EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels Game Notes: at Reading

Published on April 19, 2015 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) (3-4) vs. Reading Fightin' Phils (PHI) (4-3)

Sunday, April 19th -- 1:35 PM

FirstEnergy Stadium -- Reading, PA

Game #9 - Road Game #3

Radio: Fox Sports 910 (5:35 PM) Internet: FoxSportsRichmond.com LHP Matt Lujan (0-1, 3.18) vs. RHP Zach Eflin (1-0, 0.00)

SERIES AT A GLANCE: The Squirrels handed the Fightins a 10-inning walk-off win and the series, falling, 5-6, at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday night. Richmond committed a season-high three errors in the loss, including two in the 5th inning as Reading took their first lead. The Squirrels also misplayed a ball in the decisive 10th inning. Richmond used seven pitchers in the contest, including three in a two-run eighth inning that allowed Reading to pull even and force extra innings. Richmond will be looking to avoid a series sweep behind LHP Matt Lujan in Sunday afternoon's finale. Lujan will be making his second Double-A start and will be pitted against RHP Zach Eflin. Eflin was acquired by the Phillies from the Dodgers in the Jimmy Rollins trade and is considered a top-10 Philadelphia prospect. All-time, the Fightins hold a 44-34 edge in 77 matchups.

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT: The Squirrels have played three extra-inning games in their first eight contests, including a 10-inning loss on Saturday night. The team played two 14-inning games in their season-opening four-game series against the Bowie Baysox. The Squirrels claimed the first game of the season in 14 innings, but have since dropped their last two extra-inning affairs. The 2014 Squirrels did not play their third extra-inning game until June 30th, when they fell in 12 innings to Harrisburg at Metro Bank Park.

WEARY IS THE ROAD WARRIOR: The Squirrels have dropped their first two road contests of the 2015 season. While it is certainly too early to read much into it, it does continue a trend of road struggles for Richmond since their inception in 2010. Over the first five seasons of their existence, the Squirrels have posted a road record of 161-194 (.453), 33 games under .500. That stands in startling contrast to their home field advantage that they have enjoyed at The Diamond where the team has gone 202-251 all-time (.572). The team has enjoyed a winning road record just once in five seasons, and that came last year when the Squirrels went 37-34 away from home. The largest discrepancy between home and road came in 2011 when the Squirrels claimed the wild-card spot in the Western Division by going 45-26 at home and 31-40 on the road.

KELBY THE KONQUERER: Kelby Tomlinson is having no trouble getting started away from The Diamond, as he has opened his road campaign with back-to-back three-hit performances. He went 3-for-4 in the series opener against Reading and backed that up with a 3-for-5 showing on Saturday night. Tomlinson leads the Squirrels with four multi-hit games, and has already racked up three three-hit games in the team's first eight contests. He also blasted his first home run of the season on Saturday. He only hit one home run all of last season, and that didn't occur until August 2nd at Peoples Natural Gas Stadium in Altoona, PA.

BITE THOSE NAILS: Through eight games, the Squirrels have had their share of close games. Five of their eight contests thus far have been decided by one run. That included all four games in their season-opening four-game set against Bowie, and Saturday night's 10-inning game against Reading. The Squirrels and Baysox split those four games, and with Saturday's loss, Richmond stands 2-3 in one-run affairs.

SOCKING SOME DINGERS: The Squirrels did not hit a home run in their season-opening series against the Baysox, nor did they allow a home run. Both things occurred in the first game against Altoona. Mitch Delfino blasted his - and the Squirrels - first home run of the season, leading off the seventh inning against Tyler Sample. It opened the floodgates for the Squirrels, who went on to score seven times in the inning. The first home run of the year came in the fifth game of the season, matching the longest amount of time at the outset of a season that it took the team to leave the yard. It also happened in 2011 and 2012. Jose Flores belted the first of the year for the Squirrels in 2011, while Chris Dominguez put Richmond on the board in 2012. RHP Tyler Rogers conceded the first home run of the season for Richmond, as Gift Ngoepe lifted a solo-home run in the ninth inning. The Squirrels' staff did last longer than any previous Richmond staff in terms of giving up their first long ball.

READING STARTING PITCHER: RHP Zach Eflin (1-0, 0.00) - Eflin, 21, celebrated his 21st birthday the day before the 2015 season began, opening the year with the Fightins at 21-years and one day old. He was originally the 33rd overall selection in the 2012 draft by the San Diego Padres. He was signed away from a college commitment to the University of Central Florida for $1.2 million dollars and spent his first three professional seasons with San Diego. In December of 2014, he was part of a wild three-way deal between the Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. He was first traded by the Padres to the Dodgers along with Joe Weiland, and Yasmani Grandal in exchange for Tim Federowicz, Matt Kemp and cash considerations. The Dodgers then flipped him to the Phillies along with Tom Windle for Jimmy Rollins. Windle is also a member of the Fightins season-opening rotation. Eflin immediately checked in at #6 on the Phillies prospect rankings according to Baseball America. He finished 2014 third in the Calfornia League in ERA (3.80) after making 23 starts for the Lake Elsinore Storm in the Padres' chain. He made a grand debut in the Phillies' system, twirling six scoreless innings against Portland at Hadlock Field. In the outing he allowed just four hits, walked one and struck out two.

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