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Tony Watson kept the Thunder’s bats quiet after the 3rd inning, allowing only one hit over the next three innings, including striking out the side in the 4th.� Watson came out again to begin the 7th, but the inning began with Sublett hitting a solo home run.� Jared Hughes relieved Watson, and gave up two walks, but got a double play and a strikeout to get out of the inning.
The Curve got the run right back in the top of the 8th.� With one out,� De Los Santos, RF Anthony Norman, and 2B Chase d’Arnaud hit three consecutive singles.� De Los Santos hit a high chopper over the pitcher’s head and then beat out the throw to first by the second baseman.� Norman slipped a single through the hole and into left field, and d’Arnaud slipped his single through the hole into right field.� De Los Santos scored on d’Arnaud’s hit, but Norman was out at third when the cut-off man, 1B Marcos Vechionacci relayed the throw in from the outfield to third base instead of to the plate.� Harrison followed with a ground rule double, bouncing a fly ball off the warning track at the base of the center field wall and up to the billboards behind the wall.� Unfortunately for the Curve, the ground rule double meant that d’Arnaud, who had raced around from first and had crossed the plate, had to return to third base.� He was left there, and Harrison left on second, when a new Trenton reliever got Mercer to fly out to end the inning.� The Curve threatened again in the top of the 9th, when Lambo singled and Gimenez walked, but both were left stranded.
Hughes retired the Thunder in order in the bottom of the 8th.� Daniel Moskos came on to finish things up in the bottom of the 9th.� He began with a 3-pitch strikeout, then gave up a walk to Sublett.� SS Luis Nunez grounded to second base, where d’Arnaud flipped the ball to Mercer for the force on Sublett at second base.� But Mercer’s relay throw to first was high, pulling Hague off the bag, and Nunez was safe.� It didn’t bother Moskos, though — he struck out Cusick with a big swing at strike three, to end the game and give the Curve their first ever Eastern League championship.
Justin Wilson, who won last night’s game, was named the Eastern League playoff’s MVP.� Wilson made two starts for the Curve during the playoffs (both Saturdays) and won both games, pitching a total of 13 shutout innings.
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The Pirates put up a 5-run 4th inning to defeat the Diamondbacks 9-6 tonight.� John Bowker went 3-for-4 with a double in the 5th inning rally, and a 2-run home run in the 4th.� Pinch-hitter Brandon Moss struck out in the 5th.� Alex Presley came into the game in the 8th to play right field, but he did not get a plate appearance.
