The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (54-52) returned to Coca-Cola Park to start a six-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (61-47).
After Tuesday night’s game was rained out, the two teams played a doubleheader on Wednesday night with both games being played in seven-inning contests.
Lehigh Valley starter Alan Rangel (0-0, 0.00 ERA) was on the mound in game one making his Lehigh Valley debut against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s Tanner Tully (1-6, 6.90 ERA). Rangel played for the Rocket City Trash Pandas (2-0, 2.61 ERA) playing 20.2 innings, allowing 15 hits, seven runs, six earned runs, two home runs, five walks, and 25 strikes in four games.
Game 1 started with a rain delay. The delay lasted an hour and a half before the game began at 7:03 pm. The game was scoreless through two innings until the top of the third inning. Lehigh Valley starter Alan Rangel walked Jahmai Jones before the game went into another rain delay.
The delay lasted 20 minutes and Rangel walked J.C. Escarra putting runners on first and second base. After the walk, Rangel was replaced by Taylor Lehman. Two batters later, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had the bases loaded when second baseman Caleb Durbin brought home Jahmai Jones for a 1-0 lead.
Two batters later, Jorbit Vivas hit an RBI double to right field scoring J.C. Escarra extending their lead 2-0. Two batters later with two outs, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had the bases loaded when T.J. Rumfield worked a four-pitch walk scoring Josh VanMeter for a 3-0 lead. Lehman got Taylor Trammell to ground out toward second baseman Jim Haley for the final out of the inning.
Before the bottom of the third inning started, the head umpire called everyone to their dugouts, and the game was suspended. The game resumed on Thursday at 5:05 pm. Michael Rucker was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley at the top of the fourth inning.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had a runner on second base when J.C. Escarra hit an RBI double to right field scoring Jahmai Jones for a 4-0 lead. Three batters later with two outs, Jasson Domínguez hit an RBI single to left field scoring J.C. Escarra making it 5-0. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre shortstop Oswald Peraza grounded out to third baseman Buddy Kennedy for the final out of the inning. Rucker (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB) threw 24 pitches, of which 14 were strikes.
At the top of the fifth inning with one out, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre right fielder Taylor Trammell hit Rucker’s fastball for a solo home run over the wall at right field for a 6-0 lead. After giving up a double to Jahmai Jones, Rucker was replaced by Andrew Bellatti.
Three batters later with two outs, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre second baseman Caleb Durbin hit an RBI double to left field scoring Jahmai Jones and extending the RailRiders lead 7-0.
A pop-out by Jasson Domínguez ended the inning. Michael Rucker (1.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 K) threw 43 pitches, of which 25 were strikes, while Bellatti (0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) threw 21 pitches, of which 12 were strikes.
Michael Mercado was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley at the top of the sixth inning. Mercado (1.0 IP) threw 12 pitches, of which seven were strikes to get three outs.
In the bottom of the sixth inning with one out, Lehigh Valley right fielder Matt Kroon hit Alex Mauricio’s cutter for a solo home run clearing the wall at left field and the IronPigs trailed the RailRiders 7-1. The home run went 377 feet with an exit velocity of 99.4 mph.
It was Kroon’s seventh home run of the season and 30th RBI of the year. He has not hit a home run in three consecutive games. Lehigh Valley did not add any more runs in the inning.
Griff McGarry was the pitcher for Lehigh Valley at the top of the seventh inning. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had runners on first and second base with two outs when Caleb Durbin hit an RBI single off the glove of second baseman Jim Haley and into center field scoring Jahmai Jones for an 8-1 lead. A flyout by Jasson Domínguez ended the inning. McGarry (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K) threw 23 pitches, of which 13 were strikes.
Ron Marinaccio was the new pitcher for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the bottom of the seventh inning. After walking Lehigh Valley center fielder Cal Stevenson, Marinaccio got the last three outs and the game was over. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs lost game one to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 8-1.
Lehigh Valley finished game one with six hits. The loss went to Lehigh Valley starter Alan Rangel for his first loss of the season, and the win went to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitcher Phil Bickford. Game 2 of the doubleheader was postponed due to rain. Purchase IronPigs tickets for the 2024 season today on StubHub and Viagogo. The IronPigs will provide an update on the series once it becomes available.
