EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on May 26, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and Binghamton Mets will meet in game three of a four-game series...The B-Mets got 7 2/3 scoreless innings of work from right-hander Eddie Kunz and blasted the Flying Squirrels 10-0 in game two of the four-game series on Tuesday night at NYSEG Stadium.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Right-hander Mike MacDonald gets the start in game three of the series for the Flying Squirrels...Suffered his third loss of the season at Reading 5/21...Gave up six runs, five earned, on nine hits in four innings plus two batters...Struck out three and walked two...Gave up four straight hits and four runs in the bottom of the third inning...Both walks issued came to the lone two batters he faced in the bottom of the fifth inning...Allowed the leadoff batter to reach in three of his five innings on the mound (scored twice)...Threw 74 pitches, 47 strikes...Gave up season-highs in runs, earned runs, and hits...Nine hits allowed matched a season-high for a Richmond pitcher...Saw his ERA climb from 2.48 to 3.35...Has allowed six runs, five earned, on 12 hits in seven innings since coming off of the Disabled List (6.43 ERA)...Has struck out seven and walked four over that span...Has not throw more than four innings since coming off of the DL...Left-handed batters are hitting .364 (20-for-55) against him while right-handed batters are hitting .242 (23-for-95)...Richmond is 1-7 in his eight outings...Flying Squirrels have scored 11 runs during his eight appearances (1.38).

Left-hander Eric Niesen gets the nod in game three of the four-game series for the B-Mets...Making his first start after being activated from the Disabled List today...Has not pitched since 4/23 against New Hampshire...Allowed two runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings in his last outing...Struck out two and walked two...Has not thrown more than 4 2/3 innings this season...Has struck out 14 batters and has walked 12...Split last season between Advanced-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton...Was 4-7 with a 4.66 ERA in 16 starts after being promoted to the B-Mets...Struck out 85 batters and walked 41 in 83 innings...Went 3-4 with a 3.28 ERA in 11 starts with St. Lucie...Named a Florida State League Mid-Season All-Star...Led all New York Mets farm hands with 134 strike outs...Spent all of 2008 with Advanced-A St. Lucie and went 6-12 with a 4.64 ERA in 26 games including 24 starts...Allowed 136 hits in 118 1/3 innings...Selected by the New York Mets in the third round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft...Attended Wake Forrest University...Enters 2010 rated as the #24 prospect in the New York Mets farm system according to Baseball America.

OUCH: Last night's 10-0 loss to the B-Mets was the worst margin of defeat of the season for the Flying Squirrels...The club's previous most lopsided loss was eight, when Richmond lost to Altoona 9-1 on 5/4...It was the third time that the Flying Squirrels have been shutout.

END OF AN ERA: With the 10 runs, nine earned, allowed last night, Richmond's staff ERA has ballooned to 3.04...It is the first time the staff ERA has been over 3.00 since 4/14 when it was 3.41 after a 4-2 loss at Altoona...The Flying Squirrels posted an Eastern League-low 2.39 staff ERA in 21 games in April...Through 24 games in May, Richmond's staff ERA is 3.59...The club still has the third-lowest staff ERA this month, trailing only Altoona (3.13) and Bowie (3.57).

MAKING THEIR PITCH: The Flying Squirrels' pitching staff leads the Eastern League with a 3.04 ERA even after last night's 10-0 loss...The club still has also allowed an Eastern League-low 110 runs...Richmond pitching leads the Eastern League with seven shutouts.

OUTNUMBERED: Even though they have a winning record (25-20), the Flying Squirrels have been outscored by their opponents 150-149...Richmond is one of two Eastern League teams to have scored fewer runs than its opponent but still have a winning record...The Portland Sea Dogs (23-21) have scored 188 runs, but they have given up 197...Only three of the 12 teams in the Eastern League have outscored their opponents (Altoona, New Hampshire, and Trenton)...Richmond has scored the second-fewest runs in the league, leading only Harrisburg (145).

THE DON JUAN: Super utility man Juan Ciriaco is 12-for-24 (.500) at the plate over his last nine games with three doubles, a triple, three RBI and four runs scored...He has not struck out in his last 32 at-bats after striking out four times in his first 15 at-bats...The 26-year-old has multi-hit performances in each of his last four starts...Ciriaco has started games at third base (4), short stop (3), first base (2), second base (1) and in right field (2) and left field (1) since being sent down from Triple-A Fresno.

NOOOOOOONAN: Second baseman Nick Noonan has hits in each of his last five games, matching his longest hit streak of the season...The 21-year-old is 6-for-16 (.375) over his last five games with a RBI, two walks, and just one strike out...His average has risen from .237 to .252 over the last five contests...He is hitting .288 (23-for-80) in 24 games this month after hitting .211 (15-for-71) in 21 games in April.

BURNT KIESCH-NICK: Outfielder Roger Kieschnick is 0-for-34 over his last nine games since seeing his five-game hit streak come to an end...He has struck out seven times and has walked once over that span...The 23-year-old seen his average dip from .306 to .239...Kieschnick was 8-for-15 (.533) over his five-game hitting streak with three home runs, nine RBI, and three runs scored.

DOUBLETREE DOWNTOWN DOUBLE PLAYS: The Richmond Flying Squirrels have turned 54 double plays in 45 games including six on 5/7 in Harrisburg...The club leads the Eastern League in double plays turned and has not gone more than two games without turning a double play...Richmond has not turned a double yet in the series with Binghamton.

CFS STAT OF THE NIGHT: The five earned runs allowed by right-hander Felix Romero in last night's 10-0 matched the most runs given up by a Flying Squirrels' reliever this season...Right-hander Craig Whitaker also gave up five runs on 5/15 against Altoona.

Check out the Richmond Flying Squirrels Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from May 26, 2010


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