After a two-hour and eleven-minute rain delay at Polar Park on Saturday, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (36-36) took on the Worcester Red Sox (38-36) in game five of a six-game series. Coming into this game, the series was tied at two apiece. In addition, the season series is tied at eight apiece.
Bailey Falter (2-0, 5.73 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley making his sixth start of the season against Worcester’s Jake Faria (2-2, 5.86 ERA).
After a scoreless first inning, Lehigh Valley took the lead at the top of the second inning. It started when Weston Wilson was hit by Faria’s pitch near his head with Simon Muzziotti due up to bat. During Muzziotti’s at-bat, Wilson took off to try and steal second base. However, he was caught stealing second base but the replay showed that Wilson beat the throw and should’ve been safe. Unfortunately, Lehigh Valley can’t challenge the play and the inning continued.
Next, Faria walked Muzziotti, followed by a single from Dustin Peterson which moved Muzziotti to second base. Lehigh Valley catcher Rafael Marchan was next. He singled toward center fielder Narciso Crook.
As Crook went to retrieve the ball, it went under his glove and he turned around to get the ball, allowing Marchan to run toward second base and Muzziotti scored for a 1-0 Lehigh Valley lead. A fielding error was charged to Crook.
Then, Esteban Quiroz singled to right field with Peterson and Marchan scoring for a 3-0 Lehigh Valley lead. After a Cal Stevenson walk and a Jake Cave single, the bases were loaded for Drew Ellis with one out. Ellis popped out and Darick Hall grounded out that ended the inning.
Lehigh Valley’s lead did not last long. In the bottom of the third inning, Bailey Falter gave up back-to-back singles to Ronaldo Hernandez and Narciso Crook with Daniel Palka next. Palka hit the ball toward Darick Hall and Hall made the throw to shortstop Weston Wilson for the forceout but they could not get Palka out at first base.
Stephen Scott was next for Worcester. He hit Falter’s fastball for a two-run double over left fielder Cal Stevenson’s head and off the wall at left field, scoring Hernandez and Palka which made it a one-run game 3-2 for Lehigh Valley. Two batters later with two outs, Nick Sogard singled to left field that move Scott to third base.
Next, it was Niko Goodrum’s turn to bat. He doubled off the wall at right field, scoring Scott which tied up the game 3-3. The inning came to an end when Wilyer Abreu flies out toward left fielder Cal Stevenson, who made the catch for the third out.
That was it for Bailey Falter, who finished the game pitching two innings, allowing six hits, three runs, and one strikeout in 45 pitches, of which 28 were strikes. Francisco Morales took over in the bottom of the third inning.
At the top of the third inning, Lehigh Valley’s offense put them back in the lead. It started when shortstop Weston Wilson hit Faria’s fastball off the foul pole at left field for a 4-3 lead. It was Wilson’s 15th home run of the season.
Two batters with one out, Jake Faria walked Dustin Peterson with Rafael Marchan approaching the plate. Marchan doubled to left field with Peterson scoring from first base and it was now 5-3 Lehigh Valley. It was Marchan’s first double of the season. Esteban Quiroz was next.
During his at-bat, Faria threw a wild pitch and Marchan went to third base. Quiroz doubled to center field after Narciso Crook went to make a diving catch but missed it. Marchan scored and Quiroz went to second base. It was Quiroz’s tenth double of the year. It was now 6-3 Lehigh Valley.
Two batters later with two outs, Cal Stevenson worked a four-pitch walk with Lehigh Valley third baseman Drew Ellis approaching home plate for his turn to bat. He doubled off the left field wall with Quiroz scoring and Stevenson to third base for a 7-3 lead. Darick Hall had a chance to keep the inning going but was called out on strikes.
Moving ahead to the bottom of the fifth inning, Taylor Lehman was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley. He gave up a single to Nick Sogard, followed by walking Niko Goodrum with nobody out for Wilyer Abreu. During Abreu’s at-bat, Lehman threw a wild pitch and everyone moved up a base. Then, Abreu singled on a line drive to center field, scoring Sogard and it was now 7-5 Lehigh Valley. Lehigh Valley did not allow another run to Worcester in the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Jeremy Walker was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley. Daniel Palka was the first to face Walker. Walker threw a fastball at Palka and he hit a solo home run onto the berm at left field. Suddenly, it was a one-run game 7-6 for Lehigh Valley. After giving up the home run, Walker got the three outs that ended the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Lehigh Valley blew the lead. Jeremy Walker gave up a single to Niko Goodrum, followed by walking Wilyer Abreu, and a ground out from Enmanuel Valdez moved both runners up a base. That was it for Walker as Trey Cobb replaced him.
In a questionable move, the IronPigs intently walked Ronaldo Hernandez that loaded the bases for Narciso Crook. Crook hit a two-run double to the corner of right field which scored Goodrum and Abreu for an 8-7 lead.
Two batters later, Cobb walked Stephen Scott with two outs before getting Marcus Wilson to ground out toward Esteban Quiroz for the final out of the inning. The Red Sox scored five unanswered runs to take the lead.
Lehigh Valley had one more chance to get back into the game at the top of the ninth inning. They faced Andrew Politi. Drew Ellis was up first and Politi walked him to start the inning. Scott Kingery came in to pinch-run for him with Darick Hall next. Hall singled to right field and moved Kingery to second base. However, Weston Wilson, Simon Muzziotti, and Dustin Peterson could not bring those runners home and the IronPigs lost to the Red Sox by the final score of 8-7.
Lehigh Valley’s bullpen has now blown 38 leads this year which leads the International League. Imagine what their record would be had they not blown these leads. The loss snaps Lehigh Valley’s two-game winning streak.
Lehigh Valley’s offense finished the night with ten hits, 5 of 12 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men on base. Esteban Quiroz went 2-4 with three RBIs, and Rafael Marchan went 2-4 with two RBIs.
Jeremy Walker lost his first game for Lehigh Valley, while Oddanier Mosqueda won his second game for Worcester, and Andrew Politi earned his sixth game of the season.
The IronPigs will go for the series tie on Sunday afternoon against the Red Sox at 1:05 pm on MiLB.com. Tickets for the game are available on StubHub and Viagogo. Also, pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
