Right-hander Taylor Jordan and the Harrisburg Senators (35-31) blew past the Richmond Flying Squirrels (34-30), 9-0, on Thursday night at Metro Bank Park. Jordan turned in a complete-game shutout, and also scored runs as Harrisburg pulled into a first-place tie by sweeping the Squirrels in a the three-game series. The Squirrels mustered just one unearned run over the course of the series – the second time they have swept this year.
Jordan (5-0) was magnificent through the longest outing of his career. He limited the Squirrels to just five hits – all singles – while his 11 strikeouts established a new career-high. He held the Squirrels without a hit into the sixth inning, at one point retiring 15 straight Richmond batters. He stayed perfect in the Eastern League, earning his fifth win. In the win he also collected his first two professional hits and RBI and scored three times.
After two scoreless innings, the Senators broke through against Richmond righty Taylor Rogers in the third. Rogers committed the cardinal-sin, issuing a lead-off walk to the pitcher, Jordan. Brian Goodwin followed and laid down a bunt. Catcher Andrew Susac threw to second base and didn’t get Jordan. The fielder’s choice put two aboard with nobody out. Rogers got the first two outs of the inning, but Justin Bloxom sent a base hit into right field. Javier Herrera tried to play the ball on the fly and wound up playing it into a two-run triple. Harrisburg took a 2-0 lead.
The Senators doubled that lead with a two-out uprising in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sean Nicol sparked the Sens with a single through the right side of the infield. Jordan followed the same route for his first professional hit to put two aboard. Brian Goodwin then cracked a high-arching two-run triple to left-center field for a 4-0 advantage.
The rest of the wheels fell of the apple cart for the Squirrels in the fifth inning as the Senators iced the ballgame with five runs – all scored with two outs. Rogers was charged with the first two runs and departed after an RBI single from Destin Hood made it 5-0. Right-hander Jose Valdez came on and couldn’t get the final out of the inning either. He surrendered an RBI double to Jose Lozada and an RBI single to Jordan that made it 7-0. An error on third baseman Adam Duvall completed the damage, as two more runs came in for a 9-0 lead.
Rogers (4-3) was charged with six earned runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings and took the loss. He walked three and struck out five in his third setback of the season. Valdez was charged with three runs – one earned. Right-handers Drew Bowlin and Scott Shuman combined for three scoreless innings of relief, but the dye had certainly been cast at that point in the ballgame.
The Squirrels return to The Diamond to open a three-game series with the Reading Fightins (Philadelphia Phillies) on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Richmond LHP Chris Gloor (5-1, 3.98) will make the start against Reading LHP Jesse Biddle (3-6, 3.03). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warm Up begins at 6:30 p.m. on Sports Radio 910, SportsRadio910.com and IHeart Radio.
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Chris Graham
