The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (56-50, 20-13) visited Innovative Field on Tuesday night to begin a six-game series against the Rochester Red Wings (52-55, 18-16). This was the third series meeting between these two teams and the second at Innovative Field. The IronPigs lead the overall series 4-3.
Before the game started, the Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP Luis Ortiz to be an extra pitcher for them as they played a doubleheader on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals.
Tyler Phillips (0-1, 4.50 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley making his second start of the season against Rochester’s Tommy Romero (4-4, 5.70 ERA).
Rochester struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Phillips walked Travis Blankenhorn, followed by a Drew Millas single with Matt Adams next. Adams hit Phillips’s sinker for a high fly ball off the wall at center field. Blankenhorn rounded third base to score while center fielder Simon Muzziotti threw the ball to Esteban Quiroz.
Quiroz threw the ball to Darick Hall with Adams getting caught in a rundown. Then, Hall threw the ball to Scott Kingery, who was covering third base to get Drew Millas out before throwing the ball back to Quiroz to get Adams out at second base. Rochester led 1-0.
A ground out by Jack Dunn to third baseman Drew Ellis, who threw the ball to first baseman Darick Hall ended the inning.
Moving ahead to the top of the fourth inning, Lehigh Valley’s offense went to work. Rochester pitcher Tommy Romero walked Rafael Marchan with one out before giving up a single to Esteban Quiroz which moved Marchan to third base. However, Marchan got caught attempting to steal home plate for the second out.
After Tommy Romero walked Scott Kingery, Rochester changed pitchers with Anthony Banda in for Romero. Banda walked Cal Stevenson that loaded the bases for Jim Haley. Haley fought the count before Banda walked him which forced in a run. The game was tied 1-1 with Kody Clemens up to bat.
On a 1-1 count, Banda threw a hanging slider and Clemens got all of it for a grand slam over the wall at center field for a 5-1 Lehigh Valley lead. It was Clemens’s seventh home run of the season and 24th RBI of the year. Darick Hall struck out which ended the inning.
Rochester got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Tyler Phillips walked Jack Dunn to begin the inning and Dunn later stole second base.
Two batters later with one out, Phillips threw a sinker to which Richie Martin who hit it and the ball went off the glove of Darick Hall and into right field. Dunn raced his way from second base to score and it was now 5-2 Lehigh Valley. An error was charged to Hall. Darren Baker was next and Phillips got him to ground into an inning-ending double play.
At the top of the sixth inning, Anthony Banda walked Scott Kingery with one out. During Cal Stevenson’s at-bat, Kingery stole second base and Stevenson struck out with Jim Haley up to bat. Banda threw a fastball at Haley and he hit it for a two-run home run over the wall at center field for a 7-2 lead. It was Haley’s eighth home run of the year and 41st RBI of the season.
The home run went for 419 feet and the exit velocity was 106.9 mph off the ball. Darick Hall flew out toward center fielder Jack Dunn which ended the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Tyler Phillip gave up a single to Carter Kieboom with one out. Then, Travis Blankenhorn grounded into a force out at second base, and a ground out by Drew Millas to Esteban Quiroz, who threw the ball to first baseman Darick Hall ended the inning.
That was it for Phillips, who pitched a quality start going six innings, allowing four hits, two runs, one earned run, three walks, and one strikeout in 83 pitches, of which 47 were strikes. Brett Schulze was the new Lehigh Valley pitcher in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Schulze walked Jack Dunn with one out with Erick Mejia up to bat. During Mejia’s at-bat, Schulze threw a wild pitch and Dunn ran to second base. Next, Mejia hit Schulze’s cutter for a high fly ball off the wall at right field. Dunn rounded third base to score and Mejia slid head first into second base for an RBI double. It was now 7-3 Lehigh Valley.
Two batters later with two outs, Darren Baker was up to bat. He put the ball down for a base hit to the corner at right field which brought home Mejia and Baker ran to third base for a triple. It was 7-4 Lehigh Valley.
Lehigh Valley changed pitchers with Taylor Lehman in for Brett Schulze. Lehman got Luis Garcia to fly out toward left fielder Kody Clemens, who made the catch that ended the inning.
Moving to the bottom of the eighth inning, Andrew Bellatti was the new Lehigh Valley pitcher. He gave up a single to Carter Kieboom, followed by back-to-back walks to Travis Blankenhorn and Drew Millas, which loaded the bases for Matt Adams. Bellatti walked Adams to force in a run. Lehigh Valley’s lead was down to 7-5.
Bellatti could not find the strike zone at all and Tyler McKay came in for him. McKay got Jack Dunn to line out toward second baseman Esteban Quiroz for the first out. Then, McKay got Erick Mejia to ground into an inning-ending double play.
McKay stayed in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning. He gave up a single to Richie Martin, followed by walking Darren Baker. Three batters later with two outs, He gave up a single to Travis Blankenhorn which brought Martin home and it was now 7-6 Lehigh Valley.
McKay had trouble finding the strike zone. He walked Drew Millas which loaded the bases for Jake Noll. Noll hit a high fly ball over left fielder Kody Clemens’s head which scored two runs and the IronPigs blew a five-run lead to lose 8-7 against the Red Wings.
The bullpen has been Lehigh Valley’s weakness all season long. It’s a shame that Phillips pitched a good game and it goes to waste due to the bullpen not being able to get the outs. Most of these guys are not ready for Triple-A and should be sent back to Reading. Meanwhile, the other pitchers who’ve been here this season should not return next year.
It’s also a shame that the Phillies do not invest in pitching. Look at the Yankees, they got rid of every pitcher from the RailRiders last season and reloaded. However, the majority of those pitchers are up with the Yankees due to their injuries and the team has slightly declined. If the Phillies would invest in pitching, the IronPigs would be a better team. Cole Hamels just retired last Friday, maybe the Phillies could talk him into being a pitching coach for the IronPigs.
Lehigh Valley finished the night with six hits, went 3 for 7 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men on base. Tyler McKay lost his first game of the season for Lehigh Valley, and Daniel Mengden won his second game of the season for Rochester.
The IronPigs and Red Wings play game two on Wednesday at 6:45 pm on MiLB.com. Tickets for the game are available on StubHub and Viagogo. Also, pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
