The Richmond Flying Squirrels surrendered four late runs to the Portland Sea Dogs, falling, 5-2, on Tuesday at Hadlock Field.
Richmond (19-36) struck first with a run in the top of the second. Following a one-out double by Zach Houchins, Gio Brusa singled up the middle off shortstop Deiner Lopez’s glove to give the Flying Squirrels a 1-0 lead against right-hander Konner Wade.
Houchins went 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored. It was the third time in his last four games he tallied multiple hits.
Left-hander Conner Menez (Loss, 3-3) faced the minimum over his first three innings against Portland (20-34), retiring eight of the nine batters he faced and finishing the third with a pickoff.
The Sea Dogs loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth on two walks and a single. The next batter, Joey Curletta, hit a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game. Menez retired the next two batters to end the threat.
The Flying Squirrels pulled back in front in the next half inning. First, Brusa doubled to right to lead off the frame and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Hamlet Marte. Next, Johneshwy Fargas singled up the middle to bring Brusa home and give Richmond a 2-1 lead.
Portland leveled the game a two in the sixth when Curletta lifted a two out, opposite field, solo home run off of Menez to knot the score.
The Sea Dogs took the lead in the seventh. After Menez walked Tate Matheny and hit Luke Tendler to start the inning, he gave way to right-hander Raffi Vizcaino. Then, following a sacrifice bunt, Jerry Downs hit a sacrifice fly to center field to put Portland up 3-2.
Portland added extended its lead to 5-2 in the eighth when Vizcaino walked three consecutive batters before allowing a two-run single to Matheny.
Right-hander Kevin Lenick (Win, 1-0) kept the Flying Squirrels tossed two scoreless innings in relief of Wade before handing the ball to right-hander Durbin Feltman (Save, 2).
The Flying Squirrels loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Feltman to put the potential tying run at first base and the potential go-ahead run at the plate, but Feltman struck out Jacob Heyward and induced a groundout from Will Maddox to end the game.
The Flying Squirrels continue their road trip and begin a series against the Portland Sea Dogs on Tuesday at Hadlock Field, when right-hander Alfred Gutierrez (2-2, 4.57 ERA) is scheduled to face right-hander Denyi Reyes (1-6, 4.25 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., and coverage begins with the Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup at 5:30 on Sports Radio 910 the Fan and 105.1 FM.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2019 Eastern League All-Star Week presented by Genworth. The All-Star Week festivities begin on Sunday, July 7 with Mayor Levar Stoney’s All-Star Week Kickoff on Brown’s Island, followed by the All-Star Country Music Jam on Monday, July 8, headlined by Big & Rich with special guests Cowboy Troy and DJ Sinister at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! at Richmond Raceway. The Celebrity Home Run Derby is Tuesday, July 9 and the festivities wrap up with the 2019 Eastern League All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 10.
For tickets or more information, call 804-359-3866 (FUNN), visit SquirrelsBaseball.com/Tickets or stop by the Flying Squirrels box office.
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