The Richmond Flying Squirrels (25-26) held off the Portland Sea Dogs (23-31), 4-3, on Thursday afternoon at Hadlock Field. With the win, the Squirrels took the series in which all three games finished with a score of 4-3. It marked the seventh series victory in their last nine for Richmond.
Richmond opened the scoring in the top of the third inning against righty Mike Augliera. Kelby Tomlinson got things started with a one-out double roped into the alley in left-center field. Rando Moreno followed and lined a single into center field to put runners at the corners. Mac Williamson then banked a double off the Maine Monster to plate Tomlinson for a 1-0 lead. Devin Harris capped the two-run inning with a sacrifice-fly to right field and the Squirrels held a 2-0 lead.
The Squirrels added a run to their lead in the fourth. Myles Schroder reached courtesy of a bunt-single with one out. An out later, Eliezer Zambrano slapped an opposite-field double to the left-field corner. Schroder raced around from third and Richmond led, 3-0.
Left-hander Adalberto Mejia made the start, and an impressive season-debut. He twirled four scoreless, and hitless, innings. He walked one, struck out three and exited due to a pitch count to a no-decision. He threw 53 pitches, 41 of which were strikes.
The Squirrels tacked on another run as they chased Augliera from the game in the sixth inning. Blake Miller led off with a single and Schroder punched a single to left field to put two aboard. Augliera recorded the first two outs, but Tomlinson looped an RBI single to left field to plate Miller and make it 4-0.
Augliera (2-9) was charged with four runs on 11 hits. He didn’t issue a walk, struck out two and took his league-leading ninth loss of the season.
Right-hander Tyler Mizenko handled two scoreless innings behind Mejia. He did allow the first hit of the day to Sea Dogs, a sixth-inning single from Danny Bethea. With Mejia ineligible, Mizenko (2-0) was awarded his second win of the year.
Things got shaky for right-hander Stephen Johnson and the Squirrels in the bottom of the eighth inning. Johnson, working his second inning of relief, walked the leadoff batter, Blake Tekotte. Jose Vinicio followed with a single before Bethea ripped a double through the alley in left-center field to put Portland on the board. Right-hander Jose Casilla was inserted, but quickly conceded a two-run double to Carlos Asuaje that made it 4-3. Casilla did induce a crucial double-play to keep Richmond in front.
Lefty Josh Osich came on and nailed down the win. He worked a scoreless ninth inning without much incident to earn his 13th save of the season.
The Squirrels travel to the third city on their three-city, 10-game road trip as they head to Manchester, NH, to open a three-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Friday night. The opener at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Richmond has yet to name a starter. New Hampshire RHP Taylor Cole (2-4, 5.07) will make the start for the Fisher Cats. The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 6:35 p.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.
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Chris Graham
