Pigs Split Doubleheader with Mud Hens
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (24-19) split a doubleheader with the Toledo Mud Hens (18-24) on Sunday afternoon at Coca-Cola Park. Toledo captured game one by a 6-3 count and the Pigs won game two by a 3-0 score.
The IronPigs will begin a three-game set with the Pawtucket Red Sox on Tuesday night at McCoy Stadium. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. as RHP Zach Eflin (5-0, 2.36) gets the ball for the Pigs against PawSox LHP Roenis Elias (1-3, 4.96).
Game One
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs dropped game one of a doubleheader to the Toledo Mud Hens by a score of 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at Coca-Cola Park.
Trailing 6-3 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the IronPigs brought the tying run to the plate after an Andrew Knapp RBI single, but RHP Bruce Rondon (1.0 IP, H, R, ER, 2 BB, K) got Darin Ruf to pop out to first and end the game.
A four-run first opened up an early 4-0 lead for the Mud Hens as Dixon Machado and Chad Huffman each plated a run with an RBI double while Nate Schierholtz and Jordany Valdespin knocked home runs via RBI singles.
All four runs were charged to Pigs starter Mark Appel (3-3) who gave up the four runs on four hits while walking a pair in 0.2 IP.
In the bottom half of the frame, the Pigs had the bases loaded with nobody out after a walk and a pair of errors, but Ruf grounded into a 6-4-3 double play which allowed a run to score and cut the lead to 4-1.
The IronPigs cut the lead to 4-2 with a run in the third as Taylor Featherston reached with a one-out single, advanced to second on a single, went to third on a walk and scored on Ruf's RBI groundout.
Featherston's single extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Mud Hens starter Daniel Norris (1-4) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits to go along with three walks and seven strikeouts in 5.0 IP.
In the top of fifth, Huffman drew a two-out walk issued by RHP Severino Gonzalez (4.0 IP, 2 H, R, ER, BB, 5 K) and scored from first on Casey McGehee's RBI double to give Toledo a 5-2 lead.
The Mud Hens extended the lead to 6-2 with a run in the top of the seventh as Huffman knocked home a run with an RBI single.
Game Two
LHP James Russell tossed four shutout innings and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs blanked the Toledo Mud Hens by a score of 3-0 in game two on Sunday afternoon at Coca-Cola Park.
Russell (n/d) gave up one hit while fanning four in his four innings of work. RHP Luis Garcia (1.0 IP, BB, 3 K), RHP Edubray Ramos (1.0 IP, BB, 2 K) and RHP Edward Mujica (1.0 IP) combined to toss the final three innings for the Pigs. Garcia earned the win to improve his record to 2-1 on the year and Mujica notched his 11th save of the year.
The IronPigs took a 1-0 lead with a run in the second when Brock Stassi drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a sac bunt and scored on Will Venable's two-out RBI single.
Taylor Featherston (0-3) saw his hitting streak come to an end at 10 games for Lehigh Valley.
Back-to-back home runs from Nick Williams (2-3, HR, RBI, R) and Darin Ruf in the bottom of the sixth off of Mud Hens starter Thad Weber opened up a 3-0 lead for the Pigs. The home run was Williams' fourth of the season and Ruf's second. It marks the first time the IronPigs have hit back-to-back homers since Maikel Franco and Ruf accomplished the feat on May 19, 2014 at Buffalo off of LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith.
Weber (5-2) allowed the three runs on eight hits to go along with three walks and three strikeouts in six innings of work.
Cedric Hunter (2-2, 2 2B) also had a multi-hit game for manager Dave Brundage's squad.