IronPigs and Red Wings Split Doubleheader and Series
Allentown, PA (July 3, 2023) – The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (39-40) throttled the Rochester Red Wings (37-42) in game one of a doubleheader, 13-4, before the Red Wings squeaked out a 5-4 win in the night cap to split the twin bill and series on Monday evening at Coca-Cola Park.
Allentown, PA (July 3, 2023) – The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (39-40) throttled the Rochester Red Wings (37-42) in game one of a doubleheader, 13-4, before the Red Wings squeaked out a 5-4 win in the night cap to split the twin bill and series on Monday evening at Coca-Cola Park.
_Game One _
The IronPigs started the scoring early and often. In the bottom of the first with two outs, Dustin Peterson walked and Drew Ellis then doubled him home. Ellis then scored when a back-pick from the catcher was wild and the snuing throw in went to the backstop. John Hicks then walked and Esteban Quiroz followed with a two-run homer, his fifth of the season.
Rochester got one back in the second on a Drew Millas RBI single but the IronPigs blew the game open with five in the fourth. Cal Stevenson and Jim Haley brought home runs with a sacrifice fly and RBI groundout respectively. Jake Cave then smashed a solo homer and Dustin Peterson capped the frame with a two-run bomb, his 10th of the year.
Lehigh Valley poured it on in the fifth. Cave had an RBI groundout before Weston Wilson belted a three-run homer to make it 13-1.
Rochester plated three consolation runs in the seventh as Millas picked up his second RBI single, Jeter Downs scorched an RBI double, and Jake Alu drove in a run with a groundout to bring the final line to 13-4.
Noah Skirrow (7-3) worked six-plus innings to collect the win for the IronPigs. He allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three.
Wily Peralta (2-6) was saddled with the loss for the Red Wings. He conceded nine runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out four over 3.2 frames.
_Game Two _
The second game of the doubleheader was much tighter affair. Both teams scored in the first with Blake Rutherford hitting a solo homer for Rochester and then Drew Ellis responding with an RBI double in the bottom half to tie it for Lehigh Valley.
Both teams again plated single tallies in the third. Rutherford came through with an RBI single for Rochester while Cave smashed his 15th homer of the season, a solo shot, to tie the game.
Jacob Nottingham put Rochester ahead for good in the top of the fourth with an RBI double before the Red Wings extended the lead in the fifth when a double steal resulted in an error allowing Alu to score.
The IronPigs shaved it to a one-run game again in the bottom of the fifth as Wilson walloped his 19th long ball of the season.
In the sixth both teams scratched across runs as Jake Alu legged out an RBI infield single and Jim Haley did the same in the bottom half to make it 5-4.
The IronPigs put the tying run on base to begin the bottom of the seventh, but Gerson Moreno (S, 3) locked it down for the Red Wings, getting a double play and then another groundout to end the game.
Paolo Espino (4-2) collected the win for the Red Wings. He worked five innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out six.
Jesus Cruz (2-3) suffered the loss for the IronPigs. He conceded two runs in two innings on four hits, striking out one.
The IronPigs now hit the road to begin a six-game series against the Scranton-Wilkes/Barre RailRiders, beginning on Tuesday, July 4 at PNC Field. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.
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The IronPigs are presented by Capital BlueCross.
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