Richmond Flying Squirrels | 3001 N Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond, VA 23230 | 804-359-3866 | SquirrelsBaseball.com | @GoSquirrels Altoona Curve (18-10) vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels (16-13) RHP Jeff Passantino (0-1, 3.00) vs. RHP Gerson Garabito (0-2, 5.49) Sunday, June 6, 2021 | Game #30 | Home Game #18 1:05 p.m. | The Diamond | Richmond, Va. Radio: Sports Radio 910 The Fan & 105.1 FM | TV: MiLB.TV UPCOMING GAMES & PROBABLE PITCHERS Mon., June 7 OFF DAY Tues., June 8 Harrisburg 6:35 p.m. RHP Mario Sanchez (1-3, 4.26) vs. RHP Trenton Toplikar (0-1, 4.70) Wed., June 9 Harrisburg 6:35 p.m. LHP Carlos Teel (1-2, 3.55) vs. RHP Caleb Kilian (3-0, 1.76) Thurs., June 10 Harrisburg 6:35 p.m. RHP Andrew Lee (0-1, 0.71) vs. RHP Sean Hjelle (3-0, 3.49) YESTERDAY: The Flying Squirrels suffered their most lopsided loss of the 2021 season, falling 11-2 to the Altoona Curve.Phil Pfeifer started for Richmond and navigated through 2.2 scoreless innings before surrendering a two-run homer to Rodolfo Cas- 2021 FLYING SQUIRRELS tro in the top of the third. Daniel Amaral clubbed a solo homer and Ji-Hwan Bae added a two-run single to open a 5-0 lead in Overall Record ................................16-13 the fourth. After a run in the fifth, Altoona scored three runs in the sixth to pull away, 9-0. Richmond broke into the scoring in the First Half ............................................16-13 sixth when Sandro Fabian reached on an error and Shane Matheny came in to score. Castro added a second two-run home run in the seventh inning to push the Curve’s lead to 11-1. Fabian scored a second run after an error in the bottom of the ninth. On the Home .....................................................8-7 night, Fabian had three hits and scored a run. Andy Sugilio went 2-for-4. Pfeifer allowed five runs (four earned) over 3.1 innings. Road ......................................................8-4 Place (AA-NE Southwest) .......5th/-6.0 TODAY’S GAME: The Flying Squirrels play the finale of a six-game series against the Altoona Curve, Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, at The Diamond. This series marks the only trip to Richmond this season for the Curve. The Flying Squirrels Streak ......................................................L1 play six games at Altoona’s Peoples Natural Gas Field from August 24-29. Last 5 ......................................................1-4 Last 10 .................................................. 5-5 THE FLYING SQUIRRELS have lost four of their last five games. They are in fifth place 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 .237 batting average. The pitching staff is ranked fifth in the league with a 3.59 ERA for the season. HOME ATTENDANCE INFO THE CURVE have won seven of the last ten games and four of five in this series. They are currently tied for third place in the 2021 Home Attendance ................55,910 Double-A Northeast, 3.5 games behind first-place Bowie. The Altoona offense is ranked sixth in the league with a .246 batting Home Openings ...................................16 average. The Curve pitching staff is ranked fourth in the league with a 3.58 ERA. Altoona’s roster includes six of MLB.com’s top- Average Attendance ...................3,494 30 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects, including Oneil Cruz (4), Ji-hwan Bae (14), Mason Martin (15), Cal Mitchell (18), Roansy Contreras (20) and Canaan Smith-Njigba (26). FOR RICHMOND: Right-hander Gerson Garabito makes his sixth start of the season. Last time out, he worked 5.0 innings on RICHMOND vs. ALTOONA Tuesday against Altoona and allowed one run on three hits, but was charged with a loss. He recorded a season-high six strike- 2021 vs. Altoona .................................1-4 outs in the outing. He was with the Kansas City Royals organization from 2013-2019, reaching as high as Double-A. He spent 2019 pitching in the Texas League with the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, going 6-12 with a 3.77 ERA in 26 starts. at Richmond ....................................1-4 Garabito’s performance in 2019 earned him a selection as a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star. He signed as a minor league at Altoona ....................................... 0-0 free agent with the Giants on November 20, 2020. For more on Garabito, see page two. All-Time vs. Altoona ...................90-115 FOR ALTOONA: Right-hander Jeff Passantino makes his fourth start of the season and his sixth overall appearance this year. at Richmond ............................. 50-48 Last time out, he worked 5.0 innings against Erie last Sunday and allowed three runs in a no-decision. Passantino began the at Altoona ...................................40-67 season working as a reliever for his first two outings before moving into a starting role on May 16. The 25-year-old right hander was drafted in the 40th round by the Chicago Cubs in 2017 out of Lipscomb, the 1,215th and final pick in the draft. He was se- lected by the Pirates in the minor-league phase of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. ON THE HOMESTAND ADDING IT UP: Over his last 12 games since May 23, Shane Matheny has hit .278 (10-for-36) with four doubles, a homer and Games ...................................................... 5 seven RBIs. Matheny went on a 16-game on-base streak from May 15-June 3, during which he hit .255 (12-for-47) with 13 walks. Record ....................................................1-4 For the season, Matheny is ranked tied for sixth in the league with 18 walks. FABULOUS FABIAN: In this week’s series against the Altoona Curve, Sandro Fabian is batting .538 (7-for-13). He has picked Batters up one home, one double and four RBIs and scored three runs. On Friday, he hit his third home run of the season and picked Batting Average ............... .189 (30/159) up his second two-hit game of the year. He followed on Saturday by going 3-for-4 with a run scored, a Double-A career high in hits. Fabian hit .184 through his first 18 games of the season, but this week’s performance has raised his season average to .258. RISP .......................................... .133 (4/30) Runs/Runs Per Game .................. 14/2.8 THE ‘PEN IS MIGHTY: The Flying Squirrels’ relievers have the fourth-best bullpen ERA in the Double-A Northeast at 3.07 on the Home Runs ............................................. 4 season. The bullpen is tied for the league lead with 11 saves. Patrick Ruotolo is tied for third in the Double-A Northeast with four saves and Norwith Gudino is tied for fifth with three. Pitchers RUBIO RIDING HOT: Reliever Frank Rubio entered in the ninth inning on Saturday night and struck out the only Curve batter he ERA .........................6.00 (30 ER/45.0 IP) faced on three pitches. It marked the tenth consecutive appearance for him this season without allowing an earned run. Rubio is in his third overall season with the Flying Squirrels. He appeared in one game for Richmond in 2018 and made 11 appearances Starter W/L ............................................1-3 during the 2019 season. Starter ERA .............6.23 (15 ER/21.2 IP) AMAYA REBOUNDS: After surrendering five runs (four earned) in his first two Double-A appearances on May 4 and May 8 (G2), Reliever W/L ......................................... 0-1 reliever Luis Amaya has worked seven straight appearances without allowing an earned run. That stretch spans 9.0 innings of Reliever ERA ............6.56 (17 ER/23.1 IP) work. The span has lowered his season ERA from 15.43 through the first two outings to 3.18. He has not allowed a run in his last Saves/Opps ...........................................1/1 five outings, covering 7.1 straight scoreless innings. STRONG START: The Flying Squirrels’ 16-13 record is tied for the third-best start in team history through 29 games, matching THIS DATE IN HISTORY the start of the season in 2018. It trails only an 18-11 start in the 2010 season and a 17-12 start in 2014. In 2014, the Flying Squirrels beat the Reading Fightin Phils, 12-2, at FirstEn- GETTING ON THE BOARD: Dating back to August 25, 2019, the Flying Squirrels have scored at least one run in 38 consecutive games. That streak includes all 29 games of the 2021 season. Portland had a streak of scoring in 40 straight games before ergy Stadium. Five Richmond batters being shut out in Harrisburg on Saturday. Richmond is the only team in the Double-A Northeast that have not been shut out collected two hits in the game. Mario this year. Lisson and Angel Villalona each hit a PROSPECT WATCH: The Flying Squirrels have four players included in Baseball America’s Top-30 Giants prospects: Heliot home run and picked up three RBIs. Ramos (3), Tristan Beck (12), Sean Hjelle (13) and Jose Marte (30). Ramos is also rated by Baseball America as the No. 83 over- Lisson also scored three runs on the all prospect. Four players, Ramos (3), Hjelle (11), Beck (20) and Caleb Kilian (30) are also ranked in MLB.com’s Top-30 Giants prospects. night. Jose Casilla picked up the win and tossed 3.1 scoreless, hitless in- GOING FOR GOLD: Flying Squirrels manager José Alguacil is taking an absence from his position in Richmond to manage the nings. Cody Hall tossed a scoreless Venezuelan national team for the WBSC Baseball Americas Olympic Qualifier at Clover Park in St. Lucie, Fla.