EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on August 3, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (52-56) VS. NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS (65-44)

RHP CRAIG WESTCOTT (2-1, 3.81) VS. RHP ZACH STEWART (8-2, 3.75)

August 3, 2010 -- 7:05 PM

MerchantsAuto.com Stadium

Game #109/Road #51

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats will meet in the opener of a three-game series...The Flying Squirrels were unable to complete a sweep of the Altoona Curve, dropping the series-finale 6-2 on Sunday night at The Diamond.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Right-hander Craig Westcott gets the start in the opener of the series for the Flying Squirrels...Received a no-decision in his last start against Reading 7/28...Allowed five runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings...Struck out four batters and walked one...All eight hits allowed were singles...Retired the first seven batters that he faced...Retired only six of the final 15 batters he faced...Recorded nine ground outs and no fly outs...Threw 85 pitches, 50 strikes...Threw five pitches or more to seven of the 21 batters he faced...Five runs allowed were a career-high...Failed to go five innings for the third time in 18 starts this season...Is 15-1 with a 2.44 ERA (38 er/140.1 ip) in 32 games, 25 starts, as a pro...Team is 21-4 in his 25 career starts...Began season with Advanced-A San Jose...Went 6-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 13 starts...Struck out 53 batters and walked 32...Ranked second in the California League in ERA and was fourth in batting average against (.242)...Began the season tossing 18 consecutive scoreless innings spanning four starts (4/9-4/29)...Club was 12-1 in his 13 starts...Was named an California League Mid-Season All-Star...Was the starting pitcher and struck out the side... Selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 30th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft...Attended Belhaven College in Jackson, MS...Was named the 2009 Cellular South Ferriss Trophy as Mississippi's top collegiate baseball player as voted on by Major League scouts, coaches, and media members...Selected 2009 GCAC Pitcher of the Year and was named the GCAC All-Conference Team...Also named a NAIA Second Team All American in 2009.

Right-hander Zach Stewart gets the nod in game one of the series for the Fisher Cats...Received a no-decision in his last start against Harrisburg 7/28...Tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up four hits while striking out six batters and walking two...Has not allowed a run over his last 10 innings of work...Has not lost since 6/19 against Erie and is 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA over his last seven starts...Is 6-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 11 starts since 6/1...Has allowed 12 home runs in 110 1/3 innings with New Hampshire...Had allowed just three home runs in 138 innings over his first two professional seasons...Appeared at three different levels in 2009 and pitched with four different teams (Advanced-A Sarasota, Double-A Carolina, Triple-A Louisville, Triple-A Las Vegas)...Went a combined 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA in 34 games including 14 starts...Struck out 93 batters and walked 32 in 105 innings...Acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays along with third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and right-hander Josh Roenicke in exchange for third baseman Scott Rolen 8/1/09...Originally selected by the Cincinatti Reds in the third round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft...Attended Texas Tech University...Was a teammate of Flying Squirrels outfielder Roger Kieschnick at Texas Tech in 2008...Enters the 2010 season rated as the #1 prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system according to Baseball America.

THE GRAND STRAND: Richmond left 13 runners on base in Sunday's 6-2 loss to Altoona...It was the most runners left stranded on bases since the club left 13 runners on 6/13 at Reading...The Flying Squirrels left a season-high 15 runners on base 4/10 at Bowie...The club recorded 16 hits in the contest which equaled the second-most hits in a game...Richmond also totaled 16 hits 7/23 at Bowie.

MOUND MATTERS: 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...The Flying Squirrels are 9-46 when allowing four runs or more and 0-28 when giving up six runs or more.

ERROR REPORT: The Flying Squirrels have committed seven errors over their last three games including three errors that led to five unearned runs on Sunday...Richmond is 1-6 when committing three-plus errors in a game...The club ranks third in the Eastern League in both fielding percentage (.981) and fewest errors (78).

NOOOOOONAN: Second baseman Nick Noonan set a new career-high with five hits on Sunday...The youngest Flying Squirrel (21) went 5-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base...The five-hit performance also matched a season-high for a Richmond batter...Conor Gillaspie also collected five hits 5/27 at Binghamton....Noonan has hits in four of his last five games and is 12-for-23 (.522) with four runs scored over that span...He has raised his batting average from .239 to .265 over his last five contests.

THE WEATHER MAN: Third baseman Conor Gillaspie has an eight-game hitting streak over which he is 15-for-29 (.517) with three doubles, a triple, a home run, six RBI, and four runs scored...The 23-year-old also has hits in 15 of his last 16 games in which he has had an official at-bat including an eight-game and seven-game hit streak (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...Gillaspie's .290 batting is his highest since 4/10 when he was hitting .333.

THOMAS THE TRAIN: Outfielder Thomas Neal is 12-for-27 (.444) and has hits in each of his last six games with a home run, five RBI, nine runs scored, two walks and two stolen bases...The 22-year-old is hitting .324 (66-for-204) with 16 doubles, seven home runs, and 31 RBI in 55 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 third in the Eastern League with 118 hits...Neal's .291 batting average is his highest since 4/8 when he was hitting .500.

UNBUCKLING THE BELT: In 103 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 (.470), is second in batting average (.372) is third in slugging percentage (.636), and is fifth in hits (138).

DOUBLETREE DOWNTOWN DOUBLE PLAYS: The Richmond Flying Squirrels have turned 134 double plays in 108 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: Left-hander Clayton Tanner dropped to 0-4 in six starts against the Altoona Curve in Sunday's 6-2 loss...The 22-year-old has allowed 21 runs, 11 earned, on 33 hits in 30 1/3 innings (3.26 ERA) against the Curve.

Check out the Richmond Flying Squirrels Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from August 3, 2010


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