EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on August 26, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (62-66) VS. ALTOONA CURVE (76-53)

RHP CRAIG WESTCOTT (3-1, 5.03) VS. LHP RUDY OWENS (10-6, 2.67)

August 26, 2010 -- 5:30 PM

Blair County Ballpark

Game #129/Road #66

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and Altoona Curve will complete their suspended contest from 7/12 with Richmond ahead 6-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning before meeting in the seven-inning opener of a four-game series...The Reading Phillies scored four runs, including two on wild pitches, in the top of the third inning to claim a 4-2 series-clinching win over the Flying Squirrels on Wednesday night at The Diamond.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Right-hander Craig Westcott gets the start in game three of the series for the Flying Squirrels...Received a no-decision in his last outing at Bowie 8/21...Allowed four runs on four hits in four innings...Struck out five batters and walked two...Retired 12 consecutive batters (1st-4th)...Allowed five straight batters to reach and gave up four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning...Recorded four fly outs and three ground outs...Threw 73 pitches, 41 strikes...Failed to go five full innings for the fifth time in 22 starts...Has allowed 20 runs on 32 hits in 24 1/3 innings spanning his last five starts (7.40 ERA) and opponents are hitting .305 against him over that stretch...Has allowed four runs or more in four of his last five starts...Has received 40 runs of support during his eight starts with Richmond (5.00 runs per start)...Counting the suspended game at Altoona 7/12, is 1-for-3 at the plate with a double, RBI, and two sacrifice bunts...Is 16-1 with a 2.98 ERA (53 er/160.1 ip) in 35 games, 28 starts, as a pro...Team is 24-4 in his 28 career starts.

Left-hander Rudy Owens gets the nod in game one of the series for the Curve...Earned the win in his last start at Binghamton 8/21...Allowed two runs on six hits in five innings...Struck out six batters and walked none...Is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four starts in August with 19 strikeouts and two walks in 21 innings...Left-hand batters are hitting .209 (38-for-182) against him...Leads the Eastern League in ERA (2.67) and in WHIP (1.01), is fourth in strikeouts (118) and is fifth in batting average against (.232)...Leads Eastern League starting pitchers in fewest base runners per nine innings (9.46) and is second in fewest walks per nine innings at 1.43 (22BB/138 IP)...Named an Eastern League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star...Is 1-2 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts against Richmond...Has allowed six runs, five earned, on 10 hits in 18 innings against the Flying Squirrels...Has struck out 23 Richmond batters including a career-high 11 5/4 at The Diamond while walking four...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.

FULL HOUSE: Richmond announced its eighth sell-out crowd of the season last night...It was the 12th time this season that the Flying Squirrels have announced a crowd of over 9,000 at The Diamond...The club is 3-9 when playing in front of more than 9,000 fans at home and is now 2-6 when playing in front of a sold out crowd at The Diamond...Richmond leads the Eastern League in total attendance and is second to Reading in average attendance.

SHORTCUT: The Flying Squirrels are 3-0 in seven-inning games this season...The club won the seven-inning contest following the completion of the suspended game from Opening Day at Bowie 2-0...Richmond also swept a double-header and a pair of seven-inning games 3-1 and 2-0 at New Britain 4/27...The club has had three games suspended this season (4/8, 7/12, and 7/26) and is 0-2 in those contests.

A ONE-HORNED PEGASUS: Several marks and milestones will be reached with the completion of the suspended game from 7/12...Former Flying Squirrels first baseman Brandon Belt, who was promoted to Triple-A Fresno yesterday, will officially have a 13-game hit streak which will match outfielder Clay Timpner's season-long streak for a Richmond batter...Right-hander Craig Westcott will officially have his first professional hit and RBI...Catcher Eliezer Zambrano's Double-A debut will have occurred 38 days sooner, bumped up from 8/19 to 7/12.

SCHOOP-A-LOOP: Utility man Sharlon Schoop has hits in each of his last six games, his longest hit streak of the season...Over his last six contests, Schoop is 10-for-22 (.455) with a double, three RBI, and three runs scored...Since 8/1, the 23-year-old is batting .362 (25-for-69) with six doubles, a home run, 15 RBI and nine runs scored in 17 games...He is also hitting .500 (12-for-24) with 15 RBI with runners in scoring position this month...In his previous 22 games with Richmond, Schoop hit just .172 (5-for-29) with nine RBI with runners in scoring position.

RAY OF SUNSHINE: Right-hander Ronnie Ray has fired 12 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, his longest scoreless streak of the season, with 12 strikeouts and four walks spanning his last 10 outings, and opposing hitters are just 4-for-41 (.098) against him over that stretch...Since 6/20, the 26-year-old is 2-0 with three saves and has allowed just four runs, two earned in 31 1/3 innings (0.57 ERA) while striking out 34 batters and walking eight spanning his last 26 outings...Opposing hitters are batting .132 (14-for-106) against him over that stretch.

HERE'S THE CATCH: Catcher Tyler La Torre has seen his average dip from .270 to .201 since taking over as the Flying Squirrels everyday catcher following the promotion of Jackson Williams to Triple-A Fresno 7/1...Over his last 38 games since 7/1, La Torre is batting .145 (18-for-124) with 40 strikeouts and 17 walks...Defensively, the 27-year-old is 9-for-34 (.265) in throwing out base runners since 7/1...He had previously thrown out just two of 20 attempted (.100) base stealers in his first 33 games.

DOUBLETREE DOWNTOWN DOUBLE PLAYS: The Richmond Flying Squirrels have turned 155 double plays in 128 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: Right-hander Mitch Lively tossed a career-long four innings in last night's 4-2 loss to Reading...The previous long outing for the 24-year-old was 3 2/3 innings which occurred 9/3/09 against New Hampshire while with Double-A Connecticut.

Check out the Richmond Flying Squirrels Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from August 26, 2010


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