EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels Game Notes: vs. Harrisburg

Published on May 28, 2015 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) (20-23) vs. Harrisburg Senators (WAS) (20-25)

Thursday, May 28th -- 6:35 PM

The Diamond -- Richmond, VA

Game #44 - Home Game #25

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

LHP Kelvin Marte (4-0, 3.31) vs. RHP Joe Ross (2-2, 3.05)

TONIGHT'S PRESS BOX FEED: Tonight marks the return of Bojangles to The Diamond press box for the first time since April 23rd. The absence was due to an Eastern League scheduling glitch that didn't take Jay Burnham's dirty-rice addiction into account. Coincidentally, during the month that Bojangles was away, Jay has successfully completed a month-long fried foods rehabilitation program. If you see him reaching for anything tonight, please feel free to tackle him. If he protests, tell him it's for his own good.

SERIES AT A GLANCE: The Squirrels claimed this three-game series with their most convincing victory of the season on Wednesday night, blasting the Senators, 12-0, at The Diamond. The Squirrels scored a season-high eight runs in an inning, taking control of the game in the fifth inning. The team established a new franchise-record for hits in an inning in that frame (8). Richmond has now won six of their last seven series and jumped over the Senators into third place in the Western Division. The Squirrels are back within three games of .500 for the first time since the team was 3-6. The Squirrels own a 49-35 advantage in the all-time series which dates back to 2010. The Squirrels dominated the season-series in 2014, posting a record of 12-5 against the Senators. The two teams will get very familiar with one another over the course of the summer as they will face each other 20 times. This is the first of three trips to RVA for Harrisburg. The Senators will return to the Boulevard for three games (7/7-7/9) and another three-game set in August (8/24-8/26). The Squirrels will make three trips to City Island on the year (6/16-6/18, 6/30-7/3, 8/31-9/3). LHP Kelvin Marte makes his first appearance of the season, and third career appearance, against the Senators tonight. RHP Joe Ross (Bio Below) faces the Squirrels for the first time in his career this evening.

AN ALTERNATING PATH TO THE MIDDLE: The Squirrels were the streakiest team in baseball early in the season, dropping a historic 15 straight games before righting the ship and claiming their next six straight and 10 of 12 overall. However, as is the case generally in baseball, things had started to level off for Richmond. Until recently that is. Richmond has put together another four-game win-streak, which they carry into tonight. Prior to the streak, the Squirrels had alternated wins and losses for eight straight games.

BEER FRAME: It seemed that everybody struck for the Squirrels in the fifth inning of Wednesday night's 12-0 win over Harrisburg. The Squirrels recorded eight hits in the inning, which established a new franchise-record for hits in an inning. The Squirrels had previously recorded seven hits in an inning twice, the last time coming on July 9th, 2012, at The Diamond against Reading. The eight runs in an inning was one shy of the franchise-mark of nine runs in an inning, which was memorably established on May 26th, 2013 at Altoona. In that inning, the first, OF Jarrett Parker became the only Squirrel to ever homer twice in the same inning. Devin Harris and Mitch Delfino each had two hits in the fifth inning on Wednesday night.

BIG MAC AND THE MAYFLOWERS: OF Mac Williamson is feasting in the month of May. The #11 prospect in the San Francisco chain has hit safely in 23 of his last 25 games, beginning on May 1st. He is batting a robust .360 in the month (36-100), while blasting three home runs, eight 2Bs and driving in 22 runs. Meanwhile, the Squirrels as a whole have posted the EL's highest team average in the month of May (.286 - 257-900). Richmond hit a league-worst .209 (121-579) during the month of April. Williamson currently rides a team-high 16-game on-base streak. Richmond has also now pulled ahead of four clubs (Akron, Bowie, New Britain, Harrisburg) in terms of overall team average. The Squirrels are batting .256 (378-1479) as a club overall.

RRRRANDO!: It has become difficult to ignore what INF Rando Moreno has been able to do at the plate this year. Moreno currently rides a season-high 15-game on-base streak, which dates back to 5/11. He leads the team in batting average (.326) and put together his third three-hit game on Monday. He sits second behind only INF Kelby Tomlinson in OBP (.366) and is also third on the club in runs scored (22) despite the fact that he has appeared in only 30 of the Squirrels 43 games thus far.

HOW THE WEST WAS WON: If the Squirrels could play only their division, they might coast to a second straight Western Division title. Richmond is currently 18-10 against the Western Division, with 10 of those wins coming against the Bowie Baysox. However, the Squirrels are currently 2-13 against the Eastern Division. Richmond has played a heavy-dose of Western Division opponents recently, but that will change on their upcoming road trip on which they will play three consecutive series (10 games) against the opposite division. The trip, which will mark the longest in franchise history, will include stops in Reading, Portland and New Hampshire.

LOGOMANIA BABY!: The Squirrels have advanced to the final round of Baseball America's Minor League Logomania contest that is determining the top logo in Milb based upon fan voting. Richmond toppled the Triple-A Toledo MudHens in the semifinals, and are now matched with the newly-minted Biloxi Shuckers of the Double-A Southern League. To place a vote for the Squirrels, visit http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2015-logomania-finals/.

HOMESTAND PROMOTIONS: (5/28) FIREWORKS & Mustache Night presented by your local Ford Dealer, Teacher Appreciation Night presented by AXA Advisors.

HARRISBURG STARTING PITCHER: RHP Joe Ross (2-2, 3.05)

Ross, 22, was one of two former first-round picks that the Nationals received from the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster three-team off-season deal that also involved the Tampa Bay Rays and uber-prospect Wil Myers. The Nationals gave up 2014 International League MVP OF Steven Souza and LHP Travis Ott in the deal. Ross, was originally selected by the Padres with the 25th overall selection in the 2011 draft out of Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, CA. He rebounded from a shoulder issue that cost him half of 2012 and advanced to Double-A San Antonio for the first time last year, making 4 appearances at the tail-end of the season. The Nationals placed him at Double-A at the outset of this season, his first with the organization. He has responded nicely, striking out 47 batters through his first eight starts (44.1 IP), while limiting the Eastern League to an average of .261. Before the trade, there were visions of Joe pairing with his older brother, Tyson Ross, who is a member of the Padres' starting rotation.

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Eastern League Stories from May 28, 2015


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