The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (28-40) lost their second straight game Thursday night 7-5 versus the Worcester Red Sox (37-29). David Parkinson (0-6, 6.71 ERA) started for Lehigh Valley against Matthew Kent (0-0, 7.36 ERA) of Worcester.
Hours before game time, the Phillies made a couple of moves. First, Odubel Herrera was reinstated to the Phillies roster, and Nick Maton returned to the IronPigs. Second, Alec Bohn made a rehab start at third base for Lehigh Valley.
Worcester got on the board at the top of the first inning when designated hitter Connor Wong singled to right field that brought home a run 1-0. Then, Red Sox catcher Chris Herrmann reached first base by a fielding error from pitcher David Parkinson, scoring another run 2-0.
Red Sox second baseman Yairo Munoz drove home another run at the top of the second inning to make it 3-0. In the bottom of the second inning, with the bases loaded, IronPigs left fielder Charlie Tilson doubled to left field, bringing home two runs that cut the Red Sox lead to 3-2.
At the top of the fourth inning, with a runner on third, a sacrifice fly by Red Sox left fielder Michael Gettys got one of the runs back 4-2. Then at the top of the fifth inning, Red Sox catcher Chris Herrmann hit a solo home run over the right field wall to get the other run back 5-2. It was Herrmann’s second RBI of the night.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with a runner on third, IronPigs second baseman Daniel Brito hit a two-run home run out towards right field that cut the Red Sox’s lead to 5-4. Brito hit six home runs and twenty-two RBIs in Reading before the call-up.
At the top of the seventh inning, a sacrifice fly by Red Sox catcher Chris Herrmann brought home a run 6-4. Herrmann now had three RBIs on the night. Lehigh Valley stayed with the Red Sox to keep it a one-run game after IronPigs shortstop Dalton Guthrie reached on a fielders choice that brought home a run 6-5. However, that was as close as the IronPigs got to the Red Sox.
The Red Sox got an insurance run after second baseman Yairo Munoz’s solo home run out towards left field made it 7-5 at the top of the ninth inning. It was Munoz’s fifth home run of the year. The Red Sox brought in closer Kaleb Ort in the bottom of the ninth inning. Ort’s got the three outs, and the IronPigs lost 7-5.
The win went to Red Sox starting pitcher Matthew Kent (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO), and the loss went to IronPigs starting pitcher David Parkinson (6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 7 SO). It is Parkinson’s seventh loss of the season and remains winless this year.
The IronPigs and Red Sox play game three today at 7:05 pm. On the mound for Lehigh Valley is Julian Garcia (0-3, 6.75 ERA) against former Phillies prospect Connor Seabold (0-0, 0.00 ERA), making his Red Sox debut.
