Gio Brusa hit his third home run of the season, but the Richmond Flying Squirrels dropped the series finale, 5-2, to the Akron RubberDucks on Monday afternoon at Canal Park.
With the loss, the Flying Squirrels (17-29) split the four-game series against Akron (24-25) at Canal Park.
Richmond struck first, plating the game’s first run in the top of the second inning against right-hander Eli Morgan (Win, 2-0). After Brusa singled to lead off the inning and moved to second on a walk from Zach Houchins, Will Maddox laced an RBI single to right to give the Flying Squirrels a 1-0 lead.
The RubberDucks tied the game in the third. Left-hander Garrett Williams (Loss, 1-5) struck out Tyler Naquin – appearing with Akron as part of a Major League rehab assignment – to start the inning, but then walked Nellie Rodriguez. After Rodriguez reached third base on a wild pitch, Wilson Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to bring him in.
Garcia drove in two more runs in the fifth, connecting on a two-out, two-run homer to lift Akron to a 3-1 lead.
The Flying Squirrels bounced back to make it 3-2 in the sixth when Brusa smacked his third home run of the season, a solo shot to right. Brusa finished the game 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored and has now recorded at least one hit in 10 of his last 11 starts with Richmond.
The RubberDucks extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, right-hander Connor Overton walked Tyler Friis to force in a run. Later in the inning, a wild pitch brought in Tyler Krieger to increase Akron’s lead to 5-2.
Relievers David Speer and Kyle Nelson (Save, 1) held Richmond scoreless over the final three innings to secure the win.
The Flying Squirrels return to The Diamond on Tuesday to begin a three-game series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Right-hander Brandon Lawson (1-1, 4.56 ERA) is slated to face right-hander Harol Gonzalez (3-1, 3.41 ERA) in Tuesday’s series opener. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and coverage begins with the Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup at 6:05 on Sports Radio 910 the Fan and 105.1 FM.
In observance of an extended Memorial Day holiday, the first 1,500 fans 15 and older at The Diamond on Tuesday will receive a 10th season camo T-shirt presented by Virginia Birth Father Registry (adult sizes S-3XL, while supplies last). Gates open at 5:30 PM.
On Wednesday, the first 1,000 fans 15 and older will receive a bobblehead of revolutionary war figure and Virginia’s first governor Patrick Henry, who is best known for his famed “liberty or death” speech at St. John’s Church, presented by Bojangles’. Gates open at 5:30 PM.
The series against Binghamton and the homestand concludes on Thursday, when David “The Bullet” Smith Jr., better known as the Human Cannonball, returns to Funnville to launch himself out of a cannon and ignite a postgame In-Your-Face fireworks show as part of the 10 memorable past promotions series. Gates open at 5:30 PM.
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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