The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (60-51, 24-14) and the Rochester Red Wings (53-59, 19-20) concluded the six-game series on Sunday afternoon from Innovative Field. The IronPigs led the series 3-2 with a chance to win it.
Before the game started, the Philadelphia Phillies announced that they recalled RHP Luis Ortiz from Lehigh Valley and sent RHP Yunior Marte to Lehigh Valley.
Tyler Phillips (0-1, 2.70 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley making his third start of the season against Rochester’s Tommy Romero (4-4, 5.56 ERA). This was Phillips’s second start against the Red Wings. He pitched on Tuesday night going six innings, allowing four hits, two runs, one earned run, three strikeouts, and one strikeout in an 8-7 loss.
Lehigh Valley struck first at the top of the second inning. With one out, Esteban Quiroz hit his 16th double of the season on a sharp line drive to left field. Next, Scott Kingery put the ball down for a base hit to left field moving Quiroz to third base.
Cal Stevenson was next. He brought Quiroz home with a sacrifice fly to left fielder Travis Blankenhorn that made it 1-0 Lehigh Valley. Max McDowell had a chance to keep the inning going but he grounded out toward third baseman Karter Kieboom, who threw the ball to first baseman Jake Noll which ended the inning.
Moving ahead to the top of the fourth inning, Drew Ellis hit Romero’s fastball for a solo home run over the wall at left field to extend the IronPigs lead to 2-0. It was Ellis’s tenth home run of the season and 36th RBI of the year. The home run went 426 feet and the exit velocity was 106.9 mph. In addition, it was Ellis’s first home run since June 29th against Rochester.
Next, Esteban Quiroz put the ball down for a base hit to right field, followed by Romero walking Scott Kingery with nobody out. Then, Cal Stevenson put the ball down for a sacrifice bunt toward Romero for the first out with both runners moving up a base.
That was it for Romero, who was replaced by Hobie Harris. After getting a ground out from Max McDowell, Harris walked Kody Clemens before striking out Darick Hall to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Karter Kieboom reached first base on a throwing error by Drew Ellis and he ran to second base. Then, Kieboom moved to third base when Travis Blankenhorn grounded out toward first baseman Darick Hall, who tossed the ball to pitcher Tyler Phillips for the first out.
Next, Phillips walked Jake Noll. Then, Erick Mejia brought Kieboom home with a sacrifice fly to right fielder Kody Clemens which cut the IronPigs lead to 2-1 with two outs. Phillips struck out Richie Martin which ended the inning.
Lehigh Valley could not hold onto the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, Phillips gave up back-to-back singles to Cody Wilson and Drew Millas. Then, Luis Garcia grounded into a force out at second base with Wilson going to third base.
Karter Kieboom was next. He put the ball down for a base hit to left field to bring Wilson home and the game was tied 2-2 with Travis Blankenhorn up to bat. Phillips threw a low changeup and Blankenhorn got all of it hitting the scoreboard at right field for a three-run home run.
It was now 5-2 Rochester with two outs. Blankenhorn’s home run went 419 feet and exit velocity was 103.2 mph. Phillips got Jake Noll to ground out toward Scott Kingery, who threw the ball to first baseman Darick Hall which ended the inning. That was it for Phillips. He pitched five innings, allowing five hits, five runs, four earned runs, one walk, and five strikeouts in 79 pitches, of which 55 were strikes.
T.J. Zeuch was the new Lehigh Valley pitcher in the bottom of the sixth inning. He struck out Erick Mejia before giving up a single to Richie Martin. Then, Zeuch got Brady Lindsly to ground into an inning-ending double play. Zeuch threw 13 pitches, of which seven were strikes.
Lehigh Valley’s offense battled back at the top of the seventh inning. Darick Hall started the inning hitting Luis Cessa’s changeup for a solo home run off the foul pole patio at right field which made it 5-3 Rochester. It was Hall’s ninth home run of the season and 30th RBI of the year. The home run went 390 feet and the exit velocity was 106.2 mph.
Next, Christian Pache and Simon Muzziotti both hit singles with Drew Ellis up to bat with nobody out. Ellis hit Cessa’s changeup for a high fly ball that hit the yellow line at center field for a double which brought Pache home and it was now 5-4 Rochester.
It was Ellis’s 37th RBI of the year. Initially, it looked like Ellis had hit a three-run home run but the replay showed it hit the yellow line and bounced back onto the field.
Esteban Quiroz was next. He brought Muzziotti home with a sacrifice fly to left field which tied the game 5-5. It was Quiroz’s 46th RBI of the season. After Scott Kingery walked, Rochester changed pitchers with Daniel Mengden replacing Cessa.
Cal Stevenson was next. He grounded into a forceout at second base for the second out with Max McDowell up to bat. During his at-bat, Stevenson stole second base. Then, McDowell hit Mengden’s cutter for a two-run single on a line drive to right field which made it 7-5. It was his fourth RBI of the season for Lehigh Valley. A ground out by Kody Clemens ended the inning.
Andrew Bellatti was the new Lehigh Valley pitcher in the bottom of the seventh inning. He struck out Cody Wilson before giving up a single to Drew Millas with Luis Garcia up to bat. Bellatti got Garcia to ground into an inning-ending double play. He threw 13 pitches, of which nine were strikes.
At the top of the eighth inning, Lehigh Valley threatened to add more runs. Darick Hall started the inning with a single to right field. Two batters later with one out, Simon Muzziotti hit his 19th double of the year on a line drive to right field.
Rochester changed pitchers with Joel Peguero replacing Daniel Mengden. However, Lehigh Valley could not add any more runs when Drew Ellis and Esteban Quiroz both grounded out which ended the inning.
Disaster unfolded for the IronPigs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Connor Brogdon was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley. It started when Brogdon walked Carter Kieboom and Travis Blankenhorn with Jake Noll up to bat. During Noll’s at-bat, he popped up in foul territory. Darick Hall and Max McDowell battled the sun and were unable to catch it.
It would cost them when Noll hit an infield single toward a diving Scott Kingery, who made the throw to first base but Noll beat it and Kieboom scored which made it 7-6 Lehigh Valley.
Next, Brogdon gave up a single to Erick Mejia on a high fly ball to center fielder Cal Stevenson. It should’ve been an easy out but Stevenson battled the sun and missed the catch. Then, Richie Martin brought Blankenhorn home to tie the game 7-7 with a sacrifice fly to center fielder Cal Stevenson.
That was it for Brogdon, he was replaced by Taylor Lehman. Lehigh Valley elected to intently walk Jack Dunn which loaded the bases for Cody Wilson. Lehman struck out Wilson for the second out with Drew Millas up to bat. He hit the ball toward Lehman for the forceout at home plate which ended the inning. The game remained tied 7-7 and went to extra innings.
Jim Haley went to second base as the pinch-runner for Darick Hall at the top of the tenth inning and Alex Troop was the new Rochester pitcher. Christian Pache started the inning with a walk. Three batters later with two outs, Esteban Quiroz was up to bat.
Quiroz put the ball down for a base hit to right field scoring Hall and Pache that made it 9-7 Lehigh Valley. It was Quiroz’s 48th RBI of the season. A ground out by Scott Kingery ended the inning.
Tyler McKay pitched for Lehigh Valley in the bottom of the tenth inning. Travis Blankenhorn started at second base. Jake Noll was up first. He grounded toward shortstop Scott Kingery, who threw the ball to first baseman Darick Hall for the first out while Blankenhorn moved to third base. Then, McKay walked Erick Mejia and Richie Martin which loaded the bases for Paul Witt.
McKay struck out Witt with a changeup for the second out. Darren Baker was next and he grounded toward McKay, who threw the ball to first baseman Jim Haley for the final out of the game.
Tyler McKay pitched two innings, allowing one hit, two walks, and one strikeout in 33 pitches, of which 14 were strikes. The IronPigs survived to beat the Red Wings by the final score of 9-7. They win the series 4-2 and lead the overall series 8-5.
Lehigh Valley finished the afternoon with 16 hits, committed two errors, went 4 of 14 with runners in scoring position, and left 14 men on base. Tyler McKay earned his first win of the year for Lehigh Valley, and Alex Troop lost his second game of the season for Rochester.
The IronPigs return to Coca-Cola Park on Tuesday to start a six-game series against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 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.
