EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels Game Notes vs Altoona

Published on August 16, 2015 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) (60-59) vs. Altoona Curve (PIT) (63-57)

Sunday, August 16th -- 1:35 PM

The Diamond -- Richmond, VA

Game #120 - Home Game #64

Radio: Fox Sports 910 (1:05 PM) Internet: FoxSportsRichmond.com

Richmond LHP Kelvin Marte (9-4, 2.53)

Altoona RHP Jason Creasy (8-7, 4.66)

Monday, August 17th OFF

Tuesday, August 18th @BIN 6:35 PM Richmond LHP Matt Gage (2-2, 3.18) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (6-5, 3.80)

TODAY'S FEED: Home Team Grill serves us today. Well it feels weird to be saying this, but today is my last home game (still have some road games left) with the Flying Squirrels this season as I will soon be returning back to school for my senior year. It has been an honor to work for such a great/fun organization and I can't thank everyone enough (especially Jay Burnham and Jon Laaser, who brought me in).

Go Squirrels! Go Nutz!

SERIES AT A GLANCE: It was another superb atmosphere (sellout crowd) at The Diamond on Saturday, but the Squirrels fell just short to the Altoona Curve 5-3 in game two. Richmond jumped out of the gates with a three-run first inning and then managed to only have five base runners from the second inning to the end of the game. In front of 9,071 fans, the Flying Squirrels captured a dramatic 5-4 walkoff victory over the Curve at The Diamond. This marks just the second game all season Richmond has won prior to trailing in it after the eighth inning (2-49). The other time was on May 28 against Harrisburg (3-2 win in 10 innings). Austin Slater worked a bases loaded walk to push across the winning run. With two outs in the ninth, pinch hitter Rando Moreno smacked an RBI single to right field and that brought the score to 4-4. It is the fifth walkoff win for the club at home this year. The Squirrels pitching staff fanned 12 batters as a whole, which is the most in a game since June 7 (14 hitters). This is Richmond's sixth and final series with the Curve during the regular season. Since the All-Star break in mid July, the Curve and Squirrels have collided 13 times and after today it will become 14 meetings. This makes Altoona the most frequent opposition for the RVA in the post All-Star break schedule. The RVA is 10-9 against the Curve so far this season. The Squirrels took five of the first six contests in the season series. Then, these two squads waited nearly two months before they crossed paths again, which was right out of the gates after the All-Star break (7/16-7/19). They tangled in an epic five-game set and the Squirrels took three of these contest. Pitching coated this series as the five winning hurlers were all starters and they tossed a total of 30 innings and yielded only three earned runs. Altoona swept Richmond in three games (7/27-7/29) and posted back-to-back shutout victories to conclude the series. It was the first time the Squirrels had been swept since early May (5/1-5/3 vs. New Britain). Richmond was held off the scoreboard from the eighth inning in game one of that series all the way until the fourth inning in the opener against the Binghamton Mets (7/27-7/30, 23.2 innings). The most recent series occurred just a week ago and the Curve won that battle two games to one (8/7-8/9). Richmond has been shutout by Altoona five times and the fifth time happened in game one of this set. Richmond has dropped 14 of their last 21 games and this includes a six game losing streak in late July.

OVER PAR: The Squirrels have be able to maintain a record above 500 since June 5th when the club was 26-26. They have been one game above 500 on four days between June 6th and now (which includes today, 60-59). When sitting one game above 500 on these days, they have managed to win the next day to avoid that 500 water mark. The club's first test was heading into June 7th at 27-26 and they won on that day 4-1 over New Hampshire. Myles Schroder and Engel Beltre hit home runs in that game. The next time they were one game above 500 was on July 16 (45-44), which was the first game out of the All-Star break. Richmond beat Altoona the next day (7/17) in game one of a doubleheader, 2-0 to again avoid the falling back to an even record. The final two times have occurred recently (August 11 - 58-57, August 13 - 59-58). The Squirrels scored five runs or more on both of these days. The team has only scored five or more runs in a game four times during the month of August so far (14 games played).

FIND THE WIN: In August, a Richmond starting pitcher has only recorded a victory twice. The first one happened on August 4th when Kelvin Marte tossed seven shutout innings against New Hampshire in a 3-0 win. Joe Biagini was the last to earn a win and that was on August 9th against Altoona. Since that day, six games have been played and Tyler Beede is the only starting hurler to last at least six innings in a start (8/13). In the last three games, Richmond starting pitchers have allowed 10 of the 15 runs from the opposition.

MORE THAN JUST COLE: Hunter Cole has not played in a game since August 8th and was later placed on the disabled list on August 12th. The Squirrels have looked elsewhere for production. Ricky Oropesa has played in six games since Cole last played and he is just 4-21 at the plate. Mitch Delfino is four for his last 23 at the dish from August 9th until now. Delfino has just two hits in his last 19 at bats. Austin Slater has provided the bulk of the offense to fill the void temporarily left from Cole. Slater is on a seven-game hitting streak and that started immediately after Cole was first taken out of the lineup (8/9). He also has five RBI's in his last six games while he just recorded two from July 25th to August 9th.

UPCOMING HOMESTAND PROMOTIONS: (8/16) Tribute to the Toy Hall of Fame and Nutzy Bubbles Giveaway. (8/24) Williamsburg Community Night. (8/25) Fredericksburg Community Night. (8/26) Fleece Blanket Giveaway. (9/4) Free Shirt Fridays, Happy Hour & Ladies Night. (9/5) Superblast Saturday and 20th Anniversary of Billy Madison. (9/6) Kids Club Metal Lunchbox Giveaway. (9/7) Bark In the Park #3 - Labor Day.

ALTOONA STARTING PITCHER: RHP Jason Creasy (8-7, 4.66)

Creasy will make his 21st start of the season and surprisingly just his first against the Squirrels. He was originally drafted in the eighth round by the Pirates in 2011 out of Clayton (NC) High School. He has been a starter for the most part throughout his professional career with the exception of 2013 with the West Virginia Power (A). He appeared in 32 games and made just 13 starts while sporting a 2.74 ERA (lowest among any full professional seasons). In 2014, he played for Bradenton (A+) and had a great K:BB ratio (100 K, 22 BB in 148.2 IP). That has tapered off this season as he leads the current pitching roster with 45 walks. He has walked 13 batters in his last five starts. The last time Creasy did not walk a batter as starter this year was July 2. The right-hander's last appearance actually was just his second bullpen outing of the season (8/11 - 4.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 1 K).

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Eastern League Stories from August 16, 2015


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