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 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels Game Notes: vs. Trenton

June 25, 2015 - Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) (38-32) vs. Trenton Thunder (NYY) (38-34)

Thursday, June 25th -- 6:35 PM

The Diamond -- Richmond, VA

Game #71 - Home Game #39

Radio: Fox Sports 910 (6:00 PM) Internet: FoxSportsRichmond.com

RHP Kyle Crick (1-2, 2.40) vs. LHP Miguel Sulbaran (3-5, 4.85)

SERIES AT A GLANCE: Right-hander Tyler Beede had a rocky outing, which contributed immensely to the 7-3 loss to the Trenton Thunder in game two of this series. The 22-year-old absorbed a career high seven earned runs on 10 hits over a duration of 5.2 innings. Beede surrendered five consecutive singles in the fifth frame before leaving the game. On a more positive note, Beede was named to the USA roster for the 2015 Futures Game, which is played a few days in advance of the MLB All-Star Game. In the contest from Wednesday, Devin Harris clubbed two home runs and drove in all of Richmond's runs (3). This is the first multi-home run game from a Squirrels hitter in 2015. In the opener of this four-game set, Richmond manipulated Trenton, 4-0, and the pitching staff was a bulk of the reason for that. Adalberto Mejia logged a season high six scoreless innings and did not issue a walk in just his fourth start of the year. The top of the order produced for Richmond on offense. Kelby Tomlinson and Rando Moreno went a combined 4-9 with three doubles and scored three of the four runs. It was the fifth shutout victory for the Squirrels this season. This is the only time the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) makes the trip to The Diamond in 2015. These clubs will collide eight more times during the remainder of the regular season. The Squirrels are a stellar 12-1-1 in their last 14 series and 15-6 in June. Richmond faces Trenton two more times and both will be on the road in New Jersey (7/10-7/13 and 8/21-8/23). Trenton arrives with a difficult week in the rearview mirror. They entered this series having lost eight of their previous 10 games and in that span have been swept in two series. Thunder starting pitchers have accounted for 26 of the 36 runs allowed in these eight defeats. The top three hitters in the Trenton lineup went 7-45 (.155) in the most recent series against Bowie through four games. RHP Kyle Crick starts for the first time since June 13 (activated off DL today) for Richmond. Trenton counters with its second straight 21-year-old Miguel Sulbaran.

THE CLIMB TO THE PEAK: The top of the mountain is getting closer, but the climb has been stagnant. The Squirrels placed themselves into a tie with the Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles) for second place in the Western Division during mid-June. That marked the first time Richmond has held second place since April 15, when the team was just 3-3. The club is back in third place and has been since June 18, but they still only trail the Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates) by 3.5 games for the division-lead. That's not too shabby when you factor in that the Squirrels had plummeted to a season-worst 11.5 games behind the Curve on May 3rd after dropping their 15th straight game and falling to 3-17. They are a league-best 35-15 since that day.

CLOSE CALLS: The Squirrels have played in 24 one-run games this year and have come out on top in 13 of them. They have already participated in 10 one-run games in June, which is more than they played in May (7 times) and April (7 times). Eight of those games have been decided by the outcome of 4-3. Richmond has won six of them. The "4-3" final has occurred more than any other final score for the Squirrels in 2015.

A TEST OF STAMINA: The recent five-game set with the Rock Cats took a beating on the Squirrels' bullpen. The relievers tossed 25.1 innings in a span of just five days and used nine different arms. There were only six earned runs absorbed from these pitchers in total. Pedro Rodriguez and Edwin Quirarte spearheaded the success by taking on unexpected roles. They were the two starters in the doubleheader sweep on Sunday. It was just Rodriguez's ninth start of his career and he delivered a season high five shutout innings and yielded two hits. Meanwhile, this was Quirarte's second career start in 318 appearances and he went three innings and only surrendered one run. The dominant bullpen has carried over into the series with Trenton. Joan Gregorio, Derek Law, and Josh Osich each threw one inning Tuesday and all of them recorded two strikeouts. In game two on Wednesday, Phil McCormick motored his way through 2.1 scoreless innings and fanned a season high five hitters. It is the fifth time this year a Richmond reliever has registered five strikeouts in an appearance.

DIFFERENT SCENERY: Outfielder Daniel Carbonell was sent down to San Jose (A+) Tuesday after a tough season with Richmond. The 24-year-old played in 56 games with the Squirrels and only managed a .146 average. The Cuban native was just 2-31 before the he received the call down to the Class Advanced A Affiliate. In 2014, Carbonell hit .344 in 21 games with San Jose. This is only the second professional season for the youngster. OF Jesus Galindo replaces Carbonell and this will be his first experience at the Double-A level.

MEAT OF THE ORDER: Mac Williamson, Devin Harris, and Ricky Oropesa have been up and down through June. Willamson has at least a hit in 15 of the 22 games he has participated in this month. In June, however, the outfielder has only recorded RBI's in back-to-back games twice. Williamson is 7-16 with four RBI's and two doubles in his last five contests. He has just four doubles total in this month. Meanwhile, Harris is batting just .194 since the calendar turned, but has managed to remain at the top of the Eastern League with 22 doubles this year. The 27-year-old has not compiled a hitting-streak longer than two games in June. He also has only recorded three RBI's during a span of 13 games (6/6-6/23). However, Harris did launch two home runs in one game Wednesday night to become the first Squirrels player to accomplish that in 2015. Lastly, Oropesa has swung the hottest bat out of the three in June with a .333 average. This includes eight multi-hit games, which is the most on the team during this month. The first baseman has collected seven hits and posted six RBI's during the current homestand.

SETTING THE TONE: Kelby Tomlinson has provided a gigantic amount of production for the Squirrels' offense. He is leads the Eastern League with a .323 batting average, is tied for third in total hits with 81, and has 16 stolen bases which is good for second best in the league. The 25-year-old leadoff hitter's held an on base streak for 17 games and that ended on June 21. Tomlinson also carries a team-leading 25 multi-hit games in 2015. He already has eight more doubles than he had all of last season.

THE EARLY ADVANTAGE: The Squirrels have developed a habit of getting off to fast starts this season, and currently have outscored their opposition by 40 runs in the first two innings. They hold a 39-18 advantage in the first inning (+21) and a 37-18 edge (+19) in the second inning. However, the 7th inning has been the team's most prolific frame as they have scored 41 runs in that stanza. The 8th inning has been the most troublesome for Richmond as they been outscored 32-22 (-10) in the 8th inning. Also, the Squirrels have cracked the scoreboard first in all but two games since June 7.

SAVING THE DAY: Squirrels' closer Josh Osich has been a busy man in June. The left-hander has appeared in 12 of Richmond's previous 22 games. During that span, he has tossed 12 innings (one per outing), given up just seven hits, two runs and racked up 13 strikeouts. In five of his last eight outings, he has not allowed a base runner. Osich recorded his 19th save on Sunday against the Rock Cats. His 19 saves are tied for the most in the Eastern League. 18 of his 19 saves have come since May 5th.

UPCOMING HOMESTAND PROMOTIONS: (6/25) Fireworks/The Many Faces of Robin Williams Jersey Auction presented by Your Local Ford Dealers. (6/26) Free Shirt Fridays & Happy Hour presented by Coke Zero/Girl Scout Sleepover. (7/4) Independence Day Celebration Fireworks. (7/5) Independence Day Part 2 Kids Club Fireworks. (7/6) Road to the Revolution - Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death. (7/7) Hunter Strickland American Flag Vest Bobblehead Giveaway (2,000 All Ages). (7/8) Doug E. Fresh Appearance(7/9) Fireworks/90's Game Show Night presented by Your Local Ford Dealers.

TRENTON STARTING PITCHER: Miguel Sulbaran (3-5, 4.85)

Sulbaran, 21, prepares for his first start against the Squirrels and 14th of the season with the Thunder. This year is his first excursion at the Double-A level. The left-hander has not completed five innings in each of his previous three starts. The last of these experiences came on June 20 against Bowie and he lasted only 4.1 innings while giving up five earned runs on eight hits. Sulbaran is a native of Venezuela and originally signed with the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent teenager in 2011. He spent all of 2013 in the Midwest League A(Full), but with two different organizations after being traded to the Twins during July. In total, Sulbaran was fifth in that league in 2013 with a 2.96 ERA. Just ahead of 2014 season, the southpaw was sent to the Yankees in exchange for Eduardo Nunez heading to Minnesota.


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Eastern League Stories from June 25, 2015


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