The Result
Phillies - 3 runs to 1

The Curve - Year-to-Date
35 wins and 36 losses

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Did Not Start
Playing
Batting - #

----------Entered the game as a pinch hitter with one down in the top of the ninth innings

Brett's at-bats

First plate appearance
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Ball - fast ball - high
Called strike - fast ball
Called strike - fast ball
Ball - fast ball - low
"Here comes the 2ball-2strike pitch ... and it's a called strike three!!! ... that was a very, very late call by the umpire ... Roneberg is arguing his case and Curve Manager Tim Leiper is coming down from third base and is also having a few words to the home plate umpire"
Strike out
NOTE - Tim Leiper was later ejected from the game by the third base umpire ... refer to the game reports below

At the end of the Game
0 hit from 1 at-bats - 1 x strike out

Heard during the game

(01) As Brett came in for his first plate appearance, the Phillies commentator said - "Brett is a very good veteran hitter"

Email from Brett

Game Reports

Reading starter Zach Segovia tossed seven strong innings and combined with reliever Julio De La Cruz on a four-hitter as the Phillies defeated the Curve, 3-1, Saturday night before 8,732 fans at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading

Segovia, who was sent down to Double-A earlier in the week after going 1-9 with a 6.05 ERA in 13 starts for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate in Ottawa, returned to his 2006 form that saw him win 11 games in 17 appearances for the R-Phils
The right-hander gave up just one unearned run in his seven innings of work to pick up the victory
Segovia (1-0), who opened the season on the Phillies' 25-man roster and made one start for Philadelphia before being sent to Ottawa in mid-April, scattered four hits, walked four and struck out five

The Phillies scored all three of their runs in the first two innings of the game against Curve starter Dewon Brazelton
Brazelton (0-1), making just his second start for Altoona since being signed by the Pirates as a minor league free agent, gave up a two-run, first-inning single to Chris Coste and a second-inning solo home run to Michael Garciaparra over his four innings of work

Trailing 3-0, the Curve plated their only run of the game in the top of the third inning, when Segovia temporarily had trouble finding the strike zone
Segovia issued three walks in the frame, including a bases-loaded free pass to Steven Pearce to get Altoona on the board

However, the Curve left the bases full in that frame and stranded three more runners in scoring position over the next two innings before failing to mount any further threats over the rest of the game

De La Cruz replaced Segovia in the eighth inning and closed out the Reading victory with two scoreless innings

The loss drops Altoona below the .500 mark at 35-36, while the R-Phils improved to 35-38 with the win

Each team has won a game over the first two games of the series and the third game will take place Sunday afternoon at 1.05pm
Curve right-hander Yoslan Herrera (1-5, 5.58) will get the start against former Altoona standout Landon Jacobsen (6-4, 4.52)

Zack Segovia fired seven strong innings as Reading beat visiting Altoona, 3-1, on Saturday

Making his first start for the Phillies (35-38) since being reassigned from Triple-A Ottawa, Segovia (1-0) yielded an unearned run on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts
The 24-year-old right-hander retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced

Julio De La Cruz struck out two over two perfect frames for his fourth save

Chris Coste stroked a two-run single in the first and Michael Garciaparra belted a solo homer, his first, in the second for Reading

Steven Pearce drew a bases-loaded walk in the third for the Curve (35-36)

Altoona starter Dewon Brazelton (0-1) gave up three runs on four hits and two walks in four innings

Saturday night's Eastern League matchup featured two right-handers trying to regain their form - the Phillies' Zack Segovia and the Altoona Curve's Dewon Brazelton
Segovia, 24, who began the season in Philadelphia, where he made one start, struggled with the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx, as his 1-9 record and 6.05 ERA will attest
Brazelton, 27, who spent parts of the last five seasons in the big leagues, was making his second Double-A start after being released by Kansas City in late April

Segovia and the Phillies got the better of it, earning a 3-1 decision before 8,732

Brazleton allowed three runs and four hits over four innings
He struck out two and walked two, leaving after 61 pitches

Segovia was touched for an unearned run on four hits in seven innings of work, with five strikeouts and four walks
He threw 107 pitches - 65 for strikes

Julio Do La Cruz pitched two scoreless innings and collected his fourth save

The Phillies got a two-run single from Chris Coste in the first and a solo home run from Michael Garciaparra in the second, his first for the Phillies

The Curve fell to 35-36

Notes
Center fielder Javon Moran, on the disabled list since June 15 with a calf injury, came off the DL Saturday and remained in Clearwater with the Class A Threshers
Four of the league's top five leaders in slugging percentage were in the park Saturday - the Curve's Steve Pearce (.590) and Neil Walker (.540) sat 1-2 - Randy Ruiz (.528) and Greg Jacobs (.523) were ranked 3rd and 5th, respectively
Phillies starters Landon Jacobsen (87.2) and Matt Maloney (85.2) were ranked 1-2 in innings pitched
Jesus Merchan was 2-for-4, raising his league-leading average to .349
Mike Costanzo's on-base streak ended at 24 games
Curve manager Tim Leiper was ejected with one out in the ninth inning for arguing a called third strike on Brett Roneberg

Play of the Game
Phillies shortstop Michael Garciaparra likely saved a run in the fifth inning when he gloved a hard smash to his left, the force of the ball spinning him around and knocking him off his feet - he recovered to make a strong throw that just nipped the runner for the second out of the inning

The Curve reached the halfway point of the season Saturday night, and if the second half is anything like the first, the franchise’s streak of four consecutive years in the playoffs will come to an end

Reading scored three runs in the first two innings off Dewon Brazelton and held on for a 3-1 win at FirstEnergy Stadium

Altoona lost for the fourth time in five games to drop to 35-36 with half the season left to play
Since the Eastern League went to two divisions in 1994, it has taken an average of 73 wins to earn a wild-card playoff berth
The Curve might need two or three more than that this season to break out of the pack and finish second in the crowded Southern Division
To reach 76 wins, Altoona will have to go 41-30 the rest of the way

Brazelton (0-1) pitched four shutout innings in his Curve debut eight days ago, but Reading tagged him for three runs in four innings Saturday
Chris Coste singled home a pair of runs in the first, and Michael Garciappara homered in the second to make it 3-0

Zack Segovia (1-0) stifled the Curve offense for seven innings
Segovia opened the season with the Philadelphia Phillies, gave up five runs in five innings in his lone start against the Marlins and was sent to Triple-A
The right-hander then went 1-9 with a 6.05 ERA for Ottawa before getting demoted to Reading
The Curve’s lone run scored thanks to Segovia’s wildness in the third inning
He walked three, including Steven Pearce with the bases loaded to force home Brandon Chaves

Julio De La Cruz pitched two scoreless innings for his fourth save

Curve manager Tim Leiper was ejected in the ninth for arguing a called third strike against Brett Roneberg