Erie downs Altoona, 7-0
ERIE, Pa. – Altoona got a strong start from Garrett McMillan in his Double-A debut, but, Erie earned their second shutout win of the week, 7-0, on Friday night at UPMC Park in Erie.
McMillan scattered three hits against the first seven hitters and then dialed in to retire ten straight men. The Tuscaloosa native struck out three and did not walk a batter in his Double-A debut.
Altoona’s offense stranded six runners on base across their first four innings at the plate. Altoona stranded a man in scoring position in five different innings on Friday night. Imanol Vargas reached base safely three times in four plate appearances, earning two walks and a single in the defeat.
With the game scoreless through five innings, Erie tagged the Curve bullpen for seven runs across their final three at-bats. Jake Holton broke the scoreless tie with an RBI double off Valentin Linarez and Erie added another when Justice Bigbie followed him with a run-scoring single.
Erie put the game away with a three-run homer from Trei Cruz in the seventh and a two-run single from Eliezer Alfonzo in the eighth against J.C. Flowers.
Jack Brannigan extended his on-base streak to 15 games in the defeat with a first inning walk, Mitch Jebb saw his season-best on-base streak come to an end with a 0-for-4 day at the plate. Altoona four bases in the game, three of them by Mike Jarvis who had a single and was hit by a pitch.
The Curve continue their six-game series at Erie’s UPMC Park on Saturday afternoon, Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, at 1:35 p.m. RHP Wilber Dotel will start for the Curve with RHP Joseph Montalva slated for the SeaWolves.