Reading’s Ryan Demmin and Altoona’s David Bromberg found themselves in a pitcher’s duel on Tuesday night at Peoples’ Natural Gas Field. The Fightins scored a controversial run in the sixth and added an insurance run in the eighth to shut out the Curve 2-0 in Eastern League action.
The lefty Demmin was making a spot start for the Philadelphia Phillies AA affiliate. While not possessing overpowering stuff, Demmin allowed five hits, struck out one, and did not walk a batter in his first start at the AA level.
The Fightens’ Maikel Franco reached on an error and Jim Murphy singled to start the sixth. After a sacrifice bunt and walk, the bases were loaded for catcher Sebastian Valle. Valle lifted a pitch to left-center where center fielder Gregory Polanco settled under the ball for the out. Polanco then threw a one-hop strike to third base, beating Murphy to the bag and what appeared to be the third out before Franco scored from third. However, Murphy was called safe and the first run of the game scored.
Albert Cartwright reached on an RBI fielder’s choice in the eighth for the only other run of the game.
David Bromberg (6-10) was the hard luck loser for the Curve. The right-hander allowed one unearned run over five and two-thirds innings, striking out four in the process.
The Curve collected seven hits on the night, but all were singles. No one had more than one hit in the lineup. Alen Hanson and Travis Snider each singled for the Curve, who dropped to 59-70 on the season.
Notable Players
**SS Alen Hanson went 1-for-4 on the night with a bunt single, before being taking out in the ninth. He grounded out to the pitcher, struck out swinging, and flew out to left field for the rest of his at-bats. Hanson made a nice play in the hole in the third inning. He also showed great range getting to a ground ball up the middle in the eighth and almost completed a glove flip putout to the second baseman.
10 pitches seen/4 plate appearances= 2.5 pitches per plate appearance
**RF Travis Snider played six innings in the second game of his rehab stint with the Curve. Snider went 1-for-3 with a single to center field. Snider also grounded out to second base and flew out to center field.
9 pitches seen/3 plate appearances=3 pitches per plate appearance
**CF Gregory Polanco went 0-for-4 with two hard lineouts to left and center field. Polanco also grounded out to the pitcher and to the shortstop. In the ninth, Polanco drove a pitch to deep left-center field where the speedy Zach Collier made a great running catch on the warning track. Polanco made a great throw on a sacrifice fly in the sixth, throwing a one-hop strike to third base from medium left-center field.
17 pitches seen/4 plate appearances=4.25 pitches per plate appearance
**LF/RF Alex Dickerson went 0-4 on Tuesday. The Pirates’ 2011 3rd round pick flew out to left and short, lined out to right field and grounded into a double play to end the game.
7 pitches seen/4 plate appearances=1.75 pitches per plate appearance
