The New Britain Rock Cats once again stormed from behind to stun the Richmond Flying Squirrels, 8-6, on Sundayafternoon at New Britain Stadium. The loss was the franchise-record 15th straight for the Squirrels, who were also swept for the fifth consecutive series. They remain winless against the Eastern Division (0-12), the Rock Cats (0-6) and on the road (0-8).
Mitch Delfino blooped a two-out double up the right-field line to spark a first-inning Richmond uprising. Devin Harris followed and cranked a two-run home run to left-center field. The no-doubt shot was Harris’ first of the year and gave the Squirrels a quick 2-0 lead.
The Rock Cats plated their first run against righty Joe Biagini in the third inning. Mike Tauchman and Trevor Story started the inning with back-to-back singles. Tauchman came around on a fly out from Noel Cuevas and a groundout from Tommy Murphy.
Ricky Oropesa immediately put the run back on the Richmond lead. With one out, he hit a towering solo-home-run to centerfield. Oropesa’s second of the year made it 3-1 for the Squirrels.
The Squirrels stretched their lead with two unearned runs in the fifth. With one out, Rando Moreno reached on a two-base throwing error from third baseman Pat Valaika. Delfino quickly cashed in the miscue as he followed with an RBI single to right-center field. Hernandez got the second out, but Mac Williamson then singled. Oropeso followed a single back through the middle. His second hit of the day plated Delfino for a 5-2 advantage.
Hernandez retired for the day after the fifth. He allowed five runs – three earned. He permitted eight hits, walked one and struck out four.
Story cut a run off the Richmond lead in the fifth. He clubbed a solo-home run over the scoreboard in left-center field off of Biagini. Story’s fifth of the year made it 5-2 in favor of the Squirrels.
Biagini lasted into the sixth inning and was denied the win late. He was credited with 5 1/3 innings. He surrendered two earned runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out two.
Oropesa was at it again in the seventh as the Squirrels tacked on a run. He contributed his third hit of the day, a single, to score Delfino, who had also notched his third hit of the day in the inning.
Richmond carried a four-run lead into the seventh inning, when disaster struck again. Righty Joan Gregorio, who got the Squirrels out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, returned on the hill. He promptly permitted a double to Story. That opened the floodgates, as Gregorio then permitted an RBI single to Murphy and an RBI double to David Dahl. Gregorio walked Pat Valaika before he was lifted for lefty Josh Osich. Jayson Langfels greeted him with a game-tying two-run triple to left-center field. Juan Ciriaco then dropped a suicide-squeeze bunt to plate Langfels for the lead.
Osich (0-1) permitted an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning as well, and took the loss, his first. Right-hander Gus Schlosser (4-2) earned the win for New Britain, working two innings of relief and allowing a lone run.
Lefty Tyler Ybarra worked the final two innings of relief to earn the save, his third.
The Squirrels continue their two-city road trip as they open a four-game series with the Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates) on Monday night in Altoona, PA. 1st pitch of the opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Richmond LHP Kelvin Marte (0-0, 1.86) will make the start against Altoona LHP Zach Dodson (1-0, 0.00). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.
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