EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on April 18, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (5-5) VS. TRENTON THUNDER (4-6)

LHP RYAN VERDUGO (1-0, 3.60) VS. LHP STEVE GARRISON (0-1, 6.14)

April 18, 2011 -- 7:05 PM

Waterfront Park

Game #11/Road #4

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and Trenton Thunder will meet in the opener of a three-game series...Left-hander Clayton Tanner didn't make it out of the fifth inning, allowing five runs in four-plus frames, as the Altoona Curve claimed the rubber match of the rain-shortened series 5-1 on Sunday afternoon at Blair County Ballpark.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Left-hander Ryan Verdugo gets the start in the series opener for the Flying Squirrels...Enters the 2011 season rated as the #25 prospect in the San Francisco Giants farm system according to Baseball America...Earned the win in his Double-A debut 4/11 against Bowie...Allowed two runs on four hits in five innings...Struck out five batters and walked one...Also hit a batter and threw a wild pitch...Three of the four hits he allowed came against left-handed batters...Left-handed batters were just 2-for-28 against him in 22 games with Advanced-A San Jose in 2010...Gave up a leadoff home run to Brandon Waring on his first pitch in the second inning...Retired the leadoff man in three of his five innings on the mound...Both leadoff men who reached scored...Recorded six ground outs and three fly outs...Threw 84 pitches, 55 strikes...Threw 17 pitches or more in three of his five innings on the mound including 23 in the third...Threw five pitches or more to 10 of the 20 batters he faced...Threw first-pitch strikes to 12 of the 20 batters he faced...Outing was the longest of his career...Four hits allowed matched a career-high...Had previously made just one start in his first 76 career appearances...Went a combined 8-1 with a 1.87 ERA in 44 games, including one start, with Low-A Augusta and San Jose...Suffered the lone loss in his pro career 4/29/10 at Hagerstown...Pitched with Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League in 2010...Went 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in seven starts while striking out 26 batters and walking 16...Began the 2009 season in Extended Spring Training...Went 4-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 23 games with the AZL Giants and Low-A Augusta...Selected in the 9th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft...Attended LSU and Skagit Valley (WA) College.

Left-hander Steve Garrison gets the nod in the series opener for the Thunder...Suffered the loss in his last outing 4/12 at Portland...Allowed five runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings while striking out two and walking none...All five runs he allowed came in the fourth inning...Allowed hits to five of the first six batters he faced in the fourth inning including three doubles...Allowed three hits over four scoreless innings in his first start 4/7 at New Hampshire, striking out four batters and walking none...Appeared in eight ML Spring Training games with the New York Yankees in 2011...Went 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA, striking out five and walking two in 10 1/3 innings...Claimed off of waivers by the Yankees from the San Diego Padres 9/9/10...Appeared in 17 games, including 11 starts, across three different levels in 2009...Made three starts with the AZL Padres before being promoted to Advanced-A Lake Elsinore where he went 1-1 with a 3.14 ERA in nine games, three starts...Made five starts with Triple-A Portland and went 1-1 with a 8.87 ERA while opponents hit .354 against him...Missed the start of the season recovering from knee surgery after sustaining an injury during the 2009 Arizona Fall League season...Added to the Padres 40-man roster 11/20/09...Limited to 13 appearances, 12 starts, across three levels (AZL Padres, Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio) in 2009...Went a combined 1-2 with a 5.56 ERA...Made the majority of his appearances (9) with the AZL Padres...Entered the 2009 season rated as the #22 prospect in the Padres farm system according to Baseball America...Had shoulder surgery following the 2008 season...Spent the entire 2008 season with San Antonio and went 7-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 24 starts...Struck out 108 batters and walked 37 in 129 2/3 innings...Entered the 2008 season rated as the #6 prospect in the Padres farm system according to Baseball America...Acquired by the Padres along with pitchers Joe Thatcher and Wil Inman from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for reliever Scott Linebrink 7/25/07...Began the 2007 season with Advanced-A Brevard County and went 8-4 with a 3.44 ERA in 20 starts...Went 2-3 with a 2.79 ERA in seven starts with Lake Elsinore following the trade...Originally selected by the Brewers in the 10th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.

SUN BURN: The Flying Squirrels dropped to 0-3 in their first three day games after yesterday's 5-1 loss at Altoona...The club is batting just .167 (16-for-96) during day games...Last season Richmond went 12-9 during day games including a 5-2 mark in day games at The Diamond.

SLOW "O": The Flying Squirrels are batting .217 through the first 10 games of the season and have scored one run or less in five of the 10 games...Richmond currently has the fifth-lowest team batting average in the Eastern League...Seven of the 12 teams in the league are hitting below .240 as a team including Trenton which is batting just .211 (third lowest) to start the season.

BLOWN LEAD: The Flying Squirrels lost a lead for the first time this season in yesterday's loss at Altoona...The club led 1-0 after the first inning; however, it surrendered five unanswered runs to lose 5-1...It was also the first time Richmond lost when scoring first (3-1).

PUTTING THE BALL IN PLAY: The Flying Squirrels rank last in the Eastern League offensively in total walks, having drawn just 15 through the first 10 games of the season...The club has also struck out the fewest times in the league (53).

PITCHING IN: Flying Squirrels' relievers have posted a 1.88 ERA through the club's first 10 games...Relievers have struck out 26 batters and walked four in 38 1/3 innings...Overall, the Flying Squirrels pitching staff has the second-lowest ERA in the Eastern League (2.86).

NO DOWDY ABOUT IT: Reliever Justin Dowdy extended his scoreless innings streak to 7 1/3 with a pair of scoreless innings of relief on Friday night...The 27-year-old has allowed just one hit while striking out eight batters and walking one...He has stranded three of the four base runners he has inherited while recording two holds...Opposing hitters are just 1-for-20 (.050) against him.

THUNDERSTRUCK: The Flying Squirrels and Trenton Thunder will meet for the first time in 2011 in their current three-game series...The two clubs will meet 15 times in 2011 after playing one another just six times in 2010...Richmond won two of the three meetings at The Diamond last season after Trenton took two of three games at Waterfront Park.

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Eastern League Stories from April 18, 2011


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