EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on August 1, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (52-55) VS. ALTOONA CURVE (60-46)

LHP CLAYTON TANNER (7-6, 3.14) VS. RHP BRYAN MORRIS (4-4, 4.78)

August 1, 2010 -- 5:05 PM

The Diamond

Game #108/Home #58

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Altoona Curve will meet in the finale of a four-game series...The Flying Squirrels broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and claimed their third consecutive win in a 4-2 victory over the Curve on Saturday night at The Diamond.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Left-hander Clayton Tanner gets the start in the finale of the series for the Flying Squirrels...Earned the win in his last start against Reading 7/27...Allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings...Struck out four batters and walked two...Recorded nine ground outs and five fly outs...Threw 90 pitches, 60 strikes...Seven hits allowed matched a season-high...Allowed the leadoff batter to reach in five of his seven innings on the mound...Had retired the leadoff batter in 14 of his last 15 innings...Went six-plus innings for the 11th time in 20 starts and for the 10th time in his last 11 outings...Has allowed 28 runs, 24 earned, on 65 hits over 78 innings in his last 12 starts since coming off of the DL 5/30 (2.77 ERA)...Left-handed batters are hitting .220 against him (18-for-82)...Ranks eighth in the Eastern League with a 3.14 ERA...Has not won in four straight starts since winning five straight outings 7/31/08-8/21/08...Is 0-3 with a 4.07 ERA in five starts against Altoona...Has allowed 16 runs, 11 earned, on 27 hits in 24 1/3 innings against the Curve with 17 walks and 15 strikeouts.

Right-hander Bryan Morris gets the nod in game four of the series for the Curve...Received a no-decision in his last start at Erie 7/27...Tossed five scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out eight batters and walking none...Went 0-2 with a 7.13 ERA in four starts in July...Allowed 15 runs, 14 earned, on 19 hits in 17 2/3 innings last month...Has struck out 63 batters and has walked 23 in 63 1/3 innings with the Curve...Selected to participate in the 2010 All-Star Futures Game...Got Curve teammate Gorkys Hernandez to ground out to retire the only batter he faced...Promoted to Altoona from Advanced-A Bradenton 5/16...Went 3-0 with a 0.60 ERA in eight starts with the Marauders...Tossed 29 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings 4/30-5/21...Made 15 starts with Advanced-A Lynchburg in 2009 and went 4-9 with a 5.57 ERA...Struck out 32 batters and walked 34 in 72 2/3 innings...Went 2-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 20 starts combined between Low-A Great Lakes and Low-A Hickory in 2008...Missed the entire 2007 season due to Tommy John Surgery...Acquired along with infielder Andy LaRoche from the Los Angeles Dodgers; right-hander Craig Hansen and outfielder Brandon Moss were also acquired from the Boston Red Sox as part of a three-team trade in which Boston acquired outfielder Jason Bay from the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles acquired outfielder Manny Ramirez from Boston 7/31/08...Originally selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round (#26 overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft...Enters the season rated as the #15 prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system according to Baseball America...Member of the Pittsburgh Pirates 40-man roster

SALES PITCH: The Flying Squirrels have allowed three earned runs or less and have a combined staff ERA of 1.77 (29 ER/148 IP) in each of their last 16 victories...Richmond has won each of its last nine games when a starter goes six innings or more...Overall on the season, the Flying Squirrels are 33-16 when a starter goes six innings or more...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...The Flying Squirrels are 9-45 when allowing four runs or more.

FULL HOUSE: Richmond announced its 11th crowd of over 9,000 last night, including seven sell-outs, at The Diamond...The club is 4-8 when playing in front of more than 9,000 fans at home...Richmond leads the Eastern League in total attendance and is second to Reading in average attendance.

WHAT A RELIEF: Right-hander Rafael Cova recorded his Eastern League-leading 18th save in last night's 4-2 win over the Curve...The 28-year-old is 18-for-22 in save opportunities, and he has held opposing hitters to a .149 (21-for-141) batting average against.

THE WEATHER MAN: Third baseman Conor Gillaspie has a seven-game hitting streak over which he is 13-for-24 (.542) with two doubles, a triple, a home run, five RBI, and four runs scored...The 23-year-old also has hits in 14 of his last 15 games in which he has had an official at-bat including a pair of seven-game hit streaks (7/11-7/22, 7/24-current)...In 26 games in July, he hit .402 (33-for-82); with seven of his 33 hits in July going for extra bases (three doubles, three triples, and a home run)...He walked 12 times and struck out nine times last month.

THOMAS THE TRAIN: Outfielder Thomas Neal is 10-for-22 (.455) and has hits in each of his last five games with a home run, five RBI, nine runs scored, two walks and two stolen bases...The 22-year-old is hitting .322 (64-for-199) with 16 doubles, seven home runs, and 31 RBI in 54 games since 6/1...He began the season by hitting .259 (52-for-201) with 11 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 24 RBI in 51 games through 5/31...The California-native is tied for third in the Eastern League with 116 hits.

UNBUCKLING THE BELT: In 102 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 (.473), is second in batting average (.376) and slugging percentage (.643), and is tied for fourth in hits (138)...The 22-year-old is 11-for-24 (.458) with runners in scoring position in 25 games with Richmond and is hitting .396 (44-for-111) overall with runners in scoring position this season.

DOUBLETREE DOWNTOWN DOUBLE PLAYS: The Richmond Flying Squirrels have turned 132 double plays in 107 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 bullpen has tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings through the first three games of the current series with the Curve...Altoona batters are just 2-for-26 (.077) against Richmond relievers...The bullpen has struck out eight batters and has walked two.

Check out the Richmond Flying Squirrels Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from August 1, 2010


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