Richmond Flying Squirrels (21-17) Vs. Somerset Patriots (24-13) RHP Sean Hjelle (3-1, 3.51) Vs
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Richmond Flying Squirrels | 3001 N Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond, VA 23230 | 804-359-3866 | SquirrelsBaseball.com | @GoSquirrels Richmond Flying Squirrels (21-17) vs. Somerset Patriots (24-13) RHP Sean Hjelle (3-1, 3.51) vs. LHP Ken Waldichuk (AA Debut) Thursday, June 17, 2021 | Game #39 | Road Game #15 7:05 p.m. | TD Bank Ballpark | Bridgewater, N.J. Radio: Sports Radio 910 The Fan & 105.1 FM | TV: MiLB.TV UPCOMING GAMES & PROBABLE PITCHERS Fri., June 18 at Somerset 7:05 p.m. RHP Trenton Toplikar (1-1, 3.18) vs. RHP Janson Junk (1-1, 0.93) Sat., June 19 at Somerset 7:05 p.m. TBD vs. RHP Hayden Wesneski (AA Debut) Sun., June 20 at Somerset 1:05 p.m. LHP Michael Plassmeyer (2-2, 4.89) vs. RHP Glenn Otto (3-0, 1.35) Mon., June 21 OFF DAY YESTERDAY: The Flying Squirrels dropped their third straight game with a 7-5 loss in 11 innings to the Somerset Patriots. Danny Sands ended the game with a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th. Somerset opened a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 2021 FLYING SQUIRRELS fourth inning with RBIs by Diego Castillo, Sands and Dermis Garcia. Richmond broke the shutout in the fifth inning with an RBI Overall Record ................................21-17 double by Andy Sugilio. In the top of the sixth, Frankie Tostado drove a two-run single to tie the game at 3-3. Bruce Maxwell First Half ............................................21-17 put the Flying Squirrels ahead, 4-3, in the top of the seventh with an RBI single. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Isiah Gilliam tied the game with an RBI single to force extras. Richmond moved back in front with an RBI single by David Villar in the Home ...................................................13-11 top of the 10th inning, but Somerset’s Max Burt drove an RBI double to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. After Somerset Road ..................................................... 8-6 pitcher Zach Greene held Richmond off the scoreboard in the top of the 11th, Sands ended the game with his walk-off blast. Richmond starter Caleb Kilian worked 7.0 innings and allowed career highs in hits (6) and runs (3) with a Double-A career-best Place (AA-NE Southwest) .......5th/-6.0 10 strikeouts. Streak ..................................................... L3 Last 5 ..................................................... 1-5 TODAY’S GAME: The Flying Squirrels play the third of a six-game series against the Somerset Patriots, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees at TD Bank Ballpark. The game is the first for the Flying Squirrels against the Patriots, who are in their first Last 10 .................................................. 5-5 season as an affiliated team. This is Richmond’s only trip to Somerset this season. The Flying Squirrels will host the Patriots for a six-game series at The Diamond from July 13-18. This series features the top-two teams in the league in ERA on the season so far. HOME ATTENDANCE INFO 2021 Home Attendance ............... 84,483 THE FLYING SQUIRRELS have lost three of the last four games after winning five of the previous six. They are in fifth place Home Openings ..................................22 in the six-team Double-A Northeast Southwest Division, 6.0 games behind first-place Bowie. For the season, the Richmond offense is ranked eighth in the league with a .234 batting average. The pitching staff is ranked second in the league with a 3.52 Average Attendance ...................3,840 ERA for the season. THE PATRIOTS have lost five of their last eight games and sit in first place in the Double-A Northeast Northeast Division, 2.5 games ahead of Portland. The Somerset offense is ranked seventh in the Double-A Northeast with a .244 batting average. The RICHMOND vs. SOMERSET Patriots’ pitching staff is leading the league with a 3.04 ERA. The Patriots are in their first season as an affiliated team after 2021 vs. Somerset ........................... 0-2 picking up the Yankees affiliation during Major League Baseball’s restructuring of the minor leagues this pas offseason. The at Richmond .................................. 0-0 Yankees’ Double-A affiliation was previously with the Trenton Thunder from 2003-2020. The Patriots were a founding member of the independent Atlantic League in 1998 and went on to win five league titles (2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2015). at Somerset.................................... 0-2 Somerset’s roster includes five of MLB.com’s top-30 Yankees prospects, including SS Oswald Peraza (4), RHP Luis Medina (7), All-Time vs. Somerset ..................... 0-2 LHP Ken Waldichuk (27), RHP Glenn Otto (28) and RHP Hayden Wesneski (30). at Richmond .................................. 0-0 FOR RICHMOND: Right-hander Sean Hjelle makes his eighth start of the 2021 season and his first against Somerset. Last time at Somerset.................................... 0-2 out on Friday, Hjelle picked up his first loss of the season after allowing four runs over 5.0 innings against Harrisburg. In 2019, Hjelle climbed three levels in the Giants’ system. He began the year with Single-A Augusta for nine starts, made 14 starts with A-Adv. San Jose and joined the Flying Squirrels for five starts at the end of the year. Hjelle finished the year ranked fourth in ON THE ROAD TRIP the Giants organization in strikeouts (139) and fifth in ERA (3.32). He enters the 2021 season rated by Baseball America as the Giants’ No. 13 prospect. Hjelle was drafted in the second round in 2018 out of the University of Kentucky. For more on Hjelle, Games ...................................................... 2 see page two. Record .................................................. 0-2 FOR SOMERSET: Left-hander Ken Waldichuk makes his Double-A debut after being promoted from High-A Hudson Valley ear- lier this week. With the Renegades, he made seven starts and did not allow a run across 30.2 innings of work with 55 strikeouts. Batters He led the High-A East with a 0.00 ERA, ranked second with 55 strikeouts, first with a .120 opponents’ batting average and third Batting Average .................. .192 (14/73) with a 0.82 WHIP. Waldichuk was drafted in the fifth round by the Yankees in 2019 out of St. Mary’s, where he was a two-year starter. He spent the 2019 season with rookie-level Pulaski, going 0-2 with a 3.68 ERA in 10 starts, striking out 49 batters in 29.1 RISP ......................................... .179 (5/28) innings on the mound. Waldichuk is ranked by MLB.com as the Yankees’ No. 27 prospect. Runs/Runs Per Game ....................6/3.0 TOASTY: Over his last seven games since June 6, Frankie Tostado is batting .370 (10-for-27) with one homer and seven RBIs. Home Runs .............................................. 1 He is now tied with David Villar for the team RBI lead this season with 17. He also leads all qualified Richmond batters with a .275 batting average this year. Pitchers FABULOUS FABIAN: Over his last 11 games since June 1, Sando Fabian is batting .438 (14-for-32) with one homer, five doubles ERA ............................. 7.36 (15 ER/18.1 IP) and nine RBIs while scoring four runs. On Saturday night, Fabian drove a two-run double to put Richmond ahead in the seventh Starter W/L ........................................... 0-1 inning. Fabian hit .184 through his first 18 games of the season, but his performance since June 1 has raised his season average to .284. Starter ERA ................ 7.71 (10 ER/11.2 IP) Reliever W/L ......................................... 0-1 TORRES ON A TEAR: In his last eight games since June 1, Bryan Torres is batting .438 (7-for-18) with one double and two RBIs. He has seen time defensively this season at catcher, second base and third base. Torres is in his first Double-A season. Prior to Reliever ERA .............. 7.94 (5 ER/6.2 IP) 2021, he had not played higher than the rookie level. Saves/Opps ........................................ 0/2 MO’ TIME: Over his last seven games since June 5, Kyle Mottice is batting .280 (7-for-25) with a double and three RBIs. On the THIS DATE IN HISTORY season, he is batting .353 (12-for-34) against left-handed pitchers compared to .203 (12-for-59) against right-handers. He has hit the ball to the opposite field on 46.3 percent of his balls put in play, which is the second-highest rate in the Double-A Northeast, In 2012, the Flying Squirrels beat the trailing Erie’s John Valente (46.7 percent). Portland Sea Dogs, 5-4, in 10 innings. BREAKING OUT: After going 0-for-14 over his previous four games, David Villar collected three hits on Wednesday night at After falling behind, 4-3, in the top of Somerset, which tied a season high. He also picked up his 17th RBI of the season, which is tied with Frankie Tostado for the the 10th, Russ Mitchell drove a two-out most on the team this year. single to tie the score in the bottom of AMAYA REBOUNDS: After surrendering five runs (four earned) in his first two Double-A appearances on May 4 and May 8 (G2), the inning. Juan Perez following with reliever Luis Amaya has worked nine straight appearances without allowing an earned run. That stretch spans 10.2 innings of a game-winning, walk-off single for a work. The span has lowered his season ERA from 15.43 through the first two outings to 2.77. He has not allowed a run in his last seven outings, covering 9.0 straight scoreless innings. 5-4 victory. STRONG START: The Flying Squirrels’ 21-17 record is tied the second-best start in team history through 38 games, even with the 2018 season and trailing only the team’s 22-16 mark in the franchise’s inaugural season in 2010.