CURVE, Pa. – The Altoona Curve tied a franchise record by allowing five home runs in a 9-1 loss to the Akron RubberDucks in the opener of a three-game set on Monday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Altoona (1-3) last surrendered five home runs in a single game on August 2, 2006, at Harrisburg. Akron (4-0) has now hit nine homers through its first four games of the year.
In his Double-A debut, lefty Cody Dickson (Loss, 0-1) lasted just 3.1 innings and gave up six runs – although only three were earned – on just three hits with two strikeouts while issuing seven walks. In total, Curve pitchers walked nine RubberDucks hitters.
Akron’s (4-0) Jeremy Lucas crushed the first of his two home runs off Dickson in the top of the second to give the Ducks a 3-0 lead.
The RubberDucks scored in every inning from the second to sixth, scoring nine runs on eight hits, with six runs coming via the long-ball.
Altoona scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, when Eric Wood doubled home Justin Maffei, who led off the frame with a four-pitch walk. Wood has three extra base hits over his first three games played, and is hitting .417 (5-for-12) to begin the season.
Game two of the series will see Altoona right-hander David Whitehead make his Pirates organizational debut, as he opposes Akron righty Dace Kime in a 6 p.m. start. Airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. from Peoples Natural Gas Field.
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