EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels Game Notes vs New Hampshire

Published on August 4, 2015 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) (55-52) vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) (55-50)

Tuesday, August 4th -- 7:05 PM

The Diamond -- Richmond, VA

Game #108 - Home Game #59

Radio: Fox Sports 910 (6:35 PM) Internet: FoxSportsRichmond.com

LHP Kelvin Marte (8-3, 2.27) vs. LHP Scott Barnes (2-1, 3.72)

Wednesday, August 5th NHM 7:05 PM LHP Matt Gage (2-1, 1.56) vs. RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (4-5, 4.58)

Thursday, August 6th NHM 7:05 PM TBA vs. RHP Casey Lawrence

TODAY'S PRESS FEED: Dave & Busters will deliver to us this evening. All I hope for is that they bring something besides the Hawaiian Rolls. I hope everyone enjoyed the off day on Monday. I played 18 holes of golf and nearly melted thanks to the sun.

Giants update - 9-8 loss in 12 innings to the Atlanta Braves. Former Flying Squirrel Kelby Tomlinson made his MLB debut in a pinch hit role (1-1)!!

SERIES AT A GLANCE: New Hampshire makes the long trek down to the RVA for their first and only regular season series (three games) at The Diamond. The Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays) drove more than nine hours to reach this destination. It is the second furthest ballpark from Richmond in the Eastern League as the Portland Sea Dogs are over 10 hours away. This is the second and final meeting of the season between New Hampshire and Richmond during the regular season. The two clubs battled in Manchester, NH at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium for a three-game showdown (6/5-6/7). The Flying Squirrels swept the Fisher Cats and in total outscored this Eastern Division foe 23-5. In game one, Richmond tallied 12 runs, which is tied for the most in a game this season for the team. They also compiled 18 hits and that is the most in a contest this year for the RVA. Rando Moreno also notched a team high five hits in this one game.The Fisher Cats are third to last in the Eastern League with a 3.89 ERA. They have won three of their five series so far since the All-Star break and that includes a victory in five of the previous seven contests. The Blue Jays organization recently lost one of their top pitching prospects who was with New Hampshire at the start of the season. Matt Boyd was involved in the deal with the Tigers that sent MLB hurler David Price to the Blue Jays. In 12 starts with the Fisher Cats, Boyd was ridiculous with a 1.10 ERA (70 K, 18 BB).

EARLY EXITS + BULLPEN OVERLOAD: The Richmond starting pitchers did not last six innings in any of the four games over the weekend against the Binghamton Mets. The shortest outing amongst the hurlers was RHP Joe Biagini. He lasted only 21 pitches (1.0 IP) due to some precautionary back pain on July 31. That left the bullpen to slide into the front seat and they kept it as sturdy of a ride as possible. Reliever Jose Casilla tossed a season high 58 pitches in three scoreless innings. As a whole, the bullpen did not allow a run in eight innings during that day. In the game prior to this on July 30, the relievers allowed a collected 10 runs in an 11-3 defeat. On Sunday, Richmond continued the revolving door that is the starting rotation. Joan Gregorio made his fourth spot-start of the season and was used to the extreme. A typical bullpen arm this year, Gregorio unleashed a season high 81 pitches (4.2 IP). His previous season high was 62 pitches in a start on July 27. Since the bullpen imploded for 10 runs on July 30, the relievers have been directing traffic. The bullpen has not allowed a run in their last 16 innings of work (7/31-Current). The longest scoreless streak documented by the bullpen this season is 25 innings (5/23-5/29).

SHUFFLE THE CARDS: The Flying Squirrels have stayed extremely consisted with their batting order at the top. Myles Schroder and Engel Beltre have rotated back and forth in the leadoff spot. Schroder is hitting .205 in 18 games as the table setter, while Beltre holds a .256 average in 19 games at this spot. The last time someone other than these two was stationed at the top was Austin Slater on July 8.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Speaking of lead off hitters, former Flying Squirrel Kelby Tomlinson made his Major League debut yesterday with the San Francisco Giants. Joe Panik, another former Squirrel, was sent to the disabled list (lower back) and that prompted the call up. Tomlinson was used as a pinch hitter and delivered a hit in his first big league at bat. He also scored the go-ahead run at the time in the top of the 12th inning. Tomlinson joins Josh Osich and Ryan Lollis as the two other Flying Squirrels to make their Major League debut this season. Prior to this season, 30 players who previously spent time with the Squirrels have reached the big leagues.

OUT OF THE GATES SPRINTING: The offense has not wasted any time in an effort to help out their starting pitchers. In the last three games, the Squirrels have posted 11 of their 13 runs during the first three innings. Six of these runs occured in the first inning. Mitch Delfino has been the bulk of the reason for this surge. He has driven in four of these early runs. The Squirrels have utilized the long ball as well with three home runs during this three-day stretch (Hunter Cole, Devin Harris, Engel Beltre). The team has outscored their opponents by 40 runs in the first two innings this year.

HIDDEN BULLPEN TREASURES: Kyle Crick showed recent signs of dramatic improvement over the course of the last week or so. He has not allowed a run in his previous six outings (one inning each). In addition, Crick has only issued three walks compared to 11 strikeouts in these six innings. This is a right-hander who transitioned to the bullpen at the start of July and leads the Eastern League with 55 walks. If you want a groundball out, just go find Squirrels relief pitcher Tyler Mizenko. On Saturday, the right-hander tossed two innings out of the bullpen and every out was from a groundball. The remarkable consistency does not stop there. In his last three outings (4.0 IP total), all of Mizenko's outs have been curtosy of the groundball. The last time Mizenko recorded a fly ball out was on July 25 against Erie in the bottom of the eighth inning. Recently, he has been a lock down reliever as a whole with just one earned run allowed in his last 11.1 IP.

UPCOMING HOMESTAND PROMOTIONS: (8/4) Charlottesville Community Night. (8/5) Tri-Cities Community Night, Tribute to Peanuts. (8/6) Thursday Night In Your Face Fireworks and Faith Night #2.

NEW HAMPSHIRE STARTING PITCHER: LHP Scott Barnes (2-1, 3.72)

Barnes will make just his second start (26th outing) of the season for the Fisher Cats in 2015. His first start of the year occured in his last outing on July 28 and he threw a season high 52 pitches (5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K). This is his second appearance against the Squirrels this year (relief - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 HR to Engel Beltre). The 27-year-old was drafted in the eighth round by the Giants in 2008. He was then traded to the Indians in 2009 for Ryan Garko. He spent time with Double-A Akron from 2009 to 2011. Barnes made his big league debut in 2012 with 16 bullpen appearances for Cleveland (19.0 IP, 4.26 ERA). The southpaw was claimed off waivers twice during this past offseason and ultimately ended up with Toronto after December 23.

Check out the Richmond Flying Squirrels Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from August 4, 2015


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