Blanco's Blast Sends 'Pigs to Walk-off Win
So it is only fitting that when Andres Blanco, the author of one of those ten wins, stepped to the plate to lead off the tenth, he ended it with one swing. It was his second walk-off home run of the year, and it came in a crucial game as the IronPigs entered play sitting in third place in the IL North, behind Pawtucket and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
For Blanco the home run was his eighth of the season, second on the team to only Cody Overbeck's ten. It was the prefect remedy to a previously troubling day at the plate. Blanco had struck out in each of his first three at bats, but he more than made up for it.
It was a great way to end what was a semi-frustrating night at that point for Lehigh Valley. They were only 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, made three errors and could not get anything going in the latter part of the game against the Red Sox bullpen.
It was Tony Pena Jr. who took the mound for Pawtucket and was opposed by IronPigs righty Scott Elarton. Pena had just earned his first win of the season on July 16th (1-9, 5.55 ERA prior to tonight's game), and Elarton had not won a game since May 16, albeit pitching much better in his previous two starts.
But what could have easily been a rough day for both pitchers was not so. Pena Jr. allowed a solo home run in the second inning to Hector Luna (5), and an RBI single to Michael Spidale in the fourth, but limited the IronPigs to just those two runs.
Elarton pitched just as well. He breezed through the first five innings, taking a shutout into the sixth for just the first time since his last win more than two months ago. But the sixth was where he encountered a little hiccup. With little room for error, Pawtucket was able to tie things up after Andres Blanco made an errant throw with a man on base. Mauro Gomez followed with an RBI single and J.C. Linares, on what should have been the third out of the inning, drove home a run on a sacrifice fly.
By then both teams had turned things over to the bullpen, and both bullpens were untouchable in the late innings. Jose De La Torre, Mark Prior and Will Inman threw a combined 4.1 innings of no-hit, no-run ball, and Tyson Brummett, Jake Diekman and Phillipe Aumont did the same through 3.2 innings.
That brought the game to extras, a familiar spot for the IronPigs. It was just last Friday that they ended a home stand with an extra inning win over Norfolk, and they started off this homestand the same way.
Joe Savery pitched a scoreless tenth, and that brought up Lehigh Valley with the nine, one, and two hitters due up.
They never got past the first batter. Blanco, who already had a walk-off home run to his name back in May, came through yet again. He took the 2-2 offering from Alex Wilson and deposited it just over the right field wall, ending the game in a way the IronPigs seem to have patented this year.
The walk-off victory was Lehigh Valley's eleventh of the year, and being the first day of August they now have at least one in every month. An incredible 30 percent of their home wins this season have been in walk-off fashion. They are also now an IL best 9-1 in extra inning affairs.
Blanco and Luna each were 1-for-4 with a solo home run, and Spidale was 2-for-4 with an RBI. The only other hit for Lehigh Valley was a double from Steve Susdorf.
For Pawtucket it was Gomez that paced the offense with two hits in five trips and a run batted in and Linares was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly.
Although Elarton pitched well enough to win again, he received a no decision and remains winless in his last 14 starts. The victory went to Savery, in his first appearance since he was optioned to Lehigh Valley from Philadelphia. It was his first win of the season for Lehigh Valley, and his ERA sits at 3.75.
The loser in the game was Wilson, now 5-3 with a 3.54 ERA. The only batter he faced was Blanco.
With the win Lehigh Valley is now 61-52, and just a game and a half out in the North after they picked up a full game against Pawtucket. A 5-1 win in the six game set would put the IronPigs half a game up on the red Sox, and possibly in first place depending on the outcome of the Yankees' games.
Thursday's game will be a prime opportunity for a win as the IronPigs send ace Tyler Cloyd (10-1, 1.98 ERA) to the hill to square off against southpaw Chris Hernandez (1-0, 1.64 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05.