On Thursday at Coca-Cola Park, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs played a doubleheader against the Worcester Red Sox. The IronPigs came into this game trailing the Durham Bulls by 4.5 games out of first place. However, in the last ten games, the IronPigs are 3-7 and were looking to snap a four-game losing streak.
One transaction happened on Thursday as the Philadelphia Phillies announced that pitcher Seranthony Domínguez is at Lehigh Valley to begin a rehab assignment. In game one, Michael Plassmeyer (5-3, 2.77 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley, while Worcester started Victor Santos (1-3, 7.06 ERA).
After two scoreless innings, the action picked up in the bottom of the third inning. First, IronPigs’ second baseman Scott Kingery was hit by a pitch from Victor Santos. Then, IronPigs’ center fielder Chris Sharpe singled to left field, moving Kingery to second base. Yairo Munoz was next. He singled on a sharp ground ball to center field, scoring Kingery for a 1-0 lead.
IronPigs’ first baseman Darick Hall was next. He crushed a three-run home run into the KLYR Bar at right field for a 4-0 lead. It was Hall’s 22nd home run of the season, and now he is seven home runs away from tying Rhys Hoskins’s (29 home runs) single-season home run record set in 2017. Dustin Peterson flew out to center field, Rafael Marchan flew out to right field, and Will Toffey grounded out, ending the inning.
Moving ahead to the top of the sixth inning, the Red Sox cut the IronPigs lead 4-1 with a solo home run by Jarren Duron that went over the Cedar Crest College sign at right field. Then, Plassmeyer struck out Bobby Dalbec, followed by a pop-out by Pedro Castellanos, and a fly-out by Johan Mieses, ending the inning. That was it for Plassmeyer, who did a fantastic job pitching six innings, allowing four hits, one earned run, and seven strikeouts in 98 pitches, 68 of which were strikes.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, IronPigs’ designated hitter Johan Camargo hit a solo home run over the wall at right field for a 5-1 lead. It was Camargo’s first home run of the season. Three batters later, Chris Sharpe walked with two outs, followed by a pop-out from Yairo Munoz, ending the inning.
Seranthony Dominguez was the new IronPigs pitcher at the top of the seventh inning. He gave up back-to-back walks to Nick Sogard and Jaylin Davis, followed by striking out Ryan Fitzgerald. Then, Dominguez got Deivy Grullon to ground into a double play as the IronPigs snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 win. The IronPigs had six hits in the game, and it was the 125th double play of the season for Lehigh Valley.
The win went to Michael Plassmeyer. It was his sixth win of the season, while the loss went to Worcester pitcher Victor Santos. It was Santos’s fourth loss of the year.
In game two, Jack Perkins (0-0, 13.50 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley, while Worcester started Brian Heller (4-5, 3.69 ERA).
The game was scoreless in the first two innings. Jack Perkins walked Jaylin Davis to start the top of the third inning. Two batters later, he walked Nick Sogard with one out, followed by a single from Jarren Duran that loaded the bases for Bobby Dalbec.
Perkins walked Dalbec, forcing in a run and the Red Sox went up 1-0. That was it for Perkins, who was replaced by Michael Kelly. Two batters later, Kelly walked Christian Stewart for a 2-0 lead with two outs for Johan Mieses. Mieses hit a grand slam into the Capital Tiki Terrace & Oasis at left field for a 6-0 lead. Jack Perkins’s final stats were 2.1 innings, allowing two hits, four runs, four earned runs, three walks, and three strikeouts in 46 pitches, 22 of which were strikes.
Red Sox’s shortstop Ryan Fitzgerald was next. He reached first base on a fielding error by Yairo Munoz. Then, Kelly walked Jaylin Davis, bringing up Kole Cottam. Cottam doubled on a sharp fly ball to right field, scoring Fitzgerald for a 7-0 lead.
The inning ended when Michael Kelly got Nick Sogard to fly out to Dustin Peterson. That was it for Kelly, who went 0.2 innings, allowed two hits, three runs, two earned runs, two walks, and one strikeout in 29 pitches, 15 of them were strikes.
Braeden Ogle was the new IronPigs pitcher at the top of the fourth inning. Ogle gave up a single to Bobby Dalbec with one out. Two batters later, he walked Christian Stewart with two outs for Johan Mieses. Mieses doubled to center field, scoring Dalbec for an 8-0 lead. Then, Ryan Fitzgerald lined out to Daniel Robertson, who caught the ball and stepped on the second base bag for an ending double play.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, IronPigs’ left fielder Dustin Peterson hit a solo home run over the wall at left field, cutting Worcester’s lead 8-1. However, IronPigs’ designated hitter Josh Ockimey flew out to center fielder Jarren Duran, and Jorge Bonifacio struck out swinging, ending the inning.
Jakob Hernandez (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB) pitched at the top of the fifth inning, throwing 22 pitches, of which 13 were strikes, and Ofreidy Gomez (1.0 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) pitched at the top of the sixth inning, throwing 16 pitches, which nine of them were strikes.
Francisco Morales was the new pitcher for the IronPigs at the top of the seventh inning. He gave up back-to-back walks to Jaylin Davis and Kole Cottam with one out for Nick Sogard. Next, Morales threw a wild pitch, moving the runners up a base. Then, Sogard brought Davis home with a sacrifice fly to center field, making it 9-1 Worcester. Next, Morales got Jarren Duron to ground out to second baseman Ali Castillo for the double play, ending the inning.
The IronPigs had one more chance to get back into this game. Worcester pitcher Frank German hit Daniel Robertson with two outs, and Vito Friscia grounded out to third baseman Bobby Dalbec, ending the game. The IronPigs lost 9-1 and split the doubleheader. They had two hits in the game, and the IronPigs are now 70-62 for the season.
The win went to Worcester pitcher Brian Keller, and the loss went to Jack Perkins. It is Perkins’s first loss of the season.
In other scores, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders beat the Durham Bulls 7-2, and the IronPigs are four games behind Durham for first place. Meanwhile, Jacksonville’s game was suspended in the first inning due to rain against the Iowa Cubs.
The series continues tonight at 7:05 pm. Tickets for the game can be purchased on StubHub, and pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
