Photo courtesy Harrisburg Senators

Curve 4, Senators 1

Harrisburg’s Blake Treinen and Altoona’s Casey Sadler fashioned themselves a pitcher’s duel on Sunday afternoon in front of 3,352 fans at Metro Bank Park.

The Curve got on the board first when Matt Curry went the opposite way for a solo home run in the fourth inning. They added another run in the sixth when leftfielder Jose Lozada misplayed a routine single as it scooted past his glove and Andy Vasquez scored all the way from first base.

The Senators got one back as Brian Goodwin led off the bottom half of that inning. The Nationals #3 rated prospect turned on a 3-1 pitch to hit his first home run of the season and cut the deficit in half. It was the closest the Nationals would get as it was the lone mistake Sadler would make on the day.

Altoona tacked on two insurance runs in the 8th inning on a series of misplays and timely hits. Leading off the inning, Carlos Paulino was plunked up and in when a curveball got away from Treinen. Things went downhill from there when the pitcher slipped and fell fielding a bunt to put two on and the top of the order due up. Vasquez roped a single through the right side of the infield that plated Paulino and that was it for Treinen who was relieved by Ian Krol. The first pitch the southpaw delivered to Gift Ngoepe was bunted towards third and Sean Nicol threw the ball past Francisco Soriano who made a nonchalant effort at the wayward throw. The error plated Altoona’s fourth run of the day and it was more than enough for the Senators’ injury and promotion depleted lineup.

Player of the Game: Josh Johnson

From the Windup

• With his outing on Sunday, Blake Treinen is the first Senators’ starter to pitch into the 8th inning this season.

• For the second game in a row, the Senators committed three errors.

• Jose Contreras pitched again on his rehab assignment and threw a 1-2-3 inning.