EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on July 9, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (41-46) VS. ALTOONA CURVE (53-33)

RHP FELIX ROMERO (1-1, 3.96) VS. RHP JARED HUGHES (10-5, 4.21)

July 9, 2010 -- 7:00 PM

Blair County Ballpark

Game #88/Road #44

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and Altoona Curve will meet in game one of a four-game series...The Flying Squirrels came back from a 6-0 deficit to take a 7-6 lead; however, the Harrisburg Senators rallied for three runs in the bottom of the eight and claimed the series-finale 9-7 on Thursday night at Metro Bank Park.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Right-hander Felix Romero gets the start in the opener of the series for the Flying Squirrels...Received a no-decision in his last start against Erie 7/4...Allowed one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings...Struck out four batters and walked none...Retired 18 of the first 20 batters he faced...Threw 89 pitches, 63 strikes...Threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 24 batters he faced...Threw four pitches or fewer to 14 of the 24 batters he faced...Recorded 10 fly outs and six ground outs...Has issued just one walk over his last 25 2/3 innings while striking out 19 batters over that span...Is 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA (10ER/30.2 IP) in five 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 Jared Hughes gets the nod in game one of the series for the Curve...Suffered his fifth loss of the season in his last start at Reading 7/4...Allowed six runs, five earned on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings...Struck out five batters and walked two...Is 1-2 with a 6.48 ERA (19R/12ER in 16.2 IP) in three starts since earning his ninth win of the season against Richmond 6/18...Is 4-0 in four games, three starts, against Richmond...Has allowed seven runs, five earned, on 23 hits in 24 innings (1.88ERA) against the Flying Squirrels while striking out 19 and walking five...Came on in relief of Ross Ohlendorf and got the win 5/5...Is 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 11 appearances on the road while going 4-2 with a 5.91 ERA in six starts at home...Leads the Eastern League with 10 wins...Has allowed 103 hits in 92 innings (.288 OBA)...Appeared in 17 games including seven starts with Altoona in 2009, bouncing back from an early season injury...Went 1-6 with a 3.88 ERA with 36 strike outs and 16 walks in 46 1/3 innings of work...Was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in 10 relief appearances...Was 1-4 with a 1.91 ERA in his seven starts...Counting 2010, has spent parts of the last three seasons with Altoona including making six starts in his fi rst stint with the Curve in 2008...Selected by Pittsburgh in the fourth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft...Attended Cal State Long Beach.

NOT SO GRANDE FINALE: With last night's 9-7 loss to Harrisburg, Richmond fell to 11-15 in series finales on the season...The Flying Squirrels have won six of the last seven series openers but are just 4-12 following their series-opening wins...Overall on the season, the club is 18-8 in series openers...The club is 2-5 over its last seven series.

TAKING THE BELT-WAY: First baseman Brandon Belt went 2-for-5 last night with a double, RBI, and a run scored...In six games with Richmond, the 22-year-old is 10-for-22 (.455) with two home runs, three RBI, and four runs scored...In 83 games combined between Advanced-A San Jose and Double-A Richmond, Belt leads all of minor league baseball in batting average (.388) and on-base percentage (.496) and ranks fourth in slugging percentage (.640) and is tied for fourth in hits (111).

NO SHOCKER: Third baseman Conor Gillaspie has hits in 11 of his last 14 games and is batting .396 (19-for-48) over that stretch with a double, triple, nine RBI, and three runs scored...He has struck out seven times and has walked twice...He has raised his batting average from .241 to .266 over that stretch.

COMING THROUGH IN A PINCH: Infielder Ryan Lormand drove in a pair of runs with his pinch-hit single in the top of the eighth inning...It was the first pinch-hit base hit for the club since Thomas Neal's pinch hit single in the top of the ninth inning at Reading 6/14...Prior to his pinch-hit base hit, Richmond pinch hitters were hitless in their last nine at-bats...Overall on the season, Flying Squirrels pinch hitters are 9-for-45 (.200) with six RBI...Outfielder Clay Timpner leads the club with eight pinch-hit at-bats.

EVEN STEVENS: Left-hander Jake Stevens has worked 10 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings over his last 10 outings...He has allowed just three hits over that span while striking out eight batters and walking three...Left-hand hitters are batting 5-for-51 (.098) with 16 strikeouts...The 25-year-old is tied for third in the Eastern League with seven holds on the season.

RAY OF SUNSHINE: Right-hander Ronnie Ray has tossed 6 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings spanning his last six outings...Over that stretch, the 26-year-old has allowed just one hit (1-for-19) while striking out seven and walking three...He has stranded all four runners that he has inherited over the last six appearances...It is the longest scoreless streak of the season for Ray.

DOUBLETREE DOWNTOWN DOUBLE PLAYS: The Richmond Flying Squirrels have turned 115 double plays in 87 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: The Flying Squirrels overcame a 6-0 deficit last night to take a 7-6 lead going in to the bottom of the eighth inning...If the club would have been able to hang on to the advantage, it would have been the largest come-from-behind win of the season...The largest comeback to date for Richmond came on 5/10 at Bowie when the Flying Squirrels overcame a 4-0 deficit to knock off the Baysox 5-4.

Check out the Richmond Flying Squirrels Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from July 9, 2010


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