Curve Dispose of Phillies Again

Last night produced more or less the same result as Friday night, only with 100% more bullpen runs allowed: a 7 to 3 victory over the--say it together now--R-Phils!

(Here I'm tempted to rail against the sophomoric first initial-first syllable of last word nickname construction so prevalent in our declining culture, but I'll save it for a rainy day. OK, a particularly rainy day.)

Tim Alderson's renaissance continues. It's not so much that he's pitching much better than he has been; he went 6 innings, struck out 5, walked 3, which is actually a weaker K/BB ratio than he usually puts up. But finally, the balls in play are finding their way into Curve gloves, and he left having allowed only one run and staked to a comfortable lead.

The rehabbing Jack Taschner contributed further to my theory that there's not that much difference between mediocre major league and good AA pitchers, yielding two hits, a walk and a run in one inning of work. Danny Moskos did the same, but all for naught for Reading, as the Curve cruised in winners on the strength of the performances of Chase d'Arnaud (no hits, but 2 walks and 2 runs scored), Hector Gimenez (a two-run bomb in the 7th) and--stop me if you've heard this before--Alex Presley, the 2-for-4 machine that produced yet another 2-for-4 with yet another double.

Tonight the boys take on Reading again, and tomorrow they take on Reading yet again, and our pitchers? Rudy Owens and Bryan Morris. Ladies of Altoona, get your brooms ready!

TIDBIT CORNER

• Jose de los Santos appeared as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning. Jose is an awesome, awesome guy, but I can't help but wonder what had Kris Watts occupied at the time.

• Jordy Mercer didn't play. I wasn't there last night, and I don't know whether it was related at all to the nasty fastball he took off his forearm in the 1st inning of Friday's game. He completed that game, so we presume and hope it was just a scheduled day off. But if so, again, we will forever ponder why de los Santos was sighted with a bat in his hands while Mercer remained on the bench.

• I certainly hope Altoona builds a big lead tonight; it's Corey Hamman's turn to pitch an inning or two, and Mike Dubee and Moskos won't be available unless it's an emergency. Here's hoping for seven innings from you, Rudy.