 20, 2006 – The Curve completed a three-game series vs. Harrisburg with 24,513 fans entering through the turnstiles. That figure made it the most-attended three-game series in franchise history.
August 21, 2007 – Reading’s Carlos Carrasco pitched a no-hitter against the Curve during a six-inning, rain-shortened contest. Carrasco struck out eight and walked two while Reading defeated Altoona, 1-0.
August 21, 2012 – Jameson Taillon made his Double-A debut at Trenton. He pitched five scoreless innings, struck out six and allowed four hits to earn the win in Altoona’s 5-0 victory. Taillon, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft and No. 2 Pirates prospect, joined top prospect and 2011 No. 1 overall pick Gerrit Cole in the Curve rotation.
August 21, 2016 – Erich Weiss exploded for seven RBIs at New Hampshire, one shy of tying the franchise record. Weiss homered, tripled and doubled during Altoona’s 11-5 win.
August 22, 2003 – Bowie’s Mike Fontenot hit for the cycle for during a 9-6 Curve loss at Bowie. It was the first time the Curve experienced a player hitting for the cycle.
August 22, 2004 – Brad Eldred recorded his second six-RBI game of his 50-RBI August, increasing his total-to-date to 36. The Curve also closed out a four-game series vs. Bowie that hosted 30,914 fans at Blair County Ballpark for the most-attended series in franchise history.
August 22, 2005 – Rich Thompson crushed a tie-breaking grand slam in the top of the ninth to boost the Curve to an 8-4 win at Bowie. Thompson also swiped two bases in the game to increase his total to 38 of his eventual-record 45 stolen bases.
August 22, 2015 – Adam Frazier reached base six times after a 4-for-4 performance with two walks. Jose Osuna also added six RBIs during a two-hit game and the Curve won at Bowie, 12-8.
August 23, 2004 – Brad Eldred followed three and six-RBI games with a four-RBI performance to complete a three-game stretch of 13 RBIs from August 21-23, pushing his August total to 40 RBIs.
August 23, 2006 – Piggy-backing the top three-game series in franchise history from August 18-20, the Curve closed out the most-attended six-game homestand from August 18-23 with 41,390 fans at Blair County Ballpark.
August 23, 2015 – Chad Kuhl recorded his 10th win of the season by blanking Bowie over seven two-hit innings.
August 23, 2019 – Sean Brady pitched a complete-game, seven-hit shutout during a 7-0 win at Bowie.
August 24, 2001 – Altoona’s Steve Sparks and Akron’s Nerio Rodriguez pitched dual complete games, resulting in a 1-0 Akron win. Sparks struck out nine while Rodriguez fanned 13 and both pitchers allowed four hits. Billy Munoz’s solo home run in the third inning was the only run of the game.
August 24, 2010 – Jordy Mercer capped off a four-hit, four-RBI game with a walk-off single to lift the Curve to a 6-5 win vs. Erie.
August 25, 2003 – The Curve clinched the first playoff berth in franchise history with a 7-1 win vs. Reading at Blair County Ballpark.
August 25, 2004 – An eighth-inning lead slipped away from the Curve at Erie when the SeaWolves broke a 4-4 tie with nine runs and won, 13-4.
August 26, 2000 – The Curve rallied for three runs in the top of the 12th inning to win at Reading, 4-1.
August 26, 2012 – Jameson Taillon made his home debut for the Curve and pitched six, one-hit frames with seven strikeouts. Hunter Strickland carried the 7-0 shutout win vs. Richmond over the final three innings on the mound.
August 26, 2019 – Domingo Robles became the fourth player in franchise history to pitch multiple complete-game shutouts in a single season after a five-hitter vs. Akron.
August 27, 2000 – The day after a 12-inning game, the Curve played a 16-inning contest at Reading. The contest took four hours and 35 minutes while Altoona broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 16th for a 4-2 win.
August 27, 2002 – Kevin Sefcik knocked in all four Curve runs while Mike Gonzalez pitched 6.2, one-run innings with eight strikeouts. Altoona won at Erie, 4-1.
August 27, 2009 – Pedro Alvarez hammered a pair of home runs during a 9-4, comeback win vs. Trenton. Alvarez delivered three hits, scored three runs and drove in three.
August 28, 2006 – Landon Jacobsen earned his franchise-best 30th winning decision after he pitched 8.1 innings vs. Akron. The Curve won, 5-3, and it was Jacobsen’s 14th win of the season, the second-best, single-season total in team history.
August 28, 2014 – Charlie Morton made a MLB rehab start vs. Richmond in Altoona and struck out six hitters over four two-run frames. Former Curve pitcher Hunter Strickland appeared on the mound for Richmond and was the losing pitcher.
August 28, 2017 – The Curve played a 15-inning contest at Richmond and lost, 2-1.
August 29, 2002 – Brad Guy pitched a three-hit, complete-game shutout for a 3-0 Curve win at Erie. Guy walked one batter and struck out five. Offensively, Carlos Rivera hit his 21st homer and J.J. Davis launched his 20th of the year as the tandem became the second set of Curve teammates to swat 20 homers in the same season.
August 29, 2003 – Sean Burnett won his 14th game of the season, the league’s best total that year. In the final start of Burnett’s EL Pitcher of the Year campaign, he pitched five innings of a rain-shortened game that the Curve won, 12-3, vs. Erie. The Curve backed him with a franchise-record nine runs in the first inning while Ray Sadler went 4-for-4 with two doubles.
August 30, 1999 – Pitcher Alex Pena hit a home run vs. Reading, a two-run shot and the second by a pitcher in team history.
August 30, 2002 – Bowie’s Doug Gredvig hit an inside-the-park home run at Blair County Ballpark during a 5-2 Baysox win over the Curve.
August 30, 2006 – The Curve clinched a playoff berth for the fourth straight season with a 4-2 win over Akron. Akron defeated the Curve the night before to clinch the division title.
August 30, 2013 – Nick Kingham fanned eight hitters over seven scoreless innings despite a 3-1 loss vs. Akron.
August 31, 2004 – Brad Eldred closed out a 14-homer, 50-RBI month with four RBIs and a home run while the Curve defeated Trenton, 5-4.
August 31, 2007 – Matt Peterson set a new single-season franchise record with his 28th save during a 3-0 win at Erie. He raised the bar with his 29th save of the year the next day.
August 31, 2010 – The Curve defeated Bowie, 9-1, to clinch the team’s first division title since 2004 and second overall. Rudy Owens pitched six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts to lower his EL-best ERA to 2.46 and won his 12th game.
August 31, 2013 – Pirates closer Jason Grilli pitched a scoreless first inning on MLB rehab. Grilli was the ninth Pirate to make a rehab outing with the Curve in 2013, the most in a single season in Curve history.
August 31, 2019 – Harrisburg scored 11 runs during the seventh inning of a 14-7 win over the Curve, setting a new record for the most runs allowed in an inning.

September

September 1, 2004 – The Curve clinched the first division championship in franchise history with a 4-2 victory over Trenton. Brad Eldred hit his 15th homer since joining the Curve in late July and Zach Duke was the winning pitcher.
September 1, 2017 – Mitch Keller fanned 11 Harrisburg hitters and pick up the winning decision with six scoreless frames of Altoona’s 6-5 win.
September 1, 2018 – Will Craig became the second player in franchise history to reach 100 RBIs in a single season after a first-inning double at Bowie.
September 2, 2002 – For the second year in a row, the Curve closed their season with a walk-off victory at Blair County Ballpark. After six one-run innings on the mound by Ryan Vogelsong, Carlos Rivera connected on a walk-off single in the 13th to down Bowie, 2-1.
September 2, 2015 – One of Pittsburgh’s top prospect and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2013 draft, Austin Meadows, made his Double-A debut for the Curve. He went 2-for-4 at the plate during a 4-0 loss at Bowie.
September 2, 2018 – The Curve clinched the fourth division championship in team history and second in a row with a 10-8 win at Bowie. The accomplishment also tied a franchise record with the club’s fourth straight playoff berth.
September 3, 2001 – The Curve ended the year with a walk-off, 3-2 win vs. Portland. Justin Martin connected on the game-winning single in front of a new Blair County Ballpark-record 8,070 fans. The Curve also welcomed their 1 millionth fan at the close of the team’s third season.
September 3, 2003 – The Curve played the first playoff game in team history at Akron, resulting in an 8-2 loss. Landon Jacobsen was tabbed the starting pitcher and was bounced in the fourth inning. The Curve built a 2-0 lead before Akron countered with a three-run third inning.
September 3, 2004 – Ian Snell tied a team record with his second complete-game shutout with a five-hit, seven-inning 1-0 win at New Britain.
September 3, 2005 – Josh Bonifay hit a solo homer in the sixth inning at Bowie for his 125th extra-base hit as a member of the Curve, passing Adam Hyzdu for the franchise’s all-time record in the category. The Curve won the game, 3-1.
September 3, 2006 – Landon Jacobsen was denied tying the Curve’s single-season record 15th win. The Curve lost, 6-3, to Bowie at Blair County Ballpark after Jacobsen allowed six runs over six innings.
September 3, 2018 – On the final day of the regular season, Curve pitchers allowed seven homers at Bowie to set a new single-game record for most home runs allowed. The 12 extra-base hits by the Baysox were also the most allowed by the Curve in one game in team history.
September 4, 1999 – Craig Wilson had a monster game in Altoona’s 8-2 win at Bowie. He hit two homers and tripled twice during a four-hit game. He was the first player to hit two triples in the same game and set a still-standing record of 14 total bases in that game.
September 4, 2000 – Adam Hyzdu’s No. 16 was retired by the Curve on the final day of the season. He set single-season records by playing in his 142nd game of the season and blasted his 31st homer of the year, resulting in the 55th of his Curve career (tied for the most all-time). However, Altoona lost the game to Akron, 2-1.
September 4, 2003 – The Curve earned the franchise’s first playoff win with a 4-3 victory at Akron in Game 2 of the Eastern League Division Series. Akron led, 3-2, after six innings before the Curve tied the game in the seventh and Kevin Nicholson hit the game-winning homer in the top of the ninth inning.
September 4, 2005 – Josh Bonifay tied Adam Hyzdu’s career home run record when he blasted his 55th homer in a Curve uniform. Bonifay’s homer, a three-run shot, was crucial to the game and lifted the Curve to a 4-1 lead in the 15th inning at Bowie. His homer was the 2005 club’s 139th of the season, setting a new single-season team record that eventually totaled 141 by the end of the season. Additionally, Hansel Izquierdo pitched 10 one-run innings for a single-game franchise record for innings pitched in one game.
September 4, 2015 – Steven Brault stymied Binghamton over eight scoreless innings and lowered his ERA to 2.00 for the season.
September 4, 2017 – Mitchell Tolman hit a walk-off, three-run homer in the 12th inning to lift the Curve to a 7-4 win over Harrisburg. The Curve also clinched the division title on the final day of the regular season, send Altoona to the postseason for the third year in a row.
September 5, 2003 – The Curve hosted the first home playoff game in franchise history in front of 7,097 fans, which remains the highest-attended home playoff game in team history. However, Akron defeated the Curve, 11-6, thanks to a six-run first inning against starting pitcher John Van Benschoten.
September 5, 2004 – Ronny Paulino reached base for the 33rd straight game to break Nate McLouth’s record of 32 games set just weeks before. It was the third on-base streak of 30 games or more by a Curve player in 2004, with each of the other two by McLouth. Steve Pearce tied Paulino’s record in 2007.
September 5, 2005 – The Curve defeated Bowie, 4-2, on the final day of the regular season to clinch a playoff berth for the third straight season. Craig Stansberry homered twice and Shane Youman pitched eight, one-run innings.
September 5, 2011 – The 2011 season ended in an odd way. With the game tied, 1-1, between Richmond and Altoona at Blair County Ballpark, Richmond’s Wes Hodges hit a solo homer in the top of the eighth to put the Flying Squirrels up, 2-1. The umpires called for the tarp before the next batter came up and the game was called after an 89-minute rain delay. It resulted in a “walk-off” win for the road team due to the season’s last scheduled game and it could not be made up at a later date. For the Curve, Starling Marte went 1-for-3 and finished with a .332 average to win the Eastern League batting title.
September 5, 2016 – Altoona earned the Western Division Wild Card on the final day of the regular season after a 2-0 win vs. Richmond, securing a playoff berth for the second year in a row.
September 6, 2003 – Altoona’s first playoff run came to an end after an 8-0 loss vs. Akron.
September 6, 2015 – The Curve clinched their first playoff berth since 2010 as a result of a 4-1 win at Binghamton.
September 7, 2017 – Mitch Keller kickstarted Altoona’s championship run with one of the best pitching performances in team history. Keller only needed 90 pitches and faced the minimum during a nine-inning, complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the ELDS at Bowie. His performance was the second complete-game shutout by a Curve pitcher during a playoff game. While the Curve won, 2-0, Bowie managed to get four runners on base: a walk in the second, single in the fourth, error in the sixth and a walk in the ninth.
September 9, 2005 – Facing elimination in Game 3 of the ELDS vs. Akron, Tom Gorzelanny delivered a gem for the Curve at Blair County Ballpark. He set a single-game team record with 13 strikeouts and pitched the franchise’s first complete-game shutout in a playoff game. The performance kept the Curve’s season alive with a 3-0 win.
September 9, 2015 – The Curve tied a team record by overcoming a seven-run deficit in Game 1 of the ELDS vs. Bowie at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Trailing 7-0 in the second inning, the Curve chipped away with one in the fourth and a grand slam by Barrett Barnes in the fifth. Austin Meadows completed the comeback with a game-tying, two-run homer in the ninth and set the stage for a walk-off single by Jacob Stallings two hitters later. Barnes’ grand slam and Stallings’ walk-off hit were each firsts in Altoona’s postseason history.
September 10, 2005 – The Curve forced a decisive fifth game of the ELDS with a 6-3 win vs. Akron in Game 4 in Altoona.
September 10, 2006 – The Curve played in a winner-take-all playoff game for the second time in team history. Altoona is defeated, 5-2, at Akron in Game 5 of the ELDS.
September 10, 2010 – Altoona took a 2-1 series lead after a 7-2 win at Harrisburg in Game 3 of the ELDS. Justin Wilson pitched six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and two hits allowed. Matt Hague hit a go-ahead, three-run double in the third inning while Chase d’Arnaud and Josh Harrison hit back-to-back homers in the seventh.
September 11, 2004 – The Curve completed a three-game sweep of Erie with a 14-4 win to secure the first playoff series win in franchise history and advanced to the Eastern League Championship Series for the first time.
September 11, 2005 – The first winner-take-all playoff game resulted in a 6-4 Curve loss at Akron in Game 5 of the ELDS.
September 12, 2018 – For the first time in the 20-year relationship between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Altoona Curve, the Pirates starting lineup is made up of all Curve alumni. Adam Frazier (2B), Starling Marte (CF), Josh Bell (1B), Jordan Luplow (RF), Kevin Kramer (3B), Pablo Reyes (LF), Kevin Newman (SS), Jacob Stallings (C) and Jameson Taillon (P) were penciled in by Pirates manager Clint Hurdle at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The Pirates defeated the Cardinals, 4-3.
September 13, 2017 – The Curve won, 4-2, at Trenton for the team’s fifth straight win to begin the playoffs and sent the 2017 ELCS back to Altoona with a chance to sweep through the playoffs. J.T. Brubaker pitched eight one-run innings for Altoona.
September 14, 2004 – The Curve faced New Hampshire in Game 1 each franchise’s first appearance in the Eastern League Championship Series. Despite a 3-0 lead for Altoona, New Hampshire won, 5-4.
September 14, 2010 – The Curve hosted the Trenton Thunder in Game 1 of the 2010 ELCS. Yankees All-Star Andy Pettitte started the game for Trenton on MLB rehab. Chase d’Arnaud hit a lead-off homer off Pettitte but Trenton came back to claim the first game, 3-2, in 10 innings.
September 14, 2017 – The Curve defeated Trenton, 4-2, in Game 3 of the ELCS to clinch the franchise’s second Eastern League championship at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Mitch Keller pitched 7.1 innings and struck out eight hitters after Trenton scored two runs in the second inning. Jin-De Jhang put the Curve on top for good in the fifth inning with a three-run triple. After sweeping the series, three games to none, the Curve became just the third team to go 6-0 through the Eastern League playoffs.
September 15, 1998 – The Pittsburgh Pirates and Altoona Curve announced the initial four-year Player Development Contract between the two ball clubs, beginning with the inaugural 1999 season.
September 18, 2004 – The Curve’s first trip to the ELCS ended in a three-game sweep after the New Hampshire Fisher Cats defeated Altoona, 2-0, in Manchester. The EL championship was earned by New Hampshire in the franchise’s first season. Meanwhile at Blair County Ballpark, country music icon Travis Tritt performed a concert at the ballpark.
September 18, 2010 – The Curve defeated Trenton, 5-2, in Game 4 of the ELCS to capture the first league title in franchise history. Tony Watson struck out 10 hitters over six two-run frames and Jim Negrych connected on a go-ahead, two-run single in the fourth.
September 18, 2020 – The alternate training site at PNG Field wrapped up an 11-week stretch of workouts for the Pirates reserves during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
September 20, 2017 – First baseman Edwin Espinal was named 2017 MiLB Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipient for defensive excellency. It was the first Gold Glove Award for an Altoona player.
September 23, 2018 – The Pirates sent out the second all-Curve alumni starting lineup and the first at PNC Park. Pablo Reyes (RF), Starling Marte (CF), Josh Bell (1B), Elias Diaz (C), Jordan Luplow (LF), Jose Osuna (3B), Josh Harrison (2B), Jordy Mercer (SS) and Nick Kingham (P) took the field against the Brewers. The Pirates lost, 13-6, and also faced former Curve outfielder Keon Broxton playing for Milwaukee.

October

October 4, 2012 – The Curve won a Golden Bobblehead for “Best Charity Promotion or Event” with its efforts with Curve, Pa. Blue Out Saturdays. The team wore blue jerseys for each Saturday home game to raise awareness and funds for Prevent Child Abuse, Pennsylvania.
October 5, 1997 – Altoona won the bid for a new minor league franchise by the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues. The proposal and stadium plan were submitted the day before just hours before the deadline. Altoona was selected over Springfield, Mass.
October 7, 2016 – Derek Martin was named the fifth general manager in team history, replacing Rob Egan after eight seasons.
October 8, 2018 – Curve third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes was named the 2018 MiLB Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipient at third base for the second year in a row. It was the second year in a row that a Curve player received the award and the second of three straight for Hayes from 2017-19.
October 17, 2001 – Curve majority owner Bob Lozinak announced the sale of the franchise to Pittsburgh sports attorney Chuck Greenberg. Later, Greenberg welcomed Pittsburgh sports starts Jerome Bettis and Mario Lemieux to the new ownership group. However, Lozinak would reacquire his hometown team in December 2008.

November

November 1, 1999 – With Sal Baglieri elevated to the role of Senior Advisor, Jeff Parker is hired as the Curve’s second general manager.
November 23, 2010 – Just months after the franchise’s first Eastern League championship, the franchise took another step forward and unveiled a new logo set. The new marks paid homage to the railroad engineers that helped put Altoona on the map.

December

December 1, 2008 – Curve President and Managing Partner Chuck Greenberg announced that his group was selling the franchise back to original owner Bob Lozinak. Shortly after the announcement, David Lozinak was appointed the team’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the day-to-day functions of the ballclub.
December 5, 2008 – The organization’s new foundation continued to take shape. Rob Egan, the original play-by-play broadcaster for the Curve from 1999-2004, was named the team’s fourth general manager.
December 8, 2019 – Curve owner Bob Lozinak was honored as the King of Baseball at the 2019 Baseball Winter Meetings in San Diego. The award recognizes a veteran of professional baseball each year for longtime dedication and service to the game. Lozinak has been a minor league team owner since 1979.
December 30, 2008 – Minor League Baseball approved the sale of the Curve from the Greenberg group back to the Lozinak family.

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