The Richmond Flying Squirrels (7-17) completed a four-game sweep of the Altoona Curve (15-10) with a, 4-2, win at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Thursday afternoon. The win was the first victory on the season in a day game for Richmond, who had entered play 0-7 in day contests.
Richmond got out to the lead in the first inning for the third consecutive ballgame, plating a run off right-hander Angel Sanchez. Kelby Tomlinson led off the ballgame with a single and promptly stole second base. An out later, Devin Harris cracked a single into left field. Tomlinson raced in for a 1-0 lead.
The Curve grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning against lefty Matt Lujan. Adam Frazier opened the day with a leadoff single. An out later, Stetson Allie lined Lujan’s first pitch just fair inside the left-field foul pole. The two-run home run, Allie’s third of the season, gave Altoona a 2-1 advantage.
The Squirrels drew even in the third inning. Harris led off with a double to left-center field. Mitch Delfino moved him to third with a groundout, and he scored to tie the game, 2-2, when Ricky Oropesa banged a single back off the shin of Sanchez. It marked the third time in the series that Oropesa had sent a comebacker that struck the pitcher. He recorded hits on all three occasions.
Lujan aided his own cause when he lined a double to left field with one out in the fourth. An out later, Javier Herrera belted his first home run of the season to left-center field. The two-run shot gave the Squrirels a 4-2 lead.
Both starting pitchers worked six innings. Lujan allowed just the two earned runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out five. Sanchez permitted four earned runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out four. Each hurler conceded a two-run home run. Sanchez (1-1) took the loss, while Lujan (1-2) earned his first Double-A win.
Right-hander Jose Casilla handled the Curve in order in the seventh inning. Righty Joan Gregorio did likewise in the eighth. Lefty Josh Osich then came on for the ninth. He had little trouble nailing down the win, earning his third save of the season.
The Squirrels return home to open a three-game series with the Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles) at The Diamond on Friday night. The opener is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. as Richmond RHP Joe Biagini (0-2, 2.45) will make the start against Bowie RHP Parker Bridwell (1-0, 5.32). 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
