The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (20-23) played game five on Friday night against the Rochester Red Wings (23-20) from ESL Ballpark. Alan Rangel was on the mound for Lehigh Valley against Chandler Champlain of Rochester.
In the bottom of the first inning, Rochester shortstop Trey Lipscomb hit Rangel’s four-seam fastball for a solo home run at 412 feet to center field for a 1-0 lead. It was Lipscomb’s seventh home run of the season, and the exit velocity off the bat was 104.8 mph. With two outs, a groundout by Phillip Glasser ended the inning.
At the top of the fourth inning, Otto Kemp was on first base when Liover Peguero hit an RBI double to center field. Kemp scored, but Peguero tried to reach third base and was called out. The IronPigs tied the game 1-1. A lineout by Bryan De La Cruz ended the inning.
At the top of the fifth inning, Lehigh Valley had runners on the corners when Sergio Alcantara hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Christian Cairo to give the IronPigs a 2-1 lead. With two outs, a flyout by Robert Moore ended the inning.
Lehigh Valley starter Alan Rangel pitched six innings, allowing three hits, one run, one walk, and seven strikeouts, throwing 78 pitches, of which 52 were strikes. Zach Pop was the new pitcher for Lehigh Valley in the bottom of the seventh inning.
With a runner on second base, Rochester first baseman Abimelec Ortiz hit an RBI double to left field, scoring Yohandy Morales, and the game was tied 2-2. Andrew Pinckney followed up with an RBI single deflected off the glove of Robert Moore, and into right field, scoring Ortiz to give the Red Wings a 3-2 lead. With one out, Trey Lipscomb struck out swinging, and Pinckney was caught stealing second base to retire the side.
Zach Pop pitched 1.2 innings, allowing three hits, two runs, and two strikeouts, throwing 26 pitches, of which 18 were strikes. Jackson Rutledge replaced Pop in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs. A groundout by Harry Ford ended the inning.
At the top of the ninth inning, Liover Peguero struck out. Bryan De La Cruz lined out to shortstop, and Christian Cairo struck out on a foul tip, and the game was over. The IronPigs lost to the Red Wings 3-2. The IronPigs have now lost five of their last six games.
Lehigh Valley finished the night with five hits, went 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position, and left three men on base. The loss went to Lehigh Valley pitcher Zach Pop (0-1), while the win went to Rochester starter Chandler Champlain (4-0), and Zach Penrod earned his second save of the season.
The IronPigs and Red Wings play game five on Saturday at 6:45 pm on the MLB App. Lehigh Valley has yet to name a starter, while Riley Cornelio (4-1, 3.77 ERA) will be on the mound for Rochester.
