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MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -ALTOONA – A four run fifth inning for Portland proved to be the great divide, as the Sea Dogs were able to hold off the Altoona Curve for a 4-3 victory on Wednesday night at Blair County Ballpark.

 The loss snaps a four-game win streak for Altoona (58-72).

 After the Curve grabbed the first run of the contest in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks to an RBI single from Brad Corley to take a 1-0 lead, the Sea Dogs erupted for four runs in the fifth.

 Off of starter Derek Hankins (1-10), the first two Portland batters reached, before Hankins was lifted in favor of Christian Castorri.

 Castorri permitted an RBI double off the bat of Aaron Bates to tie the game, 1-1.  The very next batter, Lars Anderson smacked a two-run double to put the Sea Dogs in front, 3-1.  Later in the frame Mickey Hall capped off the scoring with an RBI single to give Portland and edge of 4-1.

 Portland southpaw Dave Gassner (7-5) won his sixth consecutive start after he allowed just the one run over six innings of work.

 Altoona would do their best to claw back.  The Curve grabbed a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Off reliever Chad Rhoades, Jim Negrych knocked home Shelby Ford with an RBI single.  Jose Tabata later scored on a wild pitch to bring the Curve within one, 4-3.

 That’s as close as Altoona would get.  Portland Manager Arnie Beyeler brought on closer Daniel Bard for the final 1 2/3 innings as he notched his fifth save of the year.  With the win for Portland, Beyeler secured is 500th career managerial victory.

 Pirates’ closer Matt Capps returned to Blair County Ballpark to pitch for the first time since 2005.  The lone reliever selected to the Curve’s Tenth Anniversary All-Time team tossed a scoreless seventh inning and struck out one batter.  Capps, on a rehab assignment with Pittsburgh is expected to rejoin the Major League squad on Friday with the Pirates play at Milwaukee.

 Altoona will look to grab the rubber match of the series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m.  The Curve will give the ball to left-hander Kyle Bloom (4-7, 4.47), while the Sea Dogs will send righty Ryne Lawson (1-0, 2.65) to the mound.

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