4-Run Eighth Inning Puts Red Wings Past Pigs, 6-5

Marquis and Sizemore play well in their debut, but Pigs blow late four-run lead

By Alec Scercy

June 28, 2014

ALLENTOWN, PA - The Rochester Red Wings score six runs between the seventh and eighth innings to come back from a four-run deficit and earn a split of this mini two-game series.

RHP Jason Marquis made his IronPigs debut, and looked to be in complete control of the game through the first six innings, allowing no runs on only two hits while striking out six through 6.0 innings pitched. The Staten Island native would face one batter in the seventh inning, 2013 International League MVP Chris Colabello - who singled for the third and final hit of the night off of Marquis. Colabello would later come around to score to close out the line for the IronPigs starter at one earned run on three hits in six plus innings.

Red Wings catcher Chris Herrmann tripled off of LHP Jeremy Horst to score Colabello in the seventh, before scoring on a groundout one batter later, to cut the IronPigs lead to 4-2. The Pigs would score in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead to 5-2, but a four-run eighth would follow and put the Wings ahead.

RHP Ethan Martin would take over on the mound to begin the eighth inning, and allowed a double, a single, and a walk in his two-thirds of an inning before LHP Cesar Jimenez came on in an attempt to earn a four-out save. After Herrmann earned a walk to load the bases, Brad Nelson delivered the big hit for the visitors, knocking a two-out, three-run double into the left-centerfield gap, and giving the Wings a 6-5 lead.

OF Grady Sizemore made his IronPigs debut on Friday, and started the game with a lead-off single. The three-time American League all-star would give the Pigs an early lead when he crossed the plate later in the inning on an RBI single by the other Lehigh Valley newcomer, OF Russ Canzler.

The IronPigs would extend their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning when C Sebastian Valle sent a two-run homer over the wall in leftfield. The longball was Valle's fourth in 13 games as an IronPig this season, and second in his last three contests.

Canzler would start the sixth inning with a lead-off double, and later come around to score his first run in an IronPigs uniform on a OF Leandro Castro single, giving the Pigs a 4-0 lead. Lehigh Valley then made it 5-2 in the seventh inning with a 2B Tyler Henson RBI-double that scored SS Andres Blanco.

The IronPigs will now complete their four-game homestand with a two-game series with rival Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Game one of the two-game set is scheduled for 6:35 Saturday night as RHP Barry Enright will face off against RHP Chris Leroux. Saturday night will also feature a fireworks show after the game, presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network Cancer Program.