Lehigh Valley IronPigs starting pitcher Mark Appel (6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 SO) put on a stellar performance Wednesday night in a 9-3 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. It was Appel’s third win of the season since joining the IronPigs on June 25th.
Lehigh Valley catcher Rafael Marchan got things started at the top of the third inning with a ground-rule double to right-center field that brought home two runs for a 2-0 lead. Then, IronPigs left fielder Matt Vierling’s three-run home run out to left field made it 5-0.
A sacrifice fly by IronPigs catcher Rafael Marchan made it 6-0 at the top of the fourth inning. Then with a runner on third base, IronPigs right fielder Jorge Bonifacio hit a two-run home run, hitting the Hyundai sign out in left field for an 8-0 lead.
At the top of the seventh inning, with runners on the corners, IronPigs second baseman T.J. Rivera singled to center field, adding another run 9-0.
The RailRiders ended the shutout in the bottom of the seventh inning on a solo home run by first baseman Armando Alvarez who made it 9-1.
Jeff Singer came in to pitch for the IronPigs in the bottom of the ninth inning. After walking RailRiders designated hitter Brandon Walker with one out, Singer gave up a two-run home run to RailRiders third baseman Max Burt that cut the IronPigs lead to 9-3. Singer then got the last two outs as the IronPigs defeated the RailRiders 9-3.
This is the third time in five games that Lehigh Valley have either won or lost by the final score of 9-3. Lehigh Valley are now 39-44 on the season in fourth place, twelve games behind the division-leading Buffalo Bisons.
The win went to IronPigs pitcher Mark Appel, and the loss went to RailRiders starting pitcher Josh Maciejewski (4.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 2 HR).
Game three of the six-game series continues today at 7:05 pm. On the mound for Lehigh Valley is David Parkinson (1-7, 6.29 ERA) versus Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s Brian Keller (0-1, 3.12 ERA).
