The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (54-61, 19-21) returned to Coca-Cola Park on Tuesday night to begin a six-game homestand against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (62-50, 25-13). Chuck King was on the mound for Lehigh Valley against Alexander Cornielle of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Before the game, the Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP Alex McFarlane and sent RHP Alan Rangel to Lehigh Valley.
At the top of the first inning, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had runners on the corners when Max Schuemann hit an RBI single to first baseman Keaton Anthony, scoring Anthony Volpe to put the RailRiders up 1-0. With one out and runners on first and second base, Lehigh Valley got out of the inning when Marco Luciano hit into a 4-6-3 double play.
In the bottom of the third inning, Lehigh Valley catcher Payton Henry tied the game 1-1 by hitting Cornielle’s four-seam fastball for an opposite home run at 402 feet to right-center field. It was his fifth home run of the season, and the exit velocity off the bat was 103.3 mph. Keaton Anthony hit a single, and Colby Thomas walked with two outs. A flyout by Tommy Pham ended the inning.
At the top of the fourth inning with two outs, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had a runner on first base when Oswaldo Cabrera hit King’s slider for a two-run home run at 401 feet to right-center field to give the RailRiders a 3-1 lead. It was his 13th home run of the season, and the exit velocity off the bat was 103 mph. King put two more runners on base before striking out Kenedy Corona to end the inning.
Chuck King went six innings, allowing six hits, three runs, one walk, and four strikeouts, throwing 86 pitches, of which 54 were strikes. Michael Mercado pitched for Lehigh Valley at the top of the seventh inning. Mercado put runners on first and second base with two outs when Jasson Domínguez hit an RBI single to right field, scoring Yanquiel Fernández for a 4-2 lead. A flyout by Max Schuemann ended the inning. Mercado went two innings, allowing three hits, one run, two walks, and one strikeout, throwing 41 pitches, of which 23 were strikes.
Max Lazar pitched for Lehigh Valley at the top of the ninth inning. Lazar threw 13 pitches, of which seven were strikes, to get three outs. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Carter Kieboom worked a four-pitch walk, and Payton Henry was hit by a pitch with nobody out. With one out, Keaton Anthony hit an RBI single to center field, scoring Robert Moore, and it was now 4-3.
Lehigh Valley had runners on the corners when Gabriel Rincones Jr. hit a game-winning two-run RBI double off the wall at left field, scoring Anthony and Felix Reyes for a 5-4 win. Lehigh Valley finished the night with 10 hits, went 5 for 10 with runners in scoring position, and left nine men on base.
Payton Henry went 3 for 3 with a home run, a hit by a pitch, and one RBI, while Carter Kieboom went 2 for 3 with two doubles, a walk, and an RBI. The win went to Lehigh Valley pitcher Max Lazar (4-1), and the loss went to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitcher Eric Reyzelman (1-2).
The IronPigs and RailRiders play game two on Wednesday at 6:45 pm on the MLB App and Bally Sports Live. Drake Fellows (3-2, 5.56 ERA) will be on the mound for Lehigh Valley against Xavier Rivas (6-4, 3.65 ERA) of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
