Late Homer Not Enough as IronPigs Drop Series
ROCHETSER, NY - The Lehigh Valley IronPigs dropped the finale of their four-game series to the Rochester Red Wings by a 6-3 tally Thursday morning at Frontier Field.
The Red Wings (56-51), who took three games in the series, used a trio of two-run frames and starter Liam Hendriks was perfect through the game's first 6 1/3 innings to drop the IronPigs (52-54) to two games under .500 for the first time since June 7.
The home side scored the contest's first runs in the second frame when Deibinson Romero cracked a solo home run and Brian Dinkelman knocked an RBI double to left field. Then in the third Rochester doubled its lead when Romero hit his second homer of the contest, this time a two-run shot, for a 4-0 lead.
In the fifth the Red Wings again scored two runs, this time behind Jeff Clement's two-out, two-run double to take a commanding 6-0, while Hendriks had yet to yield a hit.
The IronPigs finally got their first baserunner in inning number seven as Freddy Galvis singled with one away. Cody Asche then followed with a double to put runners on second and third, which set the table for Cody Overbeck to launch his team-leading 16th homer of the season to cut the deficit in half at 6-3.
Lehigh Valley was able to bring the tying run to the plate with two outs in the eighth, but reliever Aaron Thompson worked out of the jam before tossing a scoreless ninth inning notch his sixth save.
Hendriks (3-7) earned the win with 7 1/3 innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits and improving his career record against the IronPigs to 3-1. Right-hander Zach Miner (5-6) suffered the loss in the spot-start, surrendering four runs (two earned) in four innings.
Asche finished 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored, extending his hitting streak to six games, while infielder Matt Tolbert made his debut in an IronPigs uniform, finishing 0-for-4.
The IronPigs head east to begin a four-game series with the Pawtucket Red Sox on Friday. LHP Greg Smith (5-1, 1.93) makes the start for Lehigh Valley against RHP Allen Webster (5-3, 4.40) for the PawSox. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. from McCoy Stadium.