Squirrels coming off a rough week

Last week was one big missed opportunity for Richmond. They were swept by New Hampshire before taking two out of three from Portland. When the dust settled, Richmond found themselves back in third place and 1.5 games out of first place.

August 9, 2011; 4:59 PM • by Matt Sadler

Last week was one big missed opportunity for Richmond. They were swept by New Hampshire before taking two out of three from Portland. When the dust settled, Richmond found themselves back in third place and 1.5 games out of first place. This week, the Squirrels destiny is in their own hands as they have a three game set in Harrisburg before heading to Upstate New York for another three games against Binghampton. The Squirrels Need to Seize the Moment

Last week

vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Despite a solid outing by starter Justin Fitzgerald, New Hampshire was able to mount a four run lead. It took a game ending double play to squash the furious rally to beat Richmond 7-6. In Game Two, Chuck Lofgren pitched well, but New Hampshire was able to get to Richmond closer Heath Hembree and take the win 4-3. New Hampshire was able to get to Eric Surkamp early and sweep the series with a 4-2 win.

vs. Portland Sea Dogs

On Friday, Daryl Maday returned to the rotation after a few relief appearances and made the most of his opportunity as he went 6 2/3 without giving up a run in the Squirrels’ 5-0 victory. It was offense that highlighted Saturday’s game. While Richmond was able garner several runs, it was the suicide squeeze play that drew the most excitement in the 7-5 victory. Unfortunately, the sweep of Portland was unattainable as the Sea Dogs flexed their offensive muscle against the Justin Fitzgerald for the 7-2 victory.

This week

@ Harrisburg Senators

Richmond wasn’t the only team to struggle last week. Harrisburg had its own issues. Gone is the hot hitting Steve Lombardozzi and power hitter Bill Rhinehart. Bryce Harper is starting to play better, but the hottest hitter for the Senators is former William & Mary outfielder Chris Rahl–who has been hitting a nice .333 over the past 10 games. On the pitching side, starter Erik Arnesen is a bit of a hot streak. He has gone 15 innings over the past two games only giving up 2 runs over that span.

@ Binghamton Mets

The Mets are still the worst team in the league; however, they have some players that should keep things interesting. Offensively, Juan Lagares is hitting .414 since being called up to Mets 14 games ago. Righty Tobi Stoner is coming off of a strong performance in Altoona, where he allowed two hits over seven innings.

Squirrels to Watch

• Francisco Peguero– Perguero’s .333 average last week was complemented by two triples and total of nine hits last week. Peguero is just under .300 since coming to Richmond.
• Chuck Lofgren– Lofgren’s 7 1/3 inning, one ER performance was one of the few bright spots in a miserable series. Lofgren will likely start Tuesday and Sunday.

At the Diamond

Nothing this week. Six game series to start next Tuesday, though.

August 9, 2011 4:59 PM 0