The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (18-16) returned to Coca-Cola Park on Tuesday afternoon to start a six-game series against the Buffalo Bisons (15-19). Bryse Wilson was on the mound for Lehigh Valley against Hayden Juenger of Buffalo.
Lehigh Valley starter Bryse Wilson pitched five scoreless innings, allowing six hits, one walk, and three strikeouts, throwing 92 pitches, of which 56 were strikes. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Robert Moore hit a single, and Steward Berroa worked a four-pitch walk with one out. Otto Kemp was up, facing Buffalo pitcher Brendan Cellucci. On the first pitch, Cellucci threw a sinker, and Kemp got all of it for a three-run home run at 352 feet to right field for a 3-0 lead.
It was Kemp’s first home run of the season, and the exit velocity off the bat was 99.3 mph. With two outs, Carter Kieboom grounded into a forceout at second base. Jonathan Hernandez was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley at the top of the sixth inning.
Buffalo had runners on second and third base when Willie MacIver hit an RBI single to left field. Charles McAdoo scored, and the Bisons cut the deficit to 3-1. Hernandez was able to get the next three outs. He allowed three hits, one run, and two strikeouts, throwing 26 pitches, of which 15 were strikes.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Lehigh Valley had the bases loaded when Otto Kemp hit Brendon Little’s four-seam fastball for a grand slam at 423 feet to center field for a 7-1 lead. It was Kemp’s second home run of the day, and the exit velocity off the bat was 104 mph. With the home run, he tied a franchise record, scoring seven runs.
Nolan Hoffman pitched at the top of the seventh inning. He struck out one, throwing 12 pitches, of which eight were strikes, to get three outs. Lenny Torres Jr. was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley at the top of the eighth inning.
Moving to the top of the ninth inning, Buffalo had runners on first and second base with one out when Josh Kasevich hit an RBI single to left field, scoring Ismael Munguia, and it was now 7-2. Charles McAdoo hit Torres Jr.’s slider for a three-run home run to left field, and it was now a 7-5 game. Torres Jr. was replaced by Andrew Walling. Torres Jr. pitched 1.1 innings, allowing three runs, four runs, three walks, and two strikeouts, throwing 44 pitches, of which 23 were strikes.
Walling allowed a hit and struck out two, throwing 12 pitches, of which nine were strikes, to get the final two outs of the game. The IronPigs defeated the Bisons by the final score of 7-5.
Lehigh Valley finished the afternoon with eight hits, committed one error, went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position, and left nine men on base. Otto Kemp went 2 for 4 with two home runs, a walk, and seven RBIs. The win went to Lehigh Valley starter Bryse Wilson (2-3), while Andrew Walling earned the save (1), and the loss went to Durham pitcher Brendan Cellucci (0-1).
The IronPigs and Bisons play game two on Wednesday at 6:45 pm on the MLB App. Chuck King (1-1, 4.50 ERA) will be on the mound for Lehigh Valley against Austin Voth (0-0, 4.05 ERA) of Buffalo.
