‘Pigs Smash Red Wings to Split Twin Bill

Allentown, Pennsylvania (May 21, 2024) – After getting held to just one run in the front end of a doubleheader, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (17-27) exploded for 16 runs, a season-high, in the second game to earn a doubleheader split with the Rochester Red Wings (22-21), losing 4-1 in the first game and winning 16-3 in the second.

Game One

David Dahl led off the home half of the first inning with a solo homer, his second leadoff bomb of the season and sixth homer of the season.

Rochester claimed the lead with a two-run single from Travis Blankenhorn in the third inning.

The Red Wings doubled their lead in the sixth. Drew Millas doubled and then Carter Kieboom doubled to make it 3-1. Darren Baker then drove in Kieboom with a base hit to make it 4-1.

Thaddeus Ward (2-2) held the ‘Pigs down and earned the win with five innings of one-run baseball. He allowed four hits and three walks, striking out one. Rico Garcia (S, 6) worked a perfect ninth, striking out one, for the save.

Michael Mercado (0-1) suffered his first loss of the year for the ‘Pigs, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks, striking out one over three innings.

Game Two

The ‘Pigs bats showed out in game two to lead the way, straight away from the jump. Dahl tripled with one out in the first and Jordan Luplow drove him in with a double. Weston Wilson followed with a single to score Luplow. Cal Stevenson then walked before Matt Kroon banged a double off the wall in rightfield to bring home Wilson. After a pop-up, Esteban Quiroz capped the inning with a two-run single to make it 5-0.

In the third, Kroon collected his second RBI double to make it 6-0. After an Aramis Garcia single, Quiroz slammed a three-run homer, his second home run of the season, to make it 9-0.

After three straight singles to open the fourth, Cal Stevenson slugged a grand slam, his third long ball of the year, to push the ‘Pigs lead to 13-0.

James Wood demolished a two-run homer, his eighth of the year, to get Rochester on the board in the fourth before the Red Wings added another run in the fifth on a run-scoring double play.

Jordan Luplow capped the scoring for the ‘Pigs with a three-run shot, his seventh homer of the year, in the seventh to make it 16-3.

Tyler Phillips (5-2) spun his second straight complete game, working seven innings and allowing three runs on four hits and two walks, striking out five. Phillips becomes the second IronPig in franchise history to throw back-to-back complete games and first since Tyler Cloyd did it on August 8 and August 14, 2013.

Robert Gsellman (0-2) took the loss for the Red Wings, allowing eight runs in 2.1 innings on eight hits and two walks, striking out three.

The ‘Pigs and Red Wings continue their series on Wednesday, May 22. First pitch is slated for 6:45 p.m. with David Buchanan (3-2, 4.37) slated to go for Lehigh Valley while Rochester goes with Joan Adon (1-3, 6.75).

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The IronPigs are presented by Capital Blue Cross.

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