The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (1-1) and the Rochester Red Wings (1-1) played game two of a six-game series on Thursday night from Coca-Cola Park. The conditions at the ballpark were hazy due to the wildfires in Canada.
Lehigh Valley entered this game trailing the series 1-0. In addition, they are on a three-game losing streak counting the first half of the season, and 2-8 in their last ten games.
T.J. Zeuch (2-3, 5.57 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley making his tenth start of the year against Rochester’s Jose Urena (0-1, 6.27 ERA).
Rochester third baseman Jake Alu started the top of the first inning with a single. Two batters later with one out, Zeuch gave up a single to Blake Rutherford which moved Alu to third base. Franmil Reyes was next to bat for Rochester. He grounded toward third baseman Drew Ellis.
Ellis planted his feet before throwing the ball to first baseman Jim Haley for the second out. However, Alu scored which put Rochester up 1-0. The inning ended when Nomar Mazara grounded toward first baseman Jim Haley, who beat Mazara at the first base bag.
Moving to the bottom of the fifth inning, Lehigh Valley’s offense went to work. Before this inning, they only had two hits in the first four innings by Simon Muzziotti and Darick Hall.
Dustin Peterson and Jim Haley both singled to begin the inning. Next, Scott Kingery moved Peterson and Haley up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Then, John Hicks smacked a double just inside the third base bag and into left field, scoring Peterson and Haley to take a 2-1 lead.
It was Haley’s 12th double of the season. It was his second hit in 25 at-bats. Jake Cave was next. He crushed Urena’s fastball that hit the PSECU sign high at right field for a 4-1 lead. It was Cave’s 12th home run of the season and 42nd RBI of the year.
Weston Wilson was next. He almost had a home run at left field but Blake Rutherford made a highlight reel leaping catch to prevent the home run. Lehigh Valley did not add any more runs in the inning.
Lehigh Valley’s offense continued its assault in the bottom of the sixth inning. Drew Ellis hit Urena’s fastball for his ninth home run of the season, landing on the Capital Blue Tiki Bar at left field. It was now 5-1 Lehigh Valley and the home run went 430 feet.
Simon Muzziotti was next. He hit a double on a sharp line drive to right field. Two batters later with one out, Urena hit Jim Haley with Scott Kingery next to bat. Kingery doubled off the wall at left field which scored Muzziotti and Haley for a 7-1 lead.
That was the last batter for Jose Urena. He was replaced by Tommy Romero. With two outs, Jake Cave hit Romero’s splitter toward center field that scored Kingery for an 8-1 lead. It was Cave’s third RBI of the night. Weston Wilson was next. He did not get a chance to bat when Cave was caught stealing second base which ended the inning.
At the top of the seventh inning, Lehigh Valley T.J. Zeuch gave up a double to Nomar Mazara, followed by a single to Matt Adams with one out. Then, Zeuch got Luis Torrens to hit into a double play that ended the inning. It was the third double play for Lehigh Valley in the game.
That was it for Zeuch. He had a good game pitching seven innings, allowing five hits, one run, two walks, and four strikeouts in 89 pitches, of which 61 were strikes. Francisco Morales was the new Lehigh Valley pitcher at the top of the eighth inning.
Jake Alu hit Morales’s cutter with two outs for a solo home run over the wall at right field. It was now 8-2. After hitting Alex Call, Morales got out of the inning on a Blake Rutherford lineout to center fielder Jake Cave.
Joel Peguero was the new Rochester pitcher in the bottom of the eighth inning. Dustin Peterson and Jim Haley both hit singles to start the inning with Scott Kingery up to bat. Kingery hit a three-run home run over the wall at right field. It was now 11-2 Lehigh Valley. It was Kingery’s eighth home run of the season and the 20th RBI of the year.
Two batters later with two outs, Weston Wilson finally got his home run when he hit Peguero’s fastball over the wall at left field for a 12-2 lead. It was Wilson’s 17th home run of the season and his 50th RBI of the year. Darick Hall had a chance to keep the inning going but he struck out swinging for the third out.
Connor Brogdon closed out the game for Lehigh Valley at the top of the ninth inning. He walked Franmil Reyes to start the inning. Two batters later with one out, Matt Adams singled to right field which moved Reyes to third base. Luis Torrens was next. He brought Reyes home with a sacrifice fly to center fielder Jake Cave. It was now 12-3 with two outs for Jeter Downs. Brogdon struck out Downs that ended the game. Lehigh Valley won the game by the final score of 12-3. The IronPigs snapped a three-game losing streak counting the first half of the season.
Lehigh Valley’s offense had a great night with 14 hits, went 5 of 8 with runners in scoring position, and left three men on base. Lehigh Valley second baseman Scott Kingery went 2-3 with five RBIs, and Jake Cave went 2-3 with three RBIs.
Lehigh Valley pitcher T.J. Zeuch earned his third win of the season, while Rochester pitcher Jose Urena lost his second game of the season.
The IronPigs and Red Wings play game three on Friday night at 7:05 pm on MiLB.com. Tickets for the game are available on StubHub and Viagogo. Also, pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
