The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (77-53, 31-25) and the Omaha Storm Chasers (55-75, 24-32) played game five on Saturday night from a rainy Werner Park. Alan Rangel (5-3, 4.45 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley against Chandler Champlain (4-9, 7.88 ERA) of Omaha.
At the top of the second inning, Lehigh Valley had the bases loaded. First baseman Josh Breaux worked a four-pitch walk. Donovan Walton scored for a 1-0 lead. Next, shortstop Rodolfo Castro hit an RBI single to left field. Garrett Stubbs scored for a 2-0 lead.
Later, center fielder Johan Rojas grounded into a forceout at second base. Brewer Hicklen scored for a 3-0 lead. Lehigh Valley third baseman Otto Kemp reached first base on a fielding error by third baseman Bobby Dalbec. Johan Rojas and Josh Breaux scored, and it was now 5-0.
Then, second baseman Donovan Walton hit an RBI single to right field. Gabriel Rincones Jr. scored for a 6-0 lead. It was Walton’s 62nd RBI of the season.
Omaha stormed back in the bottom of the third inning. First baseman Jac Caglianone hit Rangel’s changeup for a three-run home run at 451 feet to right-center field. Lehigh Valley’s lead was now 6-3. It was Caglianone’s 11th home run of the season.
Later, centerfielder Drew Waters hit Rangel’s changeup for a two-run home run to right field. It was now 6-5. It was Waters’s seventh home run of the season. Then, shortstop Harold Castro hit Rangel’s changeup for a solo home run at 417 feet to center field. The game was tied 6-6. It was Castro’s 18th home run of the season.
At the top of the fourth inning, Lehigh Valley third baseman Otto Kemp hit an RBI double to left field. Gabriel Rincones Jr. scored, and the IronPigs took a 7-6 lead. It was Kemp’s 24th double of the season.
Alan Rangel pitched four innings. He allowed seven hits, six runs, four walks, and four strikeouts throwing 93 pitches, of which 61 were strikes. At the top of the sixth inning, the rain picked up, and the game went into a weather delay. The rain did not let up, and the IronPigs defeated the Storm Chasers 7-6 for their fourth consecutive win.
Lehigh Valley finished the game with six hits, committed one error, went 3 for 9 with runners in scoring position, and left five men on base. Donovan Walton went 2 for 3 with an RBI.
The win went to Lehigh Valley relief pitcher Jacob Waguespack. He pitched one inning throwing seven pitches, of which four were strikes. The loss went to Omaha relief pitcher Luinder Avila.
The IronPigs and Storm Chasers concluded the six-game series on Sunday at 6:05 pm.
