The Altoona Curve have only two series left in the regular season, and one of them starts tonight, the final homestand, where they take on the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the team they lead , who they lead by two-and-a-half games in the second half standings of the Eastern League’s Southwest Division playoff race. Erie and Harrisburg are only three games back.
Left-hander Blake Townsend is scheduled to start tonight for the Curve.
The Curve’s Wilber Dotel is the Eastern league Pitcher of the Week and Esmerlyn Valdez is the league’s Player of the Week.
Dotel threw ten-and-two-thirds scoreless innings in two starts against Harrisburg last week, allowing just two hits and four walks, with nine strikeouts. Valdez batted .444 with one double, four home runs and nine RBIs. He had his third multi-homer game of the season on Friday and homered in three straight games for the first time in his career.
