The Richmond Flying Squirrels (22-23) rolled behind eight strong innings from righty Chris Stratton to a, 5-2, win over the Reading Fightin Phils (25-22) at FirstEnergy Stadium on Friday night. The win is the sixth straight for the Squirrels, who are now 19-6 following their 15-game losing skid and are just a game under .500. The victory marked the first for the Squirrels in the seventh meeting of the season with Reading.
Ricky Oropesa blasted the Squirrels to the early lead as he belted a one-out solo-home run to right field off of right-hander Ben Lively. His team-leading seventh of the season put Richmond in front, 1-0.
The Squirrels added to their lead with a pair of runs in the third. Chris Stratton aided his own cause as he sparked his own rally with a single to right-center field. Kelby Tomlinson followed and poked a double into the right-field corner to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Rando Moreno knocked in both runners as he banged a two-run double off the right-field wall and the Squirrels enjoyed a 3-0 lead.
Reading got on the board for the first time against Stratton in the bottom of the third. Rene Garcia and Gustavo Pierre started trouble with back-to-back singles to open the inning. With runners on the corners, Lively grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought home Garcia.
Richmond tacked the run back onto their lead in the fifth with a two-out uprising. Devin Harris triggered the inning with a single. Oropesa then rifled a single to center to put runners at the corners. Mitch Delfino added his second single back through the middle. Harris scored and it was 4-1 Richmond.
Lively (4-2) lasted five innings, knocked around for four earned runs on a season-high 10 hits. He walked one, struck out four and absorbed his second loss of the year.
The Squirrels added a run against right-hander Lee Ridenhour in the seventh. Harris got things started with a one-out single into left field. An out later, Delfino knocked a long single off the wall in left field to score him for a 5-1 advantage. Delfino’s RBI single was his third hit of the evening.
Stratton wasn’t tested again until the eighth inning, when he allowed the second run of the night to Reading. Brian Pointer banged a one-out double off the wall in left-center field. An out later, Stratton’s third strike to KC Serna was wild to the backstop, allowing Pointer to score.
Stratton (1-5) matched his career-long outing, finishing eight innings. He was charged with just two earned runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out five as he earned his first victory of the season.
Lefty Josh Osich worked a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 10th save of the season. Osich has converted a save in nine of his last 11 outings, and has not allowed a run in 12.2 innings.
Game two of the four-game series is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday night. Richmond LHP Jack Snodgrass (4-3, 4.30) will make the start against Reading RHP Aaron Nola (6-3, 1.87). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.
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Chris Graham
