Matt Dean was nearly the hero for New Hampshire on Thursday night in Altoona, Pa. The first baseman waited until the ninth inning but made the most of his last at-bat, clocking a two-run home run to erase a 1-0 Altoona Curve lead and put the Fisher Cats up, 2-1, in an Eastern League matchup.
Close, but not enough. The Curve staged a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning and walked off with a 3-2 win. The winning run scored on a passed ball.
Dean had gone hitless in three of his last six games and his home run off Montana DuRapau was the only hit for Dean on Thursday night.
Altoona (35-30) scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out home run off the bat of Austin Meadows.
Jeremy Gabryszwski pitched seven innings for the Fisher Cats (30-35), giving up four hits – including the home run – with eight strikeouts and one walk. Eight was a season-high strikeout total for the Crosby, Texas, native.
Wil Browning was tagged with his third blown save of the season, giving up two runs on three hits in the ninth. Browning failed to make an out.
The Fisher Cats, who visit the Akron RubberDucks tonight for a three-game set had won three of the last four on the heels of a five-game losing streak.