The Richmond Flying Squirrels (5-17) bounced back after losing a six-run lead to drop the Altoona Curve, 10-7, on Tuesday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Richmond has won two straight after snapping their record losing-skid on Monday. They will now have two opportunities to claim their first series win of the season.
Kelby Tomlinson sparked the Squirrels immediately, leading off the ballgame with a single to centerfield off of right-hander Chad Kuhl. He then promptly swiped second base. With one out, Mac Williamson sent a hard-ground ball to second base. Max Moroff couldn’t handle it, and Tomlinson came across on the error for a 1-0 lead. Ricky Oropesa then made it 2-0 when he lined an opposite-field double to the left-field corner to score Williamson.
Richmond was back at it in the third as another Curve error opened the door wide. Williamson laced the first pitch of the inning into right field for a single. Mitch Delfino then sent what should have been a tailor-made double-play ball to shortstop Gift Ngoepe. Ngoepe misplayed it, and both runners were safe. Oropesa then cracked a single back off the foot of Kuhl that deflected into left field. Williamson scored for a 3-0 lead. Kuhl got the first out, but then walked Daniel Carbonell to load the bases. Jackson Williams then lined a single to centerfield that plated two runs. Chris Stratton knocked in a fourth run in the inning with a groundout, and the Squirrels led 6-0.
Meanwhile, Stratton retired the first six batters that he faced. However, he ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. Ngoepe started the Curve uprising with a single to right-center field. Ngoepe moved to second on a groundout and scored when Keon Broxton singled to centerfield. Moroff then shoved a double into the left-center field corner. Broxton came around to score. Josh Bell then drew a walk and Willy Garcia capped the three-run inning with a single to left field that scored Moroff.
The Curve pulled within two runs with a run in the fifth. Stratton walked Broxton to start the inning. Moroff singled behind him and the pair moved up on a groundout. Willy Garcia then drove a deep fly ball to right field. Williamson made the defensive play of the game, streaking back to make the catch on the warning-track. It turned into a double-play, but Broxton scored from third first, and the score was 6-4.
Stratton retired for the night after five innings. He was charged with four earned runs on six hits. He walked two, struck out two and did not factor in the decision.
Kuhl lasted six innings. He allowed six runs, three earned, on eight hits. He walked two, struck out one and did not register a decision.
Richmond tacked on an unearned run in the seventh when Myles Schroder sent a sacrifice-fly to right field that scored Williamson. Williamson had reached on an error.
The Curve tied the ballgame with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Right-hander Tyler Mizenko started the inning on the mound and allowed Ngoepe an infield-single to start the frame. He then walked Eric Wood and was lifted in favor of righty Pedro Rodriguez. Rodriguez immediately walked Broxton to load the bases. Moroff supplied a sacrifice-fly to deep centerfield. A second run scored on a wild-pitch and Garcia tied the game, 7-7, with an infield-single.
Unfazed, the Squirrels responded with three runs to seal the win in the top of the eighth inning. Lefty Jeremy Bleich entered and was erratic. He issued back-to-back walks to Williams and Rando Moreno to start his own trouble. An out later, Javier Herrera shot an RBI single back through the middle. Williamson then punctuated the inning with a two-run double off the right-field wall. Bleich (0-1) took the loss for the Curve.
Rodriguez (2-1) did earn the win despite his troubles. Lefty Josh Osich worked the final two innings for his second save of the year. He struck out three in the process.
Game three of the four-game series is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Richmond LHP Jack Snodgrass (1-3, 6.16) will make the start against Altoona RHP Tyler Glasnow (2-0, 0.79). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.
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