Gage goes seven: Squirrels lose in 11

The Flying Squirrels (58-78) fell in extra innings on Wednesday night by a final of 3-2, despite seven shutout innings from left-hander Matt Gage. Gage held Hartford (73-62) to without a hit through six innings, but received a no-decision in his final start of the year. Richmond forced the extra frames with a pair of runs off of closer Jerry Vasto in the ninth. Hartford’s Ryan McMahon eventually delivered the go-ahead run with a solo homer to left field in the top of the 11^th.  The Squirrels pitching staff held opponents to without a run for 26 consecutive innings until Hartford plated two in the eighth on Wednesday.

Zeroes continued to be the theme for the Squirrels staff on Wednesday night. Matt Gage followed in the footsteps of starting pitchers Tyler Beede and Andrew Suarez to keep Hartford off the board. Gage, facing off against Hartford’s Sam Howard, needed just seven pitches to retire the side in first. The lefty picked up two of his career-high tying nine strikeouts in the second inning. Gage retired the side again in order in the third and worked around an error in the second and another in the fourth frame.

Hartford’s Howard was also impressive on the night and allowed only one base hit through the first three innings. Howard, facing the Squirrels for the second time this season, encountered brief trouble in thebottom of the fourth. With two outs, Tyler Horan worked a walk and C. J. Hinojosa pushed a single into centerfield. Howard closed out the threat with a strikeout, setting down Brandon Bednar to end the inning. Both southpaws used under 50 pitches each through the first four innings of work.

Gage continued to dazzle through the fifth and sixth innings and took a no-hitter into the seventh. With one out in the seventh, Ryan McMahon lined a ball off the body of Gage that kicked into the air, dropping beyond the mound for the first Hartford hit of the night.  Correlle Prime followed the infield single and reached on an error, placing two runners on against Gage for the first time in the contest. The next hitter Michael Benjamin then battled Gage, fouling off several 3-2 pitches before striking out to end the seventh. It was the ninth strikeout for Gage, matching his career-high.

Despite the stellar performance from Gage, it was Howard in line for the win. Gage was replaced by Carlos Alvarado after seven scoreless innings of work. Alvarado struck out the first batter he faced but relinquished a base hit to the next hitter Wilson Soriano. Noel Cuevas followed with a single and so did Dillion Thomas. Hartford attempted to waive home the lead runner Soriano, but centerfielder Steven Duggar threw him out at the plate to keep the game scoreless for the moment. Alvarado could not hold the Goats down any longer as Rosell Hererra floated a two-run single into right center field for a 2-0 lead. The runs were the first scored by Hartford in 28 innings and the first allowed by Richmond pitching in 26 frames.

The two runs in the eighth put Howard in line for the win. The lefty out of Georgia Southern scattered seven hits and struck out four on 103 pitches.  Howard was removed in the eighth for righty Rayan Gonzalez and once again Richmond put runners aboard. The Squirrels loaded the bases against Gonzalez, but could not convert, sending the game into the ninth. It was in the ninth when the Squirrels finally struck for a pair of runs to send the game into extra innings. With closer Jerry Vasto on the mound to finish the game, pinch-hitter Darren Ford ignited the offense by working a walk. Steven Duggar then reached on an error and Darren Ford stole third base. Christian Arroyo followed and put Richmond on the board with a base hit, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Tyler Horan eventually tied the game 2-2, with a base hit to right, collecting his third hit of the night. Vasto worked out of bases loaded to end the ninth and move the game into extras.

Tyler Mizenko pitched a scoreless 10^th for the Squirrels and returned for the 11^th. Ryan McMahon snapped the tie and delivered the go-ahead run, lining a ball over the left field wall for a 3-2 lead. Mizenko (2-7) suffered the loss by pitching two innings of relief.