The Richmond Flying Squirrels (33-25) roughed up the Reading Fightin Phils (30-28), 12-2, in the opener of a four-game series on Friday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. Richmond won for the ninth time in their last 10 ballgames and stands a high-water mark of eight games over .500.
The Squirrels got to Reading lefty Jesse Biddle quickly. Kelby Tomlinson got Richmond started with a one-out single in the first inning. Matt Duffy followed and pushed a single into right field. Mario Lisson then lifted a three-run home run to left field. His eighth of the season put the Squirrels in front, 3-0.
Reading got one of the runs back in the bottom of the first inning off of Richmond right-hander Austin Fleet. With one out, Carlos Alonso slipped a solo-home run just over the left-field wall. His sixth of the year cut the Squirrels’ lead to 3-1.
Richmond erupted to take control of the game and chase Biddle in the third. Tyler Graham opened the frame with a double to left-center field. Tomlinson followed and delivered his second single of the night to put runners on the corners. Tomlinson then stole his 25th base of the season, taking second. Duffy lined a sacrifice-fly into right field, plating Graham and moving Tomlinson to third. He scored from there for a 5-1 lead on a wild-pitch from Biddle. Biddle then walked Lisson and Angel Villalona made it 7-1 with a massive two-run home run to right field. Biddle then grazed jarrett parker with a pitch and walked Devin Harris on four pitches before being lifted.
Biddle (3-6) worked just 2 1/3 innings. He was tagged for a season-high seven earned runs on six hits. He walked two, hit another and struck out two as he endured his sixth defeat of the year.
Fleet worked without further incident into the fifth inning. He hit a snag there, conceding a second run on an RBI single from Aaron Alther and departed one out shy of being eligible for the victory. He worked 4 2/3 innings, permitting two earned runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out five.
The win instead was awarded to right-hander Jose Casilla (2-0). Casilla followed Fleet and worked a scoreless 3 1/3 innings. He allowed just one hit and walked one, facing just one over the minimum in his time on the hill.
The Squirrels put the game on ice in the seventh inning, sending eight more batters and scoring four more runs against Reading righty Mike Nesseth. Duffy and Lisson sparked the inning with back-to-back singles before Villalona knocked in his third run of the night with a single. Later in the frame, Myles Schroder singled through the middle to bring in a second run. Casilla then notched his first professional hit – an infield single – to score another run. The final run of the inning scored on a throwing error from Alonso and Richmond had an 11-2 lead.
An additional run scored for Richmond in the ninth inning without the benefit of a hit as lefty Austin Wright walked four batters to make it 12-2. Right-hander Cody Hall polished off the ballgame for the Squirrels, working a scoreless ninth inning.
Game two of the four-game series is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Saturday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. Richmond RHP Kyle Crick (3-1, 3.71) will make the start against Reading RHP Severino Gonzalez (4-6, 5.19). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup begins at 6:05 p.m. on Sports Radio 910 and SportsRadio910.com.
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