EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Squirrels First Lose Lead, Then Ballgame, 7-5

June 13, 2010 - Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


READING, PA - The Reading Phillies erased a four-run Richmond lead, and surged past the Flying Squirrels, 7-5, in game three of a four-game series on Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium. The loss represented the largest blown lead of the season for Richmond, and stretches their current losing-skid to four games.

The Squirrels got to left-hander J.A. Happ - making a Major League rehab start - in the third inning. Darren Ford led off the frame and cracked a double off the wall in center field. A batter later, Thomas Neal whistled a low-flying two-run home run to left field, putting Richmond out front, 2-0. It was the fourth home run of the season for Neal, three of which have been hit in Reading. Brandon Crawford started the Squirrels after the blast with a single. He promptly stole second base and came in for a 3-0 lead when Michael Ambort singled to right field. Ambort moved up to second on the throw home on the play. Roger Kieschnick then rapped a single back up the middle to score Ambort and give Richmond a 4-0 lead.

Happ was removed following the Kieschnick single. He was charged with four earned runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out four in his rehab appearance.

Daryl Maday was in control for the first three innings, but proved mortal in the fourth. Tagg Bozied led off the inning with his 11th home run of the season. The drive to left field trimmed the Squirrels' lead to 4-1.

The R-Phils were back at it in the fifth, rallying with two outs to chase Maday from the ballgame. Quintin Berry singled with one out and Maday walked Tuffy Gosewisch behind him. Maday then hit Dominic Brown to load the bases. Bozied followed and got the best of Maday again with a two-run single back through the box to pull the R-Phils within a run, 4-3.

Maday didn't record a decision over his shortest outing of the season. He worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out four.

Tony Pena Jr. came on to finish the fifth for Maday, but then endured his toughest inning of the season in the sixth. Pena walked Michael Spidale to start the inning, and things got worse from there. Freddy Galvis followed with a single and Brandon Pinckney bunted the two up a base to second and third. Ozzie Chavez pinch-hit, and sent a single to left field that scored Spidale to tie the game. Neal misplayed the baseball and Galvis also came in on the play to give the R-Phils the lead. Berry followed with a double to the right-field corner to bring in Chavez for a 6-4 lead. Pena was removed in favor of Ronnie Ray and Gosewisch capped the four-run rally with a single that scored Berry and put Reading ahead 7-4.

Pena (3-2) was charged with all four runs in the inning, surrendering the runs on three hits over just 2/3 of an inning. He was tagged with the loss, his second of the season.

Ty Taubenheim (2-1) entered upon Happ's departure in the third and cooled the Richmond bats over 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He did allow five hits, but was awarded his second victory of the season.

Skyler Stromsmoe knocked in the final run of the ballgame for Richmond, plating Juan Ciriaco with an RBI single in the eighth inning, but the Richmond rally stalled as they left the bases loaded. Richmond stranded 13 runners in the ballgame.

Right-hander Michael Schwimer handled the ninth inning without incident to claim his sixth save of the season for Reading.

The finale of the four-game series is scheduled for 9:35 am at FirstEnergy Stadium on Monday morning. RHP David Mixon (6-3, 3.13) will make the start for Richmond against RHP Josh Fogg (0-1, 13.50) for Reading.

Check out the Richmond Flying Squirrels Statistics



Eastern League Stories from June 13, 2010


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