The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (49-45) returned to Coca-Cola Park to start a 12-game homestand on Tuesday morning. They took on the Syracuse Mets (40-55) to open the homestand.
This was the third series meeting of the season between these teams. The previous two were in Syracuse and the IronPigs lead the season series 8-3. Lehigh Valley has been playing good baseball as of late winning two straight games and 9-1 in their last ten games.
Nick Nelson (3-1, 3.29 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley making his tenth start of the season against Syracuse’s Denyi Reyes (0-2, 6.90 ERA).
Nick Nelson got off to a rough start at the top of the first inning. He walked Rafael Ortega before giving up a single to Ronny Mauricio with Luke Voit up next. Next, Voit hit a three-run home run over the wall at left field for a 3-0 lead with nobody out.
Three batters later with two outs, Nelson gave up a double to Luke Ritter before getting Carlos Cortes to line out toward left fielder Kody Clemens for the final out of the inning.
It got worse for Nelson at the top of the second inning. After giving up a single to Jose Peraza, Tomas Nido hit a two-run home run over the wall at right field for a 5-0 lead. Then, Nelson got back-to-back groundouts from Rafael Ortega and Ronny Mauricio before getting Luke Voit to pop out toward second baseman Scott Kingery that ended the inning.
At the top of the third inning with two outs, Nelson gave up a single to Luke Ritter before Carlos Cortes hit a two-run home run on a line drive to right-center field. It was now 7-0 Syracuse. Jose Peraza popped out toward first baseman Darick Hall which ended the inning.
Moving to the top of the fifth inning, Nelson walked Luke Voit before giving up a single to Abraham Almonte. That was it for Nelson, who was replaced by Jeremy Walker. Walker walked Jonathan Arauz before Luke Ritter put the ball down for a base hit to center field. Luke Voit scored for an 8-0 lead.
Carlos Cortes was up next with the bases loaded. However, Walker walked him which forced in a run for a 9-0 lead. Walker struck out Jose Peraza before getting Tomas Nido to ground into a 4-6-3 double play which ended the inning.
Nick Nelson was not sharp today. He finished the afternoon pitching four innings, allowing eight hits, nine runs, and two walks in 83 pitches, of which 52 were strikes. Jeremy Walker pitched an inning, allowing one hit, two walks, and one strikeout in 20 pitches, of which ten were strikes.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Kody Clemens hit Reyes’s fastball for a solo home run over the wall at right field for his third home run in three consecutive games. It was now 9-1 Syracuse. Clemens now has 11 RBIs this year.
Next, Dustin Peterson hit Reyes’s fastball for a solo home nearly clearing the berm at left field which made it 9-2 Syracuse with nobody out. It was Peterson’s 11th home run of the year and 32 RBIs this season. The home run went 452 feet. Lehigh Valley did not add any more runs in the inning.
Trey Cobb was the new Lehigh Valley pitcher at the top of the sixth inning. He walked Rafael Ortega. Two batters later with one out, Cobb walked Luke Voit and Abraham Almonte which loaded the bases for Jonathan Arauz. Cobb got Arauz to pop out toward shortstop Weston Wilson for the second out with Luke Ritter up to bat. However, Cobb walked Ritter which forced in a run for a 10-2 Syracuse lead. Cobb struck out Carlos Cortes to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, dark skies could be seen approaching Coca-Cola Park. Weston Wilson started the inning hitting Reyes’s fastball for a solo home run onto the berm at left-center field which made it 10-3 Syracuse.
It was Wilson’s 24th home run of the season and he now has 62 RBIs for the year. Wilson is now tied with Memphis’s Luken Baker for the most runs in Triple-A this season.
Next, Reyes walked Darick Hall before Drew Ellis struck out. The Mets changed pitchers with Eric Orze in for Denyi Reyes. The rain was falling harder on the field. After Orze walked Kody Clemens, the first base umpire called for the tarp and the game went into a rain delay.
Unfortunately, the game was called and the IronPigs lost to the Mets by the final score of 10-3. The loss snaps Lehigh Valley’s two-game winning streak.
Lehigh Valley finished the afternoon with four hits, went 0-1 with runners in scoring position, and left four men on base. Nick Nelson lost his second of the year, and Syracuse pitcher Denyi Reyes won his first game of the season.
The IronPigs and Mets play game two on Wednesday 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.
