The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (48-44) and the Toledo Mud Hens (40-54) played game five on Saturday night from Fifth Third Field. The IronPigs lead this series 3-1 after having their seven-game winning streak snapped on Friday night. The game was delayed two hours before the game started. However, due to how late it was, the game was cut short to seven innings.
Bailey Falter (2-0, 4.38 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley making his tenth start of the season against Toledo’s Sawyer Gipson-Long (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who was making his Triple-A debut from Altoona.
Simon Muzziotti started the top of the first inning with a base hit to center field. Two batters later with one out, Darick Hall put the ball down for a base hit to center fielder Parker Meadows which moved Muzziotti to third base.
Two batters later with two outs, Kody Clemens was next. He hit Gipson-Long’s changeup for a three-run home run off a warehouse building at right field for a 3-0 lead. It was his first home run of the season and seventh RBI of the year. Rafael Marchan struck out on an automatic strike call which ended the inning.
Moving to the bottom of the second inning, Kody Clemens made a terrific defensive play when Donny Sands hit the ball toward him before making a leaping catch for the first out. Sands smiled after the play. Bailey Falter gave up a single to Joe Rizzo before getting Johan Camargo to ground into a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.
In the bottom of the third inning with one out, Bailey Falter gave up a base hit to John Valente before walking Parker Meadows. Then, Nick Solak hit the ball toward third baseman Esteban Quiroz, who made the throw to second baseman Kody Clemens for the forceout at second.
Colt Keith was next. He hit the ball off the wall at center field with Simon Muzziotti retrieving it. Muzziotti threw the ball to Weston Wilson, who then threw it to catcher Rafael Marchan before tagging out Nick Solak which ended the inning. Toledo did score a run and it was now 3-1 Lehigh Valley.
Moving to the bottom of the fifth inning, Noah Song was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley. Bailey Falter finished the night pitching four innings, allowing three hits, one run, three walks, and three strikeouts in 62 pitches, of which 36 were strikes.
Song gave up a triple to John Valente with one out before walking Parker Meadows. Two batters later with two outs, Colt Keith singled on a line drive to left fielder Cal Stevenson which scored Valente and Meadows. It was now 3-2 Lehigh Valley. Then, Song struck out Tyler Nevin that retired the side.
Moving to the top of the sixth inning, Blair Calvo was the new pitcher for Toledo. He hit Kody Clemens before giving up a single to Rafael Marchan. Then, Calvo walked Jordan Qsar which loaded the bases for Esteban Quiroz. Quiroz hit the ball off the wall at left field which brought home Clemens and Marchan for a 5-2 lead. It was Quiroz’s 37th RBI of the year.
Then, Cal Stevenson hit the ball hard to right field with Qsar scoring for a 6-2 lead. It was Stevenson’s eighth RBI of the year. Simon Muzziotti was up next. He grounded into a forceout at second base. Lehigh Valley did not add any more runs in the inning.
At the top of the seventh inning, Matt Wisler was the new Toledo pitcher. With two outs, Rafael Marchan hit his third double of the year on a fly ball to left field. Next, Matt Wisler walked Jordan Qsar. Esteban Quiroz was next. He put the ball down for a base hit to right field and scoring was Rafael Marchan for a 7-2 lead. Cal Stevenson struck out which ended the inning.
Luis Ortiz closed out the game for Lehigh Valley in the bottom of the seventh inning. He gave up three straight singles to Corey Joyce, John Valente, and Parker Meadows. Two batters later with one out, Ortiz walked Colt Keith which forced in a run that made it 7-3.
Next, Tyler Nevin put the ball down past a diving Darick Hall and into right field which scored two more runs. It was now 7-5 Lehigh Valley with Donny Sands next. Ortiz got Sands to ground into a game-ending double play and the IronPigs defeated the Mud Hens by the final score of 7-5. The IronPigs’ bullpen gave the fans a scare but managed to secure the win.
With the win, Lehigh Valley wins the series with one game to go. Esteban Quiroz went 2-4 with three RBIs. Lehigh Valley finished the night with 11 hits, went 4 for 11 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men on base. Noah Song won his first game for Lehigh Valley and Sawyer Gipson-Long lost his first game for Toledo.
The IronPigs and Mud Hens conclude the six-game series on Sunday at 2:05 pm on MiLB.com. Tickets for the game are available on StubHub and Viagogo. Also, pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
