The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (32-41) comeback fell short 5-3 Tuesday night at Frontier Field against the Rochester Red Wings (30-41). Adonis Medina (3-5, 5.73 ERA) started for Lehigh Valley versus Tyler Eppler (1-7, 7.71 ERA) for Rochester.
Adonis Medina (2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 SO) only pitched two innings before being replaced by Mark Appel. The game was scoreless in the first three innings.
In the bottom of the fourth inning with a runner on second base. Red Wings right fielder Daniel Palka hit a two-run home run over the right field wall for a 2-0 lead. Two batters later, Red Wings catcher Jakson Reetz doubled to left field, scoring a run for a 3-0 lead.
The Red Wings added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning when right fielder Daniel Palka grounded out to second base that brought home another run, 4-0.
Then, the IronPigs started to make a comeback at the top of the seventh inning. IronPigs left fielder Matt Vierling’s RBI single to center field with runners on the corners cut the Red Wings lead 4-1. Both second baseman Daniel Brito and first baseman Darick Hall followed with back-to-back RBI singles that made it a one-run game 4-3.
Rochester would get an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a solo home run by right field Daniel Palka for a 5-3 lead. It was Palka’s fourth RBI of the game and twelfth home run of the season.
At the top of the ninth inning, the Red Wings brought in Gabe Klobosits to close the game. Klobosits only allowed one hit and struck out three that ended the game, and Lehigh Valley’s four-game win streak was snapped 5-3.
Rochester starting pitcher Tyler Eppler (6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) earned his second win of the season. The loss went to IronPigs pitcher Mark Appel (3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO), and Gabe Klobosits earned his third save of the year.
Game two of the six-game series continues today at 7:05 pm with David Parkinson (0-7, 6.63 ERA) starting for Lehigh Valley against Rochester’s Ben Braymer (2-6, 6.75 ERA).
