The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (71-59, 35-23) visited Sahlen Field on Tuesday night to begin a six-game series against the Buffalo Bisons (68-63, 34-22) for the final time of the season. Lehigh Valley has had success against Buffalo leading the overall series 8-4.
Both teams came into this game sweeping their previous series. The IronPigs were on a six-game winning streak, and the Bisons were on a seven-game winning streak.
There was one transaction on Tuesday. The Philadelphia Phillies recalled INF/OF Weston Wilson from Lehigh Valley and placed INF Trea Turner on the paternity list.
T.J. Zeuch (4-4, 4.52 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley making his 14th start of the season in his 15th game against Buffalo’s Andrew Bash (2-1, 2.67 ERA).
Buffalo set the tone of this game in the bottom of the second inning. T.J. Zeuch gave up a single to Addison Barger. Two batters later with one out, Zeuch walked Tanner Morris followed by hitting Leo Jimenez, which loaded the bases for Stevie Berman.
With the count 0-2, Zeuch threw a slider at Berman. Berman crushed it deep to left field for a grand slam that put Buffalo up 4-0. The home run went 391 feet with an exit velocity of 101.1 mph. Then, Cam Eden tripled on a sharp line drive to center field.
Two batters later with two outs, Rafael Lantigua hit a soft ground ball toward third baseman Drew Ellis. Lantigua beat the throw at first base and Eden scored for a 5-0 lead. Damiano Palmegiani was next. He singled on a sharp ground ball to left fielder Simon Muzziotti. Palmegiani tried to run to second base but Muzziotti’s throw to second baseman Kody Clemens was in time to tag Palmegiani out which ended the inning.
Moving to the bottom of the third inning, Addison Barger doubled on a line drive to right field. Next, Orelvis Martinez moved Barger to third base with a ground out toward shortstop Scott Kingery for the first out. Then, Tanner Morris brought Barger home with a sacrifice fly toward right fielder Cal Stevenson for a 6-0 lead. A groundout by Leo Jimenez toward third baseman Drew Ellis, who made the throw to first baseman Darick Hall ended the inning.
That was it for Zeuch. He pitched three innings, allowing six hits, six runs, and one walk in 40 pitches, of which 26 were strikes. Brett Schultze was the pitcher for Lehigh Valley in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Schultze walked Stevie Berman to start the inning with Cam Eden up to bat. On a 2-1 count, Schultze threw a sinker at Eden. Eden got all of it for a two-run home run over the wall at center field for an 8-0. The home run went 383 feet with an exit velocity of 99.5 mph.
Three batters later with two outs, Schultze walked both Damiano Palmegiani and Addison Barger. Orelvis Martinez was next. He lined out toward right fielder Cal Stevenson, who made the catch that ended the inning.
That was it for Schultze. He pitched one inning, allowing one hit, two runs, and three walks in 25 pitches, of which eight were strikes. Taylor Leham replaced Schultze in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Lehigh Valley’s offense was quiet in the first five innings walking four times with no hits. That changed at the top of the sixth inning. Matt Kroon got the IronPigs their first hit of the game with a double to left field. Then, Buffalo pitcher Jimmy Burnette walked Darick Hall and Dustin Peterson which loaded the bases for Simon Muzziotti.
Muzziotti struck out and it was Rafael Marchan’s turn with the bases loaded. Marchan doubled on a line drive to left field scoring Kroon and Hall making it 8-2 Buffalo. It was Marchan’s 25th RBI of the season. Buffalo changed pitchers with Brandon Eisert replacing Jimmy Burnette.
Drew Ellis was next. He grounded toward third baseman Addison Barger, who threw the ball to first baseman Damiano Palmegiani for the second out while Peterson scored. It was now 8-3 Buffalo and Ellis’s 43rd RBI of the year. Cal Stevenson struck out swinging which ended the inning.
Buffalo would get those runs back plus more in the bottom of the sixth inning. Lehigh Valley pitcher Taylor Lehman walked Rafael Lantigua with one out for Damiano Palmegiani. He hit Lehman’s curveball for a two-run home run over the wall at left field which made it 10-3. The home run went 378 feet with an exit velocity of 96.9 mph.
Next, Addison Barger hit the ball toward Scott Kingery. Barger reached first base on a fielding error by Kingery. Then, Orelvis Martinez put the ball down for a base hit to left field. That was it for Leham, who was replaced by Tyler McKay. Tanner Morris grounded out toward second baseman Kody Clemens moving both runners up a base.
Leo Jimenez was next. He put the ball down for a base hit past a diving Darick Hall and into right field bringing both runners home for a 12-3 lead. Stevie Berman grounded toward shortstop Scott Kingery for the forceout at second base which ended the inning.
Moving ahead to the top of the eighth inning, Paxton Schultz was the new pitcher for Buffalo. Up first to face him was Darick Hall. Hall hit Schultz’s fastball for a solo home run over the wall at center field which made it 12-4 Buffalo.
It was Hall’s 17th home run of the season and 48th RBI of the year. The home run went 388 feet with an exit velocity of 103.3 mph. Three batters later with two outs, Rafael Marchan worked a four-pitch walk but Drew Ellis struck out swinging which ended the inning.
Lehigh Valley had one more chance at the top of the ninth inning. They had to face Zach Pop. Cal Stevenson started the inning by working a four-pitch walk. However, Scott Kingery struck out, Kody Clemens lined out, and a ground out by Matt Kroon ended the game.
The IronPigs lose game one to the Bison by the final score of 12-4 and thus ends their six-game winning streak. This was not the way the IronPigs needed to start this series with three weeks left of the regular season. They are now a game behind the Durham Bulls for first place in the second-half standings and tied for second place with Buffalo.
Lehigh Valley finished the night with three hits, committed one error, went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position, and left seven men on base. Lehigh Valley pitcher T.J. Zeuch lost his fifth game of the season, while Andrew Bash won his third game of the year for Buffalo.
The IronPigs and Bisons play game two on Wednesday at 6:05 pm on MiLB.com. Tickets for the game are available on StubHub and Viagogo. Also, pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
