The Richmond Flying Squirrels (34-28) remained hot, beating right-hander Stephen Strasburg and the Harrisburg Senators (27-37), 4-3, on Wednesday afternoon at Metro Bank Park. The Squirrels have claimed the three-game series, and have now gone 11-1-1 in their last 13 series. Richmond is now 12-3 in the month of June, the league’s best record.
The Squirrels struck first against Strasburg in the third inning. Jackson Williams got Richmond started with a one-out single to left field. Adalberto Mejia tried to bunt him to second base, but forced him instead. However, Kelby Tomlinson followed and drove an RBI triple to the alley in right-center field. Mejia stumbled around to score for a 1-0 lead.
Richmond tacked on an unearned in the fourth as an error charged to third baseman Matt Skole got them started. The error occurred with one out and allowed Devin Harris to reach. Ricky Oropesa followed and chopped a soft-single to right field. Harris advanced to third base to put runners at the corners. Mitch Delfino then singled through the hole on the left-side of the infield. Harris cashed in the error as he made it 2-0.
Harrisburg scored their first run of the series against Mejia in the fourth inning to cut the Richmond-lead in half. The run was scored hurriedly, as Cutter Dykstra lined a solo-home run to the left-field bleachers. Dykstra’s first of the year sliced Richmond’s lead to 2-1.
Strasburg (0-1) turned in five sturdy innings before calling it a day. He was charged with two runs, one earned, on four hits. He didn’t walk a batter, struck out six and was doomed to the loss.
Right-hander Colin Bates took over for Strasburg in the sixth, and with two outs, Ricky Oropesa blasted the Squirrels back in front by two runs, 3-1. Oropesa decked a solo-shot, his team-leading ninth of the season, to right-center field.
Mejia (1-0) also retired after five innings. He was charged with a lone run on three hits. He walked one and struck out three. He earned his first win of the season.
The Squirrels stretched the lead off of Bates in the seventh. Engel Beltre opened the inning with a double to left-center field. He advanced to third on a fly ball to right field from Williams and scored when Angel Villalona lifted a sacrifice-fly to right field. Villalona, who was pinch-hitting, made it 4-1.
Lefty Phil McCormick turned in a scoreless sixth inning, but right-hander Edwin Quirarte had some issues in the seventh. Brian Jeroloman got things started with an infield-single with one out. Quirarte recorded the second out, but then walked Derrick Robinson. A wild-pitch moved the runners up a base before Trea Turner floated a soft two-run single to right-center field that cut the Richmond lead to a lone run, 4-3.
Right-hander Jose Casilla worked a scoreless eighth inning. Lefty Josh Osich had some trouble nailing it down, but ultimately bounced out Matt Skole to preserve the win. Osich pulled into a tie for the league-lead with his 18th save. Eight of those have come in June. 17 of them since May 3rd.
The finale of the three-game series is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Metro Bank Park on Thursday night. Richmond RHP Tyler Beede (1-0, 1.38) will make the start against Harrisburg LHP Matthew Spann (1-0, 0.92). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.
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Chris Graham
