EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on July 29, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (49-55) VS. ALTOONA CURVE (60-43)

RHP FELIX ROMERO (2-1, 3.67) VS. LHP RUDY OWENS (8-5, 2.92)

July 29, 2010 -- 7:05 PM

The Diamond

Game #105/Home #55

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Altoona Curve will meet in the opener of a four-game series...The Flying Squirrels gave up eight runs in the top of the 11th inning and dropped the series finale to the Reading Phillies 15-7 on Wednesday night at The Diamond.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Right-hander Felix Romero gets the start in the opener of the series for the Flying Squirrels...Missed his last start due to the birth of his child...Received a no-decision in his last start against Trenton 7/20...Allowed one run on three hits in six innings...Struck out three batters and walked one...Lone run allowed came on a solo home run from Edwar Gonzalez...Retired eight of the final nine batters he faced including striking out the side in the sixth inning...Recorded 10 fly outs and five ground outs...Threw 88 pitches, 56 strikes...Five of his eight starts have been quality starts...Has gone six innings or more in six of his eight starts...Has allowed just one run in four of his eight starts...Has not lost in his last six starts...Is 2-1 with a 2.92 ERA (16ER/49.1 IP) in eight starts with Richmond...Is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four appearances including one start against Altoona...Has allowed three runs on 10 hits in 13 2/3 innings...Has struck out nine Curve batters and has walked two.

Left-hander Rudy Owens gets the nod in game one of the series for the Curve...Suffered the loss in his last start against Trenton 7/24...Allowed one unearned run on seven hits in seven innings...Struck out six batters and walked none...Is 0-2 over his last three starts and has lost back-to-back starts for just the second time in 19 starts overall...Has allowed nine runs, eight earned, on 29 hits over his last 16 1/3 innings (4.41 ERA)...Left-hand batters are hitting .219 (32-for-146) against him...Ranks fourth in the Eastern League with a 2.92 ERA, is second in WHIP (1.08), and is tenth in strikeouts (90)...Leads Eastern League starting pitchers in fewest walks per nine innings at 1.54 (19BB/111 IP) and is second in fewest base runners per nine innings (10.05)...Named an Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star...Is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts against Richmond...Has four runs, three earned, on seven hits in 12 innings against the Flying Squirrels...Has struck out 14 Richmond batters including a career-high 11 5/4 at The Diamond while walking three...Dominated the Low-A South Atlantic League while with West Virginia in 2009...Went 10-1 with a 1.70 ERA in 19 starts...Opponents hit just .197 against him...Struck out 91 and walked 15 in 100 2/3 innings of work...Went 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in six starts following a promotion to Advanced-A Lynchburg...Allowed 29 hits in 23 1/3 innings of work...Struck out 22 and walked two...Helped Lynchburg to Carolina League Championship...Enters the 2010 season rated as the #9 prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization according to Baseball America...Originally selected by the Pirates in the 28th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft...Attended Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz.) Community College.

RUN DOWN: The Flying Squirrels gave up a season-high 15 runs on a season-high 21 hits in last night's 15-7 loss to the R-Phils...The eight runs allowed in the top of the 11th inning were also a season-high for a single frame...The club had previously allowed 11 runs on 16 hits against Binghamton 6/16...Reading sent 13 batters to the plate in the 11th, the most batters faced by Richmond pitching in an inning this season...The five runs allowed by reliever Michael Main matched the most runs given up by a Flying Squirrels reliever this season...The six hits allowed in the top of the 11th matched a season-high for most hits given up in an inning.

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT: Richmond's 11-inning, 15-7 loss to Reading lasted 4:18 and was the longest game of the season...The previous longest game of the season was the Flying Squirrels' 14-inning, 1-0 loss against the Curve on 4/13 at Blair County Ballpark...The club fell to 4-5 in extra inning games with the loss.

SALES PITCH: The Flying Squirrels have a combined staff ERA of 1.82 (24 ER/118 2/3 IP) in each of their last 13 victories...In the club's last four losses, the staff's ERA is 8.50 (34 ER/36 IP) and the starters did not make it out of the fifth inning...Richmond has won each of its last seven games when a starter goes six innings or more...Overall on the season, the Flying Squirrels are 31-16 when a starter goes six innings or more.

UNBUCKLING THE BELT: First baseman Brandon Belt has hits in each of his last five games and is 8-for-21 (.381) at the plate with seven RBI and five runs scored over that span...Six of his eight hits have gone for extra bases including three doubles and three triples...In 99 games combined between Advanced-A San Jose and Double-A Richmond, first baseman Brandon Belt leads all of minor league baseball in on-base percentage (.477), is second in batting average (.377) and slugging percentage (.648), and is fifth in hits (134)...The 22-year-old has reached base safely in each of his last 21 games, a personal season-high

THOMAS THE TRAIN: Outfielder Thomas Neal went 3-for-6 with a RBI, and two runs scored last night...It was the second-consecutive three-hit game for the 22-year-old and his seventh overall on the season...Neal leads the team with 31 multi-hit games and is tied for third in the Eastern League with 112 hits on the season.

THE WEATHER MAN: Third baseman Conor Gillaspie has hits in 11 of his last 13 games including a season-long seven-game hit streak (7/11-7/22)...In 23 games this month, he is hitting .397 (29-for-73); however, only five of his 29 hits in July have gone for extra bases (three doubles and two triples)...He has walked 10 times and has struck out eight times so far this month.

DOUBLETREE DOWNTOWN DOUBLE PLAYS: The Richmond Flying Squirrels have turned 129 double plays in 104 games including six on 5/7 in Harrisburg...The Flying Squirrels have not gone more than three games without a double play this season...The club leads the Eastern League in double plays turned.

CFS STAT OF THE NIGHT: The Flying Squirrels dropped to 0-27 when allowing six runs or more with last night's 11-inning, 15-7 loss to the R-Phils.

Check out the Richmond Flying Squirrels Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from July 29, 2010


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