The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (12-4) visited Coolray Field to start a six-game series against the Gwinnett Stripers (7-8). Alan Rangel (1-0, 2.63 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley against Davis Daniel (0-0. 0.00 ERA) of Gwinnett.
Lehigh Valley also got Weston Wilson back, who made a rehab start playing second base. Wilson went 2 for 5 with a double, a walk, and a triple.
Lehigh Valley third baseman Otto Kemp went 4 for 6 with two doubles, a home run, and five RBIs. Kemp’s home run happened at the top of the ninth inning hitting Dylan Dodd’s four-seam fastball 378 feet to right-center field which made it 15-9 IronPigs. It was Kemp’s fifth home run of the season. The IronPigs held on to defeat the Stripers by the final score of 15-9.
Lehigh Valley catcher Garrett Stubbs went 1 for 5 with a walk, a home run, and two RBIs. It was Stubbs’s first home run of the season. Lehigh Valley right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. went 3 for 5 with a double and two RBIs. Designated hitter Óscar Mercado went 1 for 4 with a single, a walk, and an RBI.
Shortstop Rodolfo Castro went 3 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base, a home run, and two RBIs. His home run happened at the top of the seventh inning hitting Domingo Gonzalez’s four-seam fastball 406 feet to center field. It was his first home run of the season.
Lehigh Valley starter Alan Rangel pitched four innings, allowing six hits, five runs, four earned runs, five walks, and three strikeouts throwing 88 pitches, of which 54 were strikes in a no-decision. The win went to relief pitcher Austin Schulfer pitching one inning with two strikeouts throwing 16 pitches, of which 9 were strikes. The loss went to Gwinnett starter Davis Daniel. Gwinnett right fielder Eddy Alvarez led the team going 2 for 5 with two home runs, two stolen bases, and four RBIs.
The IronPigs and Stripers play game two on Wednesday at 7:05 pm. Purchase IronPigs tickets today on StubHub and Viagogo.
