On Sunday afternoon at Frontier Field, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (23-19) finished their six-game road trip against the Rochester Red Wings (26-16).
Ricardo Sanchez (0-1, 6.53 ERA) was on the mound for the IronPigs looking for his first win of the season, while the Red Wings started Cade Cavalli (1-3, 7.62 ERA).
In the bottom of the third inning, the Red Wings struck first. Red Wings’ center fielder Cole Freeman was up at-bat with runners on the corners and no outs. The IronPigs were set up to try and turn a double play in exchange for a run.
The IronPigs got their wish. Freeman grounded to IronPigs’ second baseman Scott Kingery, who tossed the ball over to Nick Maton for an out at second base, then he threw the ball over to Darick Hall for an out at first base while a run scored for a 1-0 Red Wings lead.
Moving ahead to the top of the fifth inning, the IronPigs tied the game. IronPigs’ second baseman Scott Kingery was up at-bat with runners on the corners. He hit a sacrifice fly out to left field, scoring a run that tied the game 1-1.
Meanwhile, IronPigs’ starter Ricardo Sanchez pitched a good game. He went seven innings, allowing four hits, one run, one walk, and four strikeouts.
At the top of the eighth inning, the IronPigs took the lead. The IronPigs had runners on the corners when Red Wings’ relief pitcher Reed Garrett threw a wild pitch over Taylor Gushue’s glove. Both runners advanced, and the IronPigs took a 2-1 lead.
Then, IronPigs’ first baseman Darick Hall singled on a soft ground ball to center field, adding another run, 3-1. IronPigs’ third baseman Yairo Munoz was up at-bat. First, Darick Hall stole second base, then Munoz singled on a line drive to center field, scoring Hall for a 4-1 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Mark Appel replaced Ricardo Sanchez. Appel got into trouble. He gave up a single to Red Wings’ third baseman Adrian Sanchez, followed by a passed ball on catcher Austin Wynns, moving Sanchez to second base.
Appel was having trouble with his command for the ball. He threw a wild pitch with one out, moving Sanchez to third base. Finally, he got Red Wings’ first baseman Jake Noll to ground out to IronPigs’ second baseman Scott Kingery for the second out, but not before a run scored, cutting the IronPigs lead in half 4-2. That would be it for Appel as Jonathan Hennigan came in for him and got the last out to end the eighth inning.
Hennigan walked Red Wings’ second baseman Lucius Fox in the bottom of the ninth inning. The IronPigs brought in Nick Duron, and he got the last two outs as the IronPigs beat the Red Wings 4-2, taking the series four games to two.
The win went to IronPigs’ starter Ricardo Sanchez, his first win of the season, while the loss went to Red Wings’ relief pitcher Reed Garrett (0.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 0 SO).
The IronPigs return to Coca-Cola Park to begin a six-game homestand against the Worcester Red Sox starting Tuesday at 7:05 pm. Tickets for the game can be purchased thanks to our friends at StubHub.
