The Diamond, Sec 104 Row G
Richmond just recently lost the AAA Braves to Gwinnet, Georgia. The Braves floundered in Richmond for years with no attempts to market the product or keep up with the minor league entertainment game.
The stadium was outdated so they entered into negotiations with the city. The city council and mayor at the time, Douglas Wilder, were not really equipped for the job. Negotiations broke off so the Braves fled.
Enter 2 season later the Flying Squirrels. A relocation from Connecticut. New owners, new blood, new vision, new attitude.
What the Braves couldn't do for over a decade, win over customers, the Squirrels figured out before the first pitch was thrown.
The Richmond Flying Squirrels couldn't hold an early lead and endured their fifth consecutive defeat, 4-3, at the hands of the Harrisburg Senators in front of 6,444 on Thursday night at The Diamond. The Senators waited through a 40-minute rain-delay at the outset of the ballgame to complete a three-game sweep of the Squirrels.
The Squirrels opened the scoring in the first inning against Harrisburg right-hander Brad Meyers. Meyers started his night with a walk to Darren Ford. Brandon Crawford followed and moved Ford around to third with a single on the hit-and-run through the left-side of the infield. Conor Gillaspie gave the Squirrels the early lead with a fielder's choice grounder that forced Crawford.
Harrisburg quickly leveled the ballgame with a run against Squirrels' right-hander David Mixon in the second inning. For the third consecutive ballgame, Chris Marrero doubled to start the second frame. He scored to tie the game when Michael Martinez doubled down the right-field line a batter later.
Meyers again got Richmond started in the bottom of the second as he walked the lead-off batter, Clay Timpner. Michael Ambort singled behind him and Tyler La Torre recorded an infield-single to load the bases with nobody out. Ryan Lormand sent a come-backer to the mound that Meyers handled easily but threw wildly to the plate, allowing Timpner to score. Darren Ford brought home Ambort a batter later with a soft-liner that was played into a fielder's choice and Richmond enjoyed a 3-1 advantage.
Meyers' pitch-count ballooned in the second inning, and he was removed following the frame. He was charged with three runs - one earned - on three hits. He walked two and struck out two.
Mixon cruised trouble-free from the second to the sixth, but ran into trouble there. Marrero again sparked the uprising, singling with one out in the inning. Edgardo Baez followed with a single to put two aboard for Martinez. He drilled a three-run home run to right field to turn the game around and hand Harrisburg the lead, 4-3.
Mixon (5-3) lasted six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. Martinez's home run doomed him to his third loss of the season.
Of the six hurlers that Harrisburg used on the night, it was left-hander Chuck James (2-0) that earned the win. He was sensational for four innings, allowing no runs and just one hit. Zech Zinocola worked a scoreless ninth inning for his fourth save of the season. (courtesy: oursportscentral.com)
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