The Richmond Flying Squirrels (58-59) were thumped by the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 11-2, as their five-game win-streak ended with a thud at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium on Friday night. Richmond-native Deck McGuire (7-9) earned the win over his longest outing of the season. He earned his second win against Richmond for the year.
McGuire worked eight innings for the win, allowing two earned runs on four hits. He had two separate stretches in which he retired nine consecutive batters, setting down 18-of-19 from the second inning to the eighth. He walked just one and struck out six.
Joe Panik did get the Squirrels started in the first inning with a one-out single off McGuire. Javier Herrera followed with a double to the left-field corner to put runners at second and third with one out. Mark Minicozzi knocked in Panik for a 1-0 lead when he grounded out to third base.
New Hampshire leveled the ballgame with an unearned run against lefty Edwin Escobar in the bottom of the first. Escobar walked the lead-off batter, Kenny Wilson. Wilson stole second base and advanced to third on an errant throw from Tyler LaTorre. Kevin Nolan tied the ballgame, 1-1, with a groundout to second base.
Jarrett Parker wasted no time giving Richmond the lead in the second. He led off with a towering solo-home run to right field. Parker’s team-leading 15th home run of the season put Richmond back in front, 2-1.
Escobar endured uncharacteristic struggles in the third inning as New Hampshire took control of the ballgame. John Tolisano and Wilson started the inning with back-to-back doubles. Escobar got the first out of the inning, but Kevin Nolan slapped a two-run double to the right-field corner to give the Fisher Cats the lead, 3-2. Another out later, A.J. Jimenez launched a two-run home run to left field to put New Hampshire in front, 5-2. All told, New Hampshire sent nine men to the plate as Escobar allowed six hits. The inning snapped a string of 18 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run for Escobar.
Escobar (3-3) was lifted after just four innings – his shortest Double-A outing. He took the loss, permitting five runs – four earned – on eight hits. He walked one and struck out four.
Right-hander Omar Javier entered for Escobar in the fifth and had a troublesome frame. With one out, he conceded back-to-back singles to Jimenez and Gabe Jacobo. Kevin Ahrens followed and belted a three-run home run to left field. The third of the year for Ahrens stretched the lead for New Hampshire to 8-2.
The Fisher Cats tacked on three more runs against Javier in the sixth inning to take an 11-2 lead. Javier was charged with six runs over just an inning and a third.
Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Friday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Richmond RHP Taylor Rogers (5-7, 5.59) will make the start against New Hampshire RHP Marcus Walden (6-12, 3.67). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin on Sports Radio 910, www.sportsradio910.com and IHeart Radio at 6:35 p.m.
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Chris Graham
