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Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

April 13, 2010 - Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (1-4) VS. ALTOONA CURVE (4-1)

RHP MIKE MACDONALD (0-0, 2.25) VS. RHP MIKE CROTTA (1-0, 1.50)

April 13, 2010 -- 6:30 PM

Blair County Ballpark

Game #6/Road #6

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and Altoona Curve will meet in game two of a three-game series...Altoona led from start to finish in the series opener on Monday night as eight walks from the Richmond pitching staff led to three Curve runs in a 4-1 victory over the Flying Squirrels at Blair County Ballpark.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Right-hander Mike MacDonald gets the start for the Flying Squirrels in game two of the three-game series...Was the Opening Day starter for the second time in his career (4/7/07 vs. NBR)...Allowed one run over four innings...Gave up five hits and two walks while also hitting a batter...Still looking for his first strikeout of the season...Defense threw out three Bowie base runners at the plate (9-2, 5-2, 5-2-3) during his stint on the mound...Start cut short due to rain...Outing was his first with the San Francisco Giants organization...Has never had a professional at-bat in his six previous seasons.

Right-hander Mike Crotta gets the nod in game two of the series for the Curve...Allowed one run on one hit over six innings on Opening Day against Harrisburg...Struck out four and walked one...Helped Altoona to its first Opening Day win since 2006...Spent all of 2009 with Altoona and posted a 7-8 record with a 4.76 ERA in 27 starts...Struck out 97 and walked 33 in 143 2/3 innings pitched...Eastern League hitters batted .304 against him...Went 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two consecutive starts against Connecticut last season...Current Flying Squirrels (Schoop 0-for-3 with a K, Williams 0-for-2 with a BB, LaTorre 1-for-3, and Crawford 0-for-4) went a combined 1-for-12 with a walk and a strikeout against him in 2010...Is 28-29 with a career 4.67 ERA in 97 games, 92 starts...Has not had an ERA under 4.00 since making his debut with SS-A Williamsport in 2006...Made his Double-A debut with Altoona on 7/4/07 at Trenton and allowed seven runs, three earned, on six hits in 2 2/3 innings while suffering the loss...Originally selected by Pittsburgh in the 17th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft...Attended Florida Atlantic University.

GOING STREAKING: Brandon Crawford has opened the season with hits in each of the Flying Squirrels first five games...The 23-year-old is 6-for-17 (.353) to open the season with a double and four walks...The former fourth-round pick was a 2010 Non-Roster Invitee to Major League Spring Training...He appeared in 24 games and hit .214 with two doubles, a home run, and 3 RBI...The UCLA product entered the season rated as the #9 prospect in the Giants organization after hitting .258 with four home runs and 31 RBI with Double-A Connecticut last season.

GILLASPIE NO SHOCKER: Wichita State product Connor Gillaspie has driven in half of Richmond's 12 runs at the beginning of the season...The 22-year-old is part of a seven-way tie for second in the Eastern League in RBI with six...He appeared in eight Major League Spring Training games with the Giants and went 3-for-8 with a double, three RBI, and two runs scored...Former first-round pick entered the 2010 season rated as the #17 prospect in the Giants farm system.

HORSESHOES AND HAND GRENADES: All five games for the Flying Squirrels this season have been decided by three runs or less..A save has been recorded for the victorious team in each game as well...The average margin of victory/defeat is 2.2 runs (11R/5G)...One of the first five games for Richmond has been decided by one run as the Flying Squirrels fell on Saturday at Bowie 5-4...Richmond has led for approximately 6 1/2 innings through the first five games.

STRANDED SQUIRRELS: The Richmond Flying Squirrels have stranded 47 runners on the bases over the first five games of the season...The club has left more runners on than any other team in the EL...The team is fourth in the 12-team Eastern League in hits with 42, but is tied for ninth in runs scored (12)...The Flying Squirrels have the second-lowest batting average with runners in scoring position through three games, hitting just .192 (4-for-52) in that situation...Only Erie (.082, 4-for-49) has faired worse...Richmond has just one hit with runners in scoring position and two outs as the club is 1-for-23 (.043) with 10 strikeouts in that situation...Erie is 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

FLYING SQUIRRELS FIRSTS:

The following first in Flying Squirrels history occurred Monday night:

CAUGHT STEALING: Darren Ford by the Curve's Justin Wilson on 4/12/10 (1st inning) at Blair Country Ballpark

TAKING FLIGHT: 2010 marks the inaugural season in Richmond Flying Squirrels history...After hosting the Atlanta Braves Triple-A affiliate for 43 years, the city of Richmond, Va., went without baseball in 2009...The move of the Connecticut Defenders to Richmond was announced September 22, 2009...The nickname "Flying Squirrels" was chosen from over 15,000 entries in a name-the-team contest and was announced October 14, 2009...The Flying Squirrels' logos and word marks were unveiled on December 1, 2009...Over $2 million in renovations have gone into the Flying Squirrels home - The Diamond - including 3,300 new seats in the lower seating bowl, renovated concession stands and clubhouses, a 2,800 square-foot merchandise store, the construction of an indoor batting tunnel, a new video board, new concourse sound system, and signage...The Flying Squirrels celebrate their home opener on Thursday April 15th, as the club hosts the Reading Phillies.

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