The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (54-49, 18-12) and the Buffalo Bisons (53-52, 19-11) played game four on Friday night at Coca-Cola Park. The IronPigs lead the series 2-1.
Before the game started, the Philadelphia Phillies announced that No. 4 ranked prospect Griff McGarry has been promoted to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. McGarry pitched 54.2 innings with a 1-1, a 3.13 ERA, allowing 31 hits, 23 runs, 19 earned runs, four home runs, two hit batsmen, 36 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 13 games for the Reading Fightin’ Phils this year.
Noah Skirrow (7-3, 5.62 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley making his 14th start of the season against Buffalo’s Wes Parsons (3-2, 4.82 ERA).
At the top of the first inning, Nathan Lukes hit Skirrow’s four-seam fastball for a line drive to left field for his eighth double of the season. Two batters later with one out, Spencer Horwitz hit Skirrow’s cutter on a fly ball to right field which brought home Lukes for a 1-0 Buffalo lead.
Two batters later with two outs, Skirrow walked Addison Barger and Mason McCoy to load the bases for Tanner Morris. Morris popped out in four territory that was caught by third baseman Drew Ellis which ended the inning.
Buffalo continued to put runs on the board at the top of the second inning. Noah Skirrow walked Jamie Ritchie. Then, during Cam Eden’s at-bat, Skirrow threw a wild pitch and Ritchie went to second base. Skirrow struck out Eden and Nathan Lukes was up next.
Lukes hit Skirrow’s fastball out toward right field one-hopping off the wall. Ritchie rounded the third base bag to score for a 2-0 lead. Two batters later with two outs, Spencer Horwitz put the ball down for a base hit to center fielder Cal Stevenson. Stevenson scooped up the ball before throwing it to catcher Aramis Garcia but Lukes beat the throw and it was now 3-0 Buffalo.
Next, Orelvis Martinez singled on a sharp line drive to left field which moved Horwitz to third base. Addison Barger was next. He hit Skirrow’s four-seam fastball for a three-run home run over the wall at right field. It was now 6-0 Buffalo.
The ball left the bat at 104.4 mph and the distance of the home run went 421 feet. Skirrow struck out Mason McCoy with a cutter which ended the inning.
Lehigh Valley’s offense got going in the bottom of the third inning. First, Cal Stevenson hit Parsons’s fastball for a solo home run over the wall at right field making it 6-1 Buffalo. The home run went 424 feet. It was Stevenson’s third home run of the season and 13th RBI of the year.
Next, Scott Kingery put the ball down for a base hit to center field with Kody Clemens next. During Clemens’s at-bat, Kingery stole second base and Parsons walked Clemens.
Simon Muzziotti was up next. During his at-bat, Parsons threw a wild pitch with both runners moving up a base. Muzziotti brought Kingery home with a sacrifice fly to left field. It was now 6-2 and Clemens ran to third base.
Then, Parsons walked Darick Hall and it was Aramis Garcia’s turn to bat with two outs. On a 0-1 count, Garcia hit Parsons’s sinker for a three-run home run over the wall at left field. It was now 6-5 Buffalo. The home run went 373 feet. It was Garcia’s seventh home run of the season and 26th RBI of the year. Jordan Qsar was called out on strikes which ended the inning.
At the top of the fourth inning, Brett Schulze was the new Lehigh Valley pitcher. Noah Skirrow finished the night pitching three innings, allowing seven hits, six runs, four walks, and three strikeouts in 75 pitches, of which 41 were strikes.
On a 2-2 count, Rafael Lantigua hit Schulze’s cutter for a solo home run over the wall at left field which made it 7-5 Buffalo. Then, Schulze gave up a single to Spencer Horwitz, followed by striking out Orelvis Martinez. After walking Addison Barger, Schulze got Mason McCoy to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Schulze pitched one more inning and finished the night going two innings, allowing two hits, one run, two walks, and three strikeouts in 46 pitches, of which 26 were strikes. Taylor Lehman pitched for Lehigh Valley at the top of the sixth inning. He threw 13 pitches to get three outs.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Jordan Qsar put the ball down for a base hit to second baseman Tanner Morris and beat his throw to first base. Next, Esteban Quiroz struck out swinging but Qsar stole second base. It was his tenth stolen base of the season.
After Drew Ellis walked, Buffalo changed pitchers with Paul Fry replacing Wes Parsons. Cal Stevenson was next. During his at-bat, Fry’s ball gets by catcher Jamie Ritchie and everyone moved up a base.
Stevenson brought Qsar home with a sacrifice fly to left field. It was now 7-6 with two outs. Scott Kingery popped out toward first baseman Spencer Horwitz for the final out of the inning.
Tyler McKay was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley. McKay got Addison Barger to line out toward center fielder Cal Stevenson, followed by back-to-back strikeouts from Mason McCoy and Tanner Morris. McKay threw 11 pitches, of which seven were strikes.
Moving ahead to the bottom of the ninth inning, Lehigh Valley had one more chance to get back into the game. However, it was not their night as Drew Ellis and Cal Stevenson grounded out, and Scott Kingery struck out swinging which ended the game.
The IronPigs lost to the Bison by the final score of 7-6. Lehigh Valley finished the night with five hits, went 1 for 2 with runners in scoring position, and left three men on base. Lehigh Valley pitcher Noah Skirrow lost his fourth game of the year and Wes Parsons won his fourth game of the season.
The IronPigs and Bisons play game five on Saturday at 6:35 pm on MiLB.com. Tickets for the game are available on StubHub and Viagogo. Also, pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
