EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on June 22, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (35-34) VS. HARRISBURG SENATORS (39-30)

RHP JUSTIN FITZGERALD (5-4, 3.75) VS. RHP TANNER ROARK (4-2, 6.00)

June 22, 2011 -- 12:00 PM

Metro Bank Park

Game #70/Road #34

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TODAY: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and Harrisburg Senators will meet in game two of a three-game series...The Flying Squirrels hit a pair of home runs accounting for three of the four runs they scored en route to a 4-2, series-opening win over the Senators on Tuesday night in front of 3,543 fans at Metro Bank Park.

TODAY'S STARTERS: Right-hander Justin Fitzgerald gets the start in game two of the series for the Flying Squirrels...Making his 14th start of the season...Earned the win in his last outing 6/16 against Binghamton...Allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings...Struck out five batters and walked three...Five strikeouts matched a season-high...Three of the four runs he allowed came with two outs in the top of the fourth inning including a two-run homer from Jordany Valdespin...Allowed the leadoff batter to reach in three of his five innings on the mound (scored twice)...Recorded six flyouts/popouts and four groundouts...Threw 96 pitches, 58 strikes...Threw 17 pitches or more in four of his five innings on the mound including 29 pitches in the top of the third inning and 22 pitches in the top of the fourth...Threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of the 25 batters he faced...Spent the entire 2010 season with Advanced-A San Jose...First season as a starter after appearing exclusively in relief in his first two pro campaigns...Went 10-6 with a 3.45 ERA in 26 games, 25 starts...Struck out 116 batters and walked 46 in 146 innings...Ranked 4th in the California League in ERA (3.45), 3rd in opponent batting average (.258) and tied for 5th with 10 wins....Named a California League Mid-Season All-Star...Made three postseason starts with San Jose, going 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA (4R/18.2 IP)...Made 39 relief appearances with Low-A Augusta in 2009...Went 2-2 with a 3.70 ERA, striking out 63 and walking 27 in 56 innings...Made pro debut in 2008, going a combined 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 17 appearances...Selected in the 11th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft...Attended the University of California-Davis.

Right-hander Tanner Roark gets the start in game two of the series for the Senators...Making his eighth start of the 2011 season...Earned the win in his last outing 6/16 at Trenton...Allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings...Struck out three batters and walked none...Outing was his third quality start in seven total...Gave up five runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings and suffered the loss in his first start of the season 5/15 at Richmond...Added to the Harrisburg Senators roster from Extended Spring Training 5/14... Acquired from the Texas Rangers along with right-hander Ryan Tatusko in exchange for infielder Christian Guzman 7/31/10...Went 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA in six starts following the trade...Struck out 33 batters and walked nine in 36 innings...Suffered the loss in Game 4 of the Eastern League Divisional Playoffs against Altoona...Allowed seven runs on four hits including three home runs in 2 1/3 innings...Struck out four batters and walked three...Began the 2009 season with Advanced-A Bakersfield and went 10-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 29 games, including nine starts...Struck out 91 batters and walked 27 in 86 2/3 innings...Opponents hit .217 against him...Went 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA in five games, four starts, with Double-A Frisco...Struck out nine batters and walked seven in 17 2/3 innings...Made pro debut in 2008 and made three starts for Southern Illinois of the Frontier League prior to the draft...Went a combined 3-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 games, including two starts, with Rookie AZL Rangers and Advanced-A Bakersfield...Selected by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft...Attended the University of Illinois...Named Second Team All-Big 10 in 2007.

GOOD DAY': The Flying Squirrels are 4-9 in day games after night games and 6-10 overall in day games...With a win today, Richmond would claim its fifth series win in its last six series overall and also match its high-water mark of two-games over .500.

THE GEORGIA PEACH: Second baseman Charlie Culberson went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored last night...It was just his second multi-hit game in 18 contests this month...The 22-year-old entered the game hitting just .169 (12-for-71) over his first 17 games in June...Culberson led the club hitting .290 (27-for-93) in 22 games in April, and he hit .271 (29-for-107) in 26 games in May.

MO-MENTUM: Catcher Johnny Monell blasted his team-leading eighth home run, a leadoff homer to left field in the top of the ninth inning last night...Six of his eight home runs have been hit to the opposite field...It was just his second home run hit on the road...Four of his six home runs at The Diamond have been opposite field homers...The 25-year-old hit a career-high 19 home runs in 115 games with Advanced-A San Jose in 2010.

THE JOLLY ROGER: Outfielder Roger Kieschnick is batting .313 (45-for-144) over his last 38 games with six doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 27 RBIs and 22 runs scored...The 24-year-old has 17 multi-hit games over that span which also includes a season-long eight-game hit streak...He has raised his batting average from .173 to .254 since 5/7.

BEGINNERS LUCK': Right-hander Hector Correa doubled in his first professional at-bat in the top of the seventh inning last night...It was just the fourth hit of the season for a Richmond pitcher and the first extra-base hit recorded by a Flying Squirrels hurler...The club's pitchers are batting .089 (4-for-45) with a walk and 19 strikeouts...The pitchers have also executed seven sacrifice bunts.

PITCHING IN: The Flying Squirrels pitching staff leads the Eastern League with a 3.04 ERA through 69 games...The pitching staff has logged a league-high 631 1/3 innings of work and has allowed a league-low 251 runs...Including last night's game, Richmond's pitching staff has allowed two runs or less in 25 of its 69 games (36%)...The club is tied for the third-lowest ERA in all of MiLB.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Flying Squirrels have begun a stretch where they will play 21 out of 28 games at home including a doubleheader against Harrisburg 7/9...The club is 22-14 at home and is batting .246 in 36 games at The Diamond while averaging 4.33 runs per game at home (156R/36G)...Overall, the club is 13-20 on the road, and is batting .203 and averaging 3.24 runs per game (107R/33G) in 33 road contests.

Check out the Richmond Flying Squirrels Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Eastern League Stories from June 22, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central