On Friday night at Sahlen’s Field, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs took on the Buffalo Bisons in game four of the series. Heading into this game, the IronPigs won one game against Buffalo and were looking to even the series. They trailed the Durham Bulls by two games for first place and a game ahead of both Jacksonville and Buffalo for second place.
Kent Emanuel (2-1, 2.19 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley, while the Bisons started Casey Lawrence (9-4, 2.27 ERA).
At the top of the first inning, with one out, IronPigs’ third baseman Will Toffey hit Lawrence’s changeup, and the wind carried the ball over the wall at left field for a solo home run, putting the IronPigs up 1-0. It was Toffey’s eighth home run of the season and 35th RBI of the season. Yairo Munoz flied out, and Josh Ockimey struck out, ending the inning.
IronPigs starter Kent Emanuel gave up a single to Otto Lopez and a double to Spencer Horwitz to start the bottom of the first inning. Then, Vinny Capra hit a two-run single to right field as Buffalo went up 2-1. Emanual got three straight strikeouts to retire the side.
At the top of the second inning, IronPigs’ center fielder Dalton Guthrie hit a solo home run off the ADPRO Sports sign at left field, tying the game 2-2 with two outs. Finally, Will Toffey struck out swinging that ended the inning.
At the top of the fourth inning, Josh Ockimey hit a double with one out, and IronPigs’ left fielder Dustin Peterson came to the plate. Peterson doubled on a line drive to left field, scoring Ockimey for a 3-2 lead. Rafael Marchan lined out, and Jorge Bonifacio flied out, ending the inning.
Moving ahead to the bottom of the fifth inning, the IronPigs defense miscues led to Buffalo taking the lead. Bisons’ left fielder Spencer Horwitz doubled with two outs, and Vinny Capra was next. Capra hit the ball towards Scott Kingery, who could not secure the ball as it went by him and went to left field. Then, Dustin Peterson made a throwing error at home plate as Buffalo tied the game 3-3. The IronPigs were charged two errors on the play.
Zach Collins was up next and tripled on a line drive to center field as Dalton Guthrie missed an over-the-shoulder catch, and the Bisons took a 4-3 lead. Finally, Cullen Large popped out that ended the inning.
At the top of the sixth inning, IronPigs’ third baseman Will Toffey hit a hanging breaking ball that went over the wall at right field, tying the game 4-4. It was Toffey’s ninth home run of the season and the 36th RBI of the year. After Yairo Munoz doubled, the IronPigs were unable to get him home.
Zach Warren was the new IronPigs pitcher to start the bottom of the sixth inning. Kent Emanual pitched five innings, allowing seven hits, four runs, two earned runs, one walk, and six strikeouts in 83 pitches.
Warren gave up a single to Chavez Young with one out, followed by walking Yoshi Tsutsugo with Stevie Berman up next. Warren threw a wild pitch, moving the runners up. Then, Berman hit a ground-rule double at center field, giving Buffalo a 5-4 lead.
Warren was done, and Mark Appel was the new pitcher. Otto Lopez was up next and doubled to left field, scoring another run for a 6-4 lead. Warren’s final numbers were 0.2 innings, allowing two hits, two runs, one walk, and no strikeouts in 18 pitches.
Lopez went to third base after a throwing error by Dustin Peterson. Then, after walking Spencer Horwitz, Vinny Capra singled to left field, adding another run 7-4. Finally, Appel struck out Zach Collins to end the inning.
At the top of the seventh inning, the Bisons replaced Vinny Nittoli with Eric Yardley with two outs. Scott Kingery singled to right field, followed by Dalton Guthrie reaching first base on a throwing error by Otto Lopez. After Will Toffey was hit by a pitch, loading the bases, Yardley walked Yairo Munoz, and the IronPigs trailed 7-5.
IronPigs’ first baseman Josh Ockimey was up next. He hit a soft ground ball towards Bisons’ second baseman Cullen Large, who could not secure the ball, and everyone was safe. The score was now 7-6 Bisons.
Then, IronPigs’ left fielder Dustin Peterson reached first base on a fielding error by Cullen Large, and the game was tied 7-7. Finally, Rafael Marchan grounded into a forceout at second base that ended the inning.
Jace Fry was the new IronPigs pitcher in the bottom of the seventh inning. Mark Appel’s final numbers were 0.1 innings, allowing two hits, one run, one walk, and one strikeout in 19 pitches. After Fry gave up a single to Cullen Large, he got back-to-back groundouts from Nathan Lukes and Otto Lopez, followed by a swinging strikeout from Yoshi Tsutsugo, ending the inning.
Fry finished the night going one inning, allowing one hit, no runs, no walks, and one strikeout in 19 pitches as Francisco Morales took over in the bottom of the eighth inning. He went an inning, no hits, no runs, one walk, and one strikeout in 18 pitches.
IronPigs’ center fielder Dalton Guthrie singled to start the top of the ninth inning with Will Toffey coming to the plate. During Toffey’s plate appearance, Guthrie stole second base. After Toffey struck out, IronPigs’ second baseman Yairo Munoz singled, moving Guthrie to third base for Josh Ockimey. Ockimey got Guthrie home with a sacrifice fly to left field, and the IronPigs took an 8-7 lead. Dustin Peterson was up next but struck out that, which ended the inning.
Tyler Cyr closed out the game for the IronPigs in the bottom of the ninth inning. He threw ten pitches to get the last three outs, and the IronPigs held on to an 8-7 win to even the series at two games apiece. The IronPigs had ten hits but committed four errors in the game. They need to clean up the errors in their next game.
The win moves the IronPigs up to 63-52. They also got good news as Jacksonville lost to Nashville 9-5, and the Durham Bulls lost to the Norfolk Tides 9-8 and are now one game behind them for first place.
The win went to IronPigs pitcher Francisco Morales for his second win of the year, while the loss went to Buffalo pitcher Trent Thornton. It was Thornton’s second loss of the season, and IronPigs pitcher Tyler Cyr earned his sixth save of the season.
The IronPigs will look to take the series lead today at 6:05 pm. Tickets for the game can be purchased on StubHub, and pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
