Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes
June 23, 2010 - Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release
RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (33-38) VS. AKRON AEROS (34-36)
RHP FELIX ROMERO (0-1, 4.60) VS. RHP PAOLO ESPINO (7-2, 3.53)
June 23, 2010 -- 7:05 PM
Canal Park
Game #72/Road #35
Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL
Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com
TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and Akron Aeros will meet in game two of a three-game series...The Flying Squirrels scored four runs in the top of the first inning and cruised to a 6-2 win over the Aeros in the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday night at Canal Park.
TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Right-hander Felix Romero gets the start in game two of the series for the Flying Squirrels...Suffered a loss in his last start against Binghamton 6/17...Allowed one run on six hits in six innings...Struck out two batters and walked one...Lone run allowed came in the first inning after giving up back-to-back hits including a Sean Ratliff RBI double...Retired the leadoff batter in four of his six innings on the mound...Recorded 10 ground outs and four fly outs...Threw 79 pitches, 50 strikes...Threw three pitches or fewer to 11 of the 23 batters he faced...Outing was the longest of his professional career...Is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA (3ER/10.0 IP) in two starts with Richmond...Prior to this season, had not started since 8/21/08 against Toledo while with Triple-A Norfolk...Began the season with Triple-A Fresno and appeared in seven games going 0-0 with a 6.52 ERA...Spent all of 2009 with Fresno and appeared in 50 games, all in relief and second-most on the club (Geno Espineli - 52)...Went 5-5 with a 4.28 ERA...Struck out 69 batters and walked 16 over 73 2/3 innings...Signed by the San Francisco Giants as a minor league free agent December 18, 2008...Originally signed as a non-drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998...Has spent time with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles, and Giants organizations over his nine-year professional career...Did not play in 2006...Is the oldest member of the Flying Squirrels roster.
Right-hander Paolo Espino gets the nod in game two of the series for the Aeros...Making his first start since 5/27 against Altoona...Is 5-2 with a 4.18 ERA in nine starts...Is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in five appearances in relief...Has not lost since 5/16 against Reading...Is 4-0 with a 2.80 ERA (8ER/25.2 IP) over his last six appearances including two starts...Has allowed 16 hits over that span while striking out 23 batters and walking six...Each of his last four relief appearances came following left-hander Nick Hagadone...Appeared at three different levels in 2009...Pitched in one game with Akron and allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits in three innings of work...Spent the majority of the season with Advanced-A Kinston and went 9-6 with a 2.59 ERA in 22 games including 21 starts...Went 2-1 with a 6.75 ERA in five games including two starts with Low-A Lake County...Struck out 117 batters and walked 36 in 134 2/3 innings of work in 2009...Selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 10th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft...Enters the 2010 season rated as the #30 prospect in the Cleveland Indians farm system according to Baseball America.
FIRST THING'S FIRST: The Flying Squirrels scored a season-high four first-inning runs in last night's 6-2 win over Akron...The previous season-high in first-inning runs was two which occurred four times, most recently 5/21 at Reading...The club has scored a total of 28 runs including last night's contest and the club has scored a run in the first inning in 21 of its 71 games...Richmond has scored a single run in the first inning 16 times...The Flying Squirrels have allowed 29 first-inning runs this season.
QUALITY INN: The Flying Squirrels improved to 11-0 when a starter goes seven innings or more...Right-handers Daryl Maday and David Mixon have combined for eight of those 11 wins...Richmond starters have turned in five consecutive quality starts over the last trip through the rotation...Over the last five games, Flying Squirrels' starters have allowed 12 runs, seven earned, on 27 hits in 31 2/3 innings over the last five games while striking 14 and walking 12 (1.99 ERA)...Starters are just 1-3 over the last five games.
ROGER THAT: Outfielder Roger Kieschnick matched a season-high with three hits and two runs scored after going 3-for-4 last night against Akron...It was the third three-hit game of the season for the 23-year-old and his first since 6/16 against Binghamton...It was the fourth time Kieschnick scored multiple runs in a game and the first since 5/16 against Altoona...He went 2-for-2 with runners in scoring position last night with 3 RBI...He entered the game batting .137 (7-for-51) with runners in scoring position...The former third-round pick out of Texas Tech is hitting .294 (10-for-34) with four doubles and five RBI in nine games since returning from the Disabled List 6/13.
T-PAIN: Right-hander Tony Pena Jr. stranded three more inherited runners last night and has now stranded 15 of the 17 runners he has inherited this season (88.2%)...Both inherited runners he allowed to score came 5/30 against Bowie...He has stranded runners in eight of his nine appearances when he entered with men on base...The 29-year-old also extended his scoreless innings streak to 8 1/3 innings...His longest scoreless innings streak of the season is 11 1/3 spanning six outings 5/8-5/23.
GETTING SERIE-OUS: Richmond is 1-8-2 over its last 11 series from 5/13-6/17 after losing five of six games on its recent home stand...The lone series win for the Flying Squirrels over that stretch came against New Britain 6/8-6/10 when the club took two of three games...Prior to the skid, Richmond had gone 6-1-1 over its previous eight series spanning from 4/15-5/2.
WELL RESTED: The Flying Squirrels are now 4-1 after scheduled off days this season...Richmond lone loss after an off day came 5/18 against Erie...The club's next scheduled day off is the Eastern League All-Star break 7/13-7/14.
HITTER BY DESIGNATION: The Flying Squirrels are hitting .254 (244-for-962) with the designated hitter in the line up...The club is batting .239 (328-for-1374) with the pitcher batting...Richmond DHs are batting just .210 (22-for-105) on the season; however, the DHs are just 2-for-49 over the last 14 games against American League affiliates (since 5/18)...The Flying Squirrel DHs were hitting .357 (20-for-56) over their first 16 games...Richmond pitchers are hitting just .130 (12-for-92) at the plate with 52 strikeouts...The Flying Squirrels are 18-12 against American League affiliates and will face an AL affiliate over the next 12 games counting tonight.
BEHIND THE CURVE: The Flying Squirrels were 22-13 and had a 1 1/2 game lead in the Western Division through the first 35 games; however, the club is 11-25 (.286) over its last 36 games...No other team has a lower winning percentage since 5/14...Richmond has lost 15 games in the standings since 5/14 and is a season-high 13 1/2 games out of first...Akron, which had the second-worst record in the Eastern League at the time (13-22), is 21-14 since 5/14, the third-best winning percentage in the league.
DOUBLETREE DOWNTOWN DOUBLE PLAYS: The Richmond Flying Squirrels have turned 92 double plays in 71 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.
CFS STAT OF THE NIGHT: With last night's win, the Flying Squirrels improved to 2-12 with right-hander Mike MacDonald on the mound...The six runs scored by Richmond in support of MacDonald were the most this season, topping the previous high of four 6/5 at Trenton.
Eastern League Stories from June 23, 2010
- Thunder Come Back to Down Erie - Trenton Thunder
- 'Wolves Let Late Lead Slip Away in 12-7 Loss - Erie SeaWolves
- Rock Cats Turn Table on B-Mets with 10-2 Triumph - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Squirrels Stumble at Finish Line, Fall in Game Two, 5-4 - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Drennen Delivers as Aeros Win 5-4 - Akron RubberDucks
- Curve Fight Through Rain to Defeat Portland, 8-1 - Altoona Curve
- Sea Dogs Pounded in Altoona, 8-1 - Portland Sea Dogs
- Rock Cats Ben Revere Selected for 2010 XM Futures Game - New Britain Rock Cats
- Berger Heads to DL - Akron RubberDucks
- Baysox Host Amanda Bynes Retirement Party - Chesapeake Baysox
- Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Aeros Notes - Akron RubberDucks
- INF Juan Ciriaco Activated - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Adam Loewen Homers, Triples, Drives in Six in 9-4 Fisher Cats Win - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Early Runs Sink Sens - Harrisburg Senators
- Romine, Noesi and Franklin Selected to XM Futures Game Roster - Trenton Thunder
- Jimmy Barthmaier Released - Altoona Curve
- Chisenhall Named To All-Star Futures Game - Akron RubberDucks
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