After being rained out on Saturday night, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (21-23) and the Worcester Red Sox (23-22) concluded the six-game series with a doubleheader on Sunday from Polar Park.
Entering this game, the IronPigs’ bullpen has not been able to close out games and as a result has lost two consecutive games in extra innings. Worcester led the series 3-1 and the IronPigs needed both wins to even the series.
Noah Skirrow (4-1, 4.46 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley against Worcester’s Garrett Whitlock (0-0, 2.25 ERA).
After two scoreless innings, Worcester got on the board in the bottom of the third inning. It started when Skirrow gave up back-to-back singles to Nick Sogard and Niko Goodrum. Two batters later, Jorge Alfaro doubled off Skirrow’s fastball into right field, scoring Sogard to take a 1-0 lead with one out.
Then, Bobby Dalbec grounded to shortstop Weston Wilson, who made the throw over to first baseman Jim Haley. Niko Goodrum scored and it was 2-0 Red Sox with two outs. Ryan Fitzgerald was next and Skirrow got him to fly out toward center fielder Simon Muzziotti which ended the inning.
Moving ahead to the bottom of the fifth inning with one out, Lehigh Valley pitcher Noah Skirrow threw a fastball to Niko Goodrum and he crushed it over the seats at right field for a 3-0 lead.
Next, Wilyer Abreu doubled to center field before Skirrow picked up the last two outs to retire the side. That would be it for Skirrow. He pitched five innings, allowing six hits, three runs, two walks, and four strikeouts in 94 pitches, of which 57 were strikes.
Moving to the top of the seventh inning, Lehigh Valley had one more shot to avoid being shut out. They had to face Worcester pitcher Chase Shugart. Shugart got two outs and it was down to Jhailyn Ortiz. Ortiz hit Shugart’s fastball 105 mph off the bat and over the wall at center field for a solo home run. It was now 3-1 Worcester.
Lehigh Valley left fielder Jake Cave followed up with a single to left field. Simon Muzziotti was next. During Muzziotti’s at-bat, Cave stole second base but Shugart walked Muzziotti with Drew Ellis next. Ellis hit a three-run home run off Shugart’s fastball to center field, putting Lehigh Valley up 4-3 with two outs. It was Ellis’s third home run in two games. Jordan Qsar grounded out which ended the inning.
Erich Uelmen attempted to close out the game for Lehigh Valley in the bottom of the seventh inning. He gave up a single to Bradley Zimmer. Two batters later, Niko Goodrum singled on a ground ball to center field, scoring Zimmer that tied the game 4-4.
It was now the 14th blown save by the IronPigs’ bullpen this year. Uelmen got the final two outs and the game went to extra innings.
After Lehigh Valley was unable to score at the top of the eighth inning, it was Worcester’s turn. Narciso Crook started the bottom of the eighth inning at second base as Bobby Dalbec started the inning. Just like Friday night, Dalbec ended the game with an RBI single to center field, and Lehigh Valley lost the game by the final score of 5-4.
It was Lehigh Valley’s third straight loss and they lost the series. The IronPigs finished game one with seven hits, went 3-11 with runners in scoring position, and left seven runners on base. Lehigh Valley pitcher Erich Uelmen lost his first game of the year, while Worcester pitcher Andrew Politi won his first game of the season.
In game two, Bailey Falter (0-0. 0.00 ERA) made his Lehigh Valley debut against Worcester’s Chris Murphy (1-1, 7.76 ERA).
At the top of the first inning, Lehigh Valley center fielder Jake Cave singled to center field with one out. Two batters later, Jhailyn Ortiz walked with two outs for Simon Muzziotti. Muzziotti doubled off Murphy’s changeup, scoring Cave and Ortiz for a 2-0 lead. Jim Haley struck out which ended the inning.
Moving ahead to the top of the third inning, the IronPigs added another run. With one out, Jake Cave hit Murphy’s fastball and sent it over the wall at right field for a solo home run. Lehigh Valley’s lead went to 3-0. Then, Drew Ellis singled but Jhailyn Ortiz grounded into a double play that ended the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, Bailey Falter gave up a single to Narciso Crook. Two batters later with one out, Caleb Hamilton hit Falter’s fastball into left field, scoring Crook for an RBI double. It was now 3-1 Lehigh Valley. Falter picked up the last two outs to retire the side.
At the top of the fourth inning, the IronPigs blew the game wide open. It started with three straight singles by Simon Muzziotti, Jim Haley, and Scott Kingery, loading the bases for Vito Friscia, but he struck out. Lehigh Valley catcher Aramis Garcia was next.
He grounded into a fielder’s choice to third baseman Ryan Fitzgerald. However, Ryan Fitzgerald made an error by throwing the ball wide to second baseman David Hamilton and everyone was safe. Meanwhile, Muzziotti scored for a 4-1 lead.
After that play, the Red Sox replaced Murphy with Taylor Broadway. Weston Wilson was next. He drew a bases-loaded walk for a 5-1 lead with Jake Cave next. He singled on a line drive to center field, scoring Kingery and Garcia for a 7-1 lead.
Lehigh Valley third baseman Drew Ellis was next. He hit a three-run home run off Broadway’s fastball into the berm at left field. It was now 10-1 Lehigh Valley. For Ellis, this was his third three-run home run in three games. He now has four home runs and 13 RBIs in four games with Lehigh Valley.
Jhailyn Ortiz followed up with a single to left field. Two batters later with two outs, Jim Haley tripled on a fly ball off the top of the wall at right field, scoring Ortiz for an 11-1 lead. Scott Kingery lined out that finally ended the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs, Bobby Dalbec hit Falter’s fastball into the bushes of center field. It was now 11-2 Lehigh Valley. Ryan Fitzgerald grounded out to end the inning.
Norwich Gudino was the new Worcester pitcher at the top of the fifth inning. He gave up three straight singles with one out to Aramis Garcia, Weston Wilson, and Jake Cave. Drew Ellis was next and he drew a walk, forcing in a run for a 12-2 lead. That was the final run scored by the IronPigs as Gudino picked up the last two outs which ended the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Bailey Falter walked Nic Sogard before giving up back-to-back home runs to Wilyer Abreu and Jorge Alfaro. It was now 12-5 Lehigh Valley. Falter picked up two outs before being replaced by Louis Head. Falter finished the afternoon pitching 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits, five runs, one walk, and three strikeouts in 83 pitches, of which 56 were strikes. Head got Narciso Crook to ground out that retired the side.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Caleb Hamilton hit a solo home run into the berm at left field. It was now 12-6 Lehigh Valley with one out. Head recorded the final two outs of the game, and the IronPigs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 12-6 win over the Red Sox.
Lehigh Valley finished the afternoon with 15 hits, 6-12 with runners in scoring position, and left five runners on base. Bailey Falter picked up his first win of the season, while the loss went to Worcester pitcher Chris Murphy. The IronPigs take two of four from the Red Sox in this series. The season series is now even at six apiece.
Lehigh Valley returns to Coca-Cola Park on Tuesday against the Buffalo Bisons at 11 am on MiLB.com. Tickets for the game are available on StubHub and Viagogo. Also, pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
