IronPigs Win Third Straight, Sweep Series

ALLENTOWN, PA - The IronPigs won their third consecutive game over the Rochester Red Wings on Friday night, thanks in part to a four-run, fourth inning and a quality start by LHP Jo-Jo Reyes. The win completed a sweep of the two-game series - the Pigs third sweep of the season - and earned a split of the season series with the Red Wings.

Lehigh Valley quickly jumped out to a lead in this series finale, scoring two batters into the game on a SS Freddy Galvis double that scored his childhood friend 2B Cesar Hernandez - who singled to lead-off the frame - from first base.

Rochester would later take the lead, scoring three runs in the top of the third inning off of Lehigh Valley starter LHP Jo-Jo Reyes. After back-to-back singles in the third inning, 2B James Beresford came to the plate with two on and two out and put the Red Wings on the board with an RBI-double. DH Josmil Pinto then reached base on an infield single that scored two runs, as 3B Maikel Franco's throw pulled 1B Jim Murphy off the back towards rightfield just enough to allow Beresford - who made a heads-up base running play - to score from second base, just ahead of Murphy's throw.

Those three runs - with two coming on an infield single - were the only runs scored on Reyes in the game, who also struck out five batters in his six innings pitched. The quality start was the first in the 29-year-old's brief IronPigs career, and his offense would score four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to also give him his first win with Lehigh Valley.

The first four IronPigs reached base in the fourth inning off of Rochester starter LHP Kris Johnson, including a lead-off triple by OF Leandro Castro, who then scored on a Murphy single. With the bases loaded and nobody out in the inning, OF Tyler Henson would beat-out an attempted double-play to earn an RBI. Henson would then take his eighteenth stolen base of the season before a Hernandez groundout moved him to third and scored OF Cam Perkins. Henson then scored the fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch by reliever RHP Stephen Pryor.

Ahead 5-3 in the fifth inning, the IronPigs added an insurance run when DH Russ Canzler tallied his second homerun in as many days. The solo-shot gave Lehigh Valley a three-run advantage, which would be plenty for Reyes and his bullpen.

The Red Wings nearly scored in the bottom of the fifth inning on a double by Josmil Pinto, but a great throw and relay by Perkins and Galvis cut down OF Eric Farris at the plate as he tried to score from first, to end the inning.

Rochester did cut the IronPigs lead to 6-4 in the seventh inning off of RHP Ethan Martin, as Beresford drove in C Dan Rohlfing with a two-out double. RHP Hector Neris would then throw a perfect eighth inning to increase his scoreless innings streak to 13.0, before RHP Luis Garcia recorded the final three outs to earn his second save in as many nights, and eighteenth as an IronPig this season.

The IronPigs will look to continue their winning ways against the IL South Division-leading Durham Bulls on Saturday, as last year's Governor's Cup champions visit Allentown for a four-game series. The Bulls are the only International League team yet to play at Coca-Cola Park this season, but they did win three of four games against the Pigs in Durham earlier in the year. First pitch for Saturday's game is scheduled for 6:35 and will see RHP Sean O'Sullivan take the mound against RHP Matt Andriese.