Martin, Asche Propel IronPigs Past Red Wings
ROCHESTER, NY - Right-hander Ethan Martin pitched six shutout innings and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs pounded out 13 hits as they defeated the Rochester Red Wings 8-1 Tuesday night at Frontier Field.
Martin (11-5) moved in to sole possession of second place in the International League with his 11th win in which he allowed just two hits and struck out six while throwing 100 pitches.
Meanwhile the IronPigs' offense scored as many runs as they had in their past six games behind a pair of home runs from Cody Asche, winning for just the second time over their past nine contests.
Lehigh Valley (52-52) struck for three runs in the third inning to open the scoring as Cameron Rupp led off with a solo home run, followed by a double from Tyson Gillies. After a sacrifice bunt Freddy Galvis singled home Gillies, and later in the frame Cody Overbeck singled to score Galvis for a 3-0 lead.
Two frames later the 'Pigs doubled their score, scoring the first run of the inning when Galvis doubled home Cesar Hernandez. Asche then launched his 11th homer of the season, a two-run shot, for a 6-0 advantage.
In the eighth frame Hernandez drove in Michael Martinez on a groundout before the Red Wings (54-51) countered in the bottom of the frame behind Chris Parmelee's double. Asche then added a solo dinger in the ninth inning to close the scoring at 8-1.
Hernandez, Galvis, Asche and Overbeck, the IronPigs' 1-4 hitters, combined to go 9-for-19 with six RBIs and five runs scored. Every player in the starting lineup reached base safely while the team tallied five extra-base hits.
The IronPigs' bullpen pitched well once again, as Mauricio Robles, B.J. Rosenberg and Mike MacDougal combined for three innings on one-run relief while striking out four. Righty Nick Blackburn (0-1) took the loss for Rochester, surrendering six runs on 10 hits in five innings.
RHP Tyler Cloyd (2-8, 6.68) makes the start for Lehigh Valley Wednesday night against Rochester's RHP P.J. Walters (4-2, 3.96) in game three of the four-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. from Frontier Field.