EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on August 11, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (63-53) VS. HARRISBURG SENATORS (65-52)

LHP RYAN VERDUGO (7-4, 4.07) VS. RHP TANNER ROARK (6-8, 5.73)

August 11, 2011 -- 7:00 PM

Metro Bank Park

Game #117/Road #56

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and Harrisburg Senators will meet in the finale of a three-game series...Roger Kieschnick's one-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning helped break through a 1-1 tie as the Flying Squirrels topped the Senators 3-1 in game two of the series on Wednesday night in front of 4,382 fans at Metro Bank Park.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Left-hander Ryan Verdugo gets the nod in the series finale for the Flying Squirrels...Making his 21st start of the season and his first against the Senators...Enters the 2011 season rated as the #25 prospect in the San Francisco Giants farm system according to Baseball America...Had his last turn in the rotation skipped (8/5) due to total innings pitched...Received a no-decision in his last start 7/30 at Trenton...Allowed four runs on one hit in 2/3 of an inning...Struck out two batters and walked four...Walked three of the first four batters he faced and four of the seven batters he faced overall...Three of the four walks he issued scored...Threw 33 pitches, 14 strikes...Threw four pitches or more to six of the seven batters that he faced...Threw first-pitch strikes to three of the seven batters he faced...Outing was the shortest by a Flying Squirrels' starter this season...Is nine innings shy (104) of matching his three-year career total innings pitched (113) entering the season...Named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week 5/30/11-6/5/11...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 first 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.

Right-hander Tanner Roark gets the start in the series finale for the Senators...Making his 17th start of the 2011 season and his fifth against the Flying Squirrels...Suffered the loss in his last outing 8/5 at Erie...Allowed five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings...Struck out three batters and walked three...Had won each of his two previous starts, allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits in 14 1/3 innings...Named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week 7/25/11-7/31/11...Is 0-3 with an 8.35 ERA in four starts against the Flying Squirrels...Has allowed 17 runs on 30 hits in 18 1/3 innings including giving up five runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings 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.

BURNING RUBBER: The Flying Squirrels enter tonight's rubber match with the Harrisburg Senators 9-4 in series-deciding games...The club is 17-17 in series finales...Richmond has won 13 of the 19 meetings with Harrisburg this season...The Flying Squirrels have outscored the Senators 88-61 in the season series, and Flying Squirrels batters are hitting .287 against the Senators while the club's pitchers are limiting the Sens to a .227 batting average.

ROGER THAT!: Outfielder Roger Kieschnick blasted his team-leading 15th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the top of the ninth inning that drove in the game-winning runs in Richmond's 3-1 win over Harrisburg...His 15 home runs are also a single-season franchise record...The 24-year-old also drove in two more runs, increasing his team-leading total to 62 for the season...He is seven RBIs shy of matching Thomas Neal's single-season franchise mark of 69...The Texas-native is also the team-leader in extra-base hits (42) and he is tied for second in the Eastern League in runs scored (68) and games played (114).

FIVE HOLE: Super utility man Skyler Stromsmoe has hits in a season-best five straight games, going 5-for-14 (.357) over that span with two doubles, two walks, three RBIs, and two runs scored...The 27-year-old has raised his batting average from .240 to .253 over that span, and in 27 games since 7/1, the switch-hitter is batting .320 (16-for-50) with three doubles, seven RBIs, and seven runs scored while striking out 12 times and walking seven...The Bow Island, Alberta, Canada, native has played left field (17G), shortstop (7G), first base (4G), second base (3G), third base (2G), right field (2G), center field (1G), and he has pitched (2G).

ROAD TO THE SHOW: Right-hander Henry Sosa became the fourth former Flying Squirrel to make his Major League debut and the fifth former Squirrel to appear in the Major Leagues this season...The 26-year-old suffered the loss last night for the Houston Astros at Arizona, allowing four runs on six hits in six innings while striking out four batters and walking three...Sosa joins outfielder Darren Ford, first baseman Brandon Belt, and shortstop Brandon Crawford as Flying Squirrels to have made their ML debuts following stints with Richmond...In addition to Ford, Belt and Crawford, Sosa joins third baseman Conor Gillaspie as former Flying Squirrels to have appeared in the Major Leagues this season.

POCKETS PICKED: Since 7/9, opposing baserunners are 38-for-42 (.905) over Richmond's last 32 games in stole base attempts...Over that span, the only baserunner to get thrown out by a catcher was New Hampshire's Adeiny Hechavarria by Johnny Monell 8/2...The other three runners thrown out on the bases where caught by pitchers...The Flying Squirrels rank 10th in the 12-team Eastern League with a stolen base against efficiency of .255 (39-for-153).

HOME AND AWAY: The Flying Squirrels are 39-22 overall at home - the best home record in the league - and they are batting .261 in 60 games at The Diamond while averaging 4.52 runs per game at home (276R/61G)....Overall, the club is 23-31 on the road, and is batting .224 and averaging 3.59 runs per game (194R/54G) in 54 road contests.

PITCHING IN: The Flying Squirrels pitching staff leads the Eastern League with a 3.35 ERA through 115 games and has allowed a league-low 442 runs...Richmond's pitching staff has allowed two runs or less in 44 of its 115 games (38%)...Starting pitching has allowed three runs or less in 82 of the team's 115 games (71%) and the club is 55-27 in those contests.

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Eastern League Stories from August 11, 2011


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