Cannonballs coming: Christian Kelley continues strong streak

A couple news items (sub. req’d): Joe Musgrove will move up to Altoona and make a rehab start with the Curve on Sunday. And West Virginia lefty Braeden Ogle has been placed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. It sounds more precautionary than serious.

West Virginia was rained out.

— Indianapolis (4-2) scored three in the bottom of the eighth to pick up a 4-2 win over Gwinnett. Kevin Kramer and Jose Osuna doubled to tie the game, then a bases-loaded walk to Ryan Lavarnway put the Indians ahead. Kramer finished 1-3 with a walk and Osuna 2-3 with a walk. Tyler Eppler gave up a run on five hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out five. Johnny Hellweg threw a perfect ninth for the save. He still hasn’t been scored upon in 11 innings over nine games.

Kevin Newman: 1-4
Austin Meadows: 1-4
Jordan Luplow: 2-3, BB
Chris Bostick: 0-3, BB
Josh Smoker: IP, H, ER, BB, 2 K

— Altoona (15-12) won the completion of its suspended game from yesterday, beating Erie, 5-2. The game was stopped in the third inning with the Curve ahead, 3-1. Pedro Vasquez made his first start of the season, going three innings before the rain came. He allowed a run on three hits and a walk, with two strikeouts. Most of the Curve’s hitting prospects continue to slump, but not catcher Christian Kelley (pictured), who went 2-3 with his third home run. He’s now batting 290/328/484, including a 13-for-30 run in his last nine games. Jason Martin is the other exception and he was 2-4 with a triple in this one.

Cole Tucker: 0-2, BB
Ke’Bryan Hayes: 0-3, BB
Will Craig: 2-2, 2B
Logan Hill: 1-2, BB
Stephen Alemais: 1-3, 2B

The Curve fell victim to a two-hit shutout in the regularly scheduled game, losing 2-0. J.T. Brubaker struggled through four innings, giving up six hits and three walks, but managing to limit the damage to two runs. He fanned just one despite coming into the game averaging over a strikeout per inning. The only hits were singles by Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jordan George. Cole Tucker, Jason Martin, Will Craig, Logan Hill and Stephen Alemais combined to go 0-for-13 with one walk. Tucker is on a 2-for-37 slide.

— Bradenton (17-12) lost to Charlotte, 8-6. Starter Oddy Nunez got battered for 11 hits, along with four walks, over four and a third innings, but somehow managed to allow only six runs, five earned. He struck out four. Adrian Valerio went 3-4 with a walk and a pair of doubles. Albert Baur and Hunter Owen each had two hits. Bligh Madris went 0-5 and stranded seven runners.