IronPigs struggle in Charlotte

On Wednesday night at Truist Field, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs took on the Charlotte Knights in game two of the series. The game was delayed by an hour and ten minutes due to rain.

Bailey Falter (4-0, 1.53 ERA) was on the mound for the IronPigs, while the Knights started J.B. Olson (0-1, 4.73 ERA).

In the bottom of the first inning, Knights’ center fielder Mark Payton tripled on a ground ball to right field. Then, Bailey Falter stuck out Yasmani Grandal with Adam Haseley coming to the plate. Haseley drove Payton home with a sacrifice fly to center field for a 1-0 lead. Bailey Falter got Carlos Perez to ground out to retire the side.

At the top of the second inning, Knights pitcher J.B. Olson got Josh Ockimey to line out and Jorge Bonifacio to pop out for two outs. Then, Scott Kingery reached first base on a fielding error by Lenyn Sosa when the ball bounced off Sosa’s glove.

IronPigs’ third baseman Ali Castillo was up to bat. He doubled on a line drive to center field. The IronPigs cost themselves a run when the third base coach waived Kingery home as Mark Payton already threw the ball towards catcher Carlos Perez, who got Kingery out by a mile, ending the inning.

Moving ahead to the top of the fourth inning, IronPigs catcher Donny Sands singled, followed by a fly-out from Dustin Peterson. Then, IronPigs’ first baseman Josh Ockimey walked, and designated hitter Jorge Bonifacio singled that loaded the bases for Scott Kingery.

Kingery grounded to Knights’ shortstop Lenyn Sosa, who tossed the ball over to second base for the out, while Kingery reached first base. After Ali Castillo walked, that again loaded the bases for Chris Sharpe. Sharpe grounded out to shortstop Lenyn Sosa, ending the inning.

The IronPigs got another chance at the bottom of the fifth inning when Nick Maton singled with one out, Dustin Peterson doubled with two outs, and Josh Ockimey walked, which loaded the bases for Jorge Bonifacio. Unfortunately, Bonifacio grounded out to the pitcher, ending the inning. The IronPigs left a lot of runners in scoring positions and only had two walks and two hits for the rest of the game.

Moving ahead to the bottom of the sixth inning, Bailey Falter gave up a single to Adam Haseley with one out before being replaced by Jace Fry. Falter went 5.1 innings, allowing five hits, one run, no walks, and five strikeouts. Fry struck out both Carlos Perez and Lenyn Sosa to retire the side.

IronPigs pitcher Ryan Sherriff took to the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning. He would incur no hits, runs, walks, or strikeouts. Connor Brogdon pitched in the bottom of the eighth inning. He gave up a single to Zach Remillard. Then, Remillard stole second and stole third on a wild pitch. Brogdon’s pitches were hitting the dirt, and Donny Sands had difficulty securing them.

Then, Knights’ center fielder Mark Payton drove in Remillard with a single to center field, putting Charlotte up 2-1. During Yasmani Grandal’s plate appearance, Brogdon threw a wild pitch, moving Payton to second base. Grandal got Payton to third base with a single, and up was Adam Haseley. Haseley grounded out to IronPigs’ second baseman Nick Maton, who threw the ball to first baseman Josh Ockimey for the out as another run scored, 3-1.

Connor Brogdon hit Carlos Perez before getting Lenyn Sosa to ground the ball in the direction of Scott Kingery, who tossed the ball to Nick Maton for the second out. Brogdon was taken out for James Dykstra. He went 0.2 innings, allowing three hits, two runs, no walks, and no strikeouts. Dykstra got the last out that ended the inning.

At the top of the ninth inning, Hunter Schryver closed out the game for the Knights. With two outs, Nick Maton singled, followed by Schryver walking Donny Sands for Dustin Peterson. Peterson almost tied the game when he drove the ball to center field, and Mark Payton made a diving catch that ended the game, and the IronPigs lost 3-1. The IronPigs had eight hits in the game.

The loss drops the IronPigs to 45-41 for the season, and the Knights are now 32-53 for the season. The win went to J.B. Olen, his first win of the year, while the loss went to Bailey Falter, his first loss of the season.

After the Phillies lost to the Blue Jays 8-4, they announced that Will Toffey, Rafael Marchan, and Nick Duron were headed back to Lehigh Valley. That’s good news for the IronPigs.