Moon Rocs Fall To Space Pigs In One Run Contest, 5-4

After four consecutive postponements to kick off the 2024 home schedule, the Rochester Moon Rocs dropped their home opener against the Lehigh Valley Space Pigs, 5-4. SS Jack Dunn paced the offense with a bases-clearing triple, while LHP Mitchell Parker struck out five and allowed just one hit across 4.0 innings pitched in his first start of 2024.

Following three scoreless frames to begin the contest, Lehigh Valley broke into the run column in the top half of the fourth. LF Kody Clemens led off with a walk and promptly moved to third base on a ground ball off the bat of C Aramis Garcia, which resulted in a throwing error. Two batters later, RF Jordan Luplow skied a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Clemens to give Lehigh Valley an early 1-0 lead.

Rochester answered immediately in the bottom of the fourth, putting up four runs to take the lead, 4-1. 1B Juan Yepez recorded Rochester’s first hit of the game to lead off the inning, lining a single to right field. DH Travis Blankenhorn followed with a single of his own, sending Yepez to second. 3B Carter Kieboom reached first via his second walk of the day, which loaded the bases for C Drew Millas. The Missouri native worked a walk that allowed Yepez to score from third and tied the game at 1-1. Jack Dunn launched a triple the next at-bat, clearing the bases and giving the Moon Rocs a 4-1 lead.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Space Pigs were able to tie Rochester 4-4. A double off the bat of DH Simon Muzziotti and a pair of singles from CF Matt Kroon and 2B Scott Kingery loaded the bases with no outs. Clemens then laced a two-run single to make the score 4-3, and a wild pitch two batters later allowed Kingery to score from third, tying the game at four.

After the Moon Rocs did not answer in the bottom of the fifth, Lehigh Valley was able to take the lead in the top of the sixth. Kroon singled up the middle with two outs and stole second on the next pitch. He came around to score and gave the Space Pigs a 5-4 lead after Kingery tripled to the center field fence.

From the fifth inning onward, the Moon Rocs tallied just three hits, including a double from RF James Wood. While Rochester pitching shut out Lehigh Valley over the last three innings, their offense was unable to cross the plate, ultimately dropping their home opener against the Space Pigs, 5-4.

Mitchell Parker took the ball to start for Rochester, allowing an unearned run across 4.0 innings of work on one hit while striking out five and walking one. RHP Robert Gsellman replaced Parker to begin the fifth inning. After allowing three hits across 0.1 innings of work, he was replaced by LHP Richard Bleier. The Florida native allowed one earned on three hits over 1.1 innings before giving the ball to RHP Luis Reyes, who recorded the final out of the sixth inning. RHP Amos Willingham took over to start the seventh and recorded two strikeouts across a scoreless 2.0 innings. RHP Jacob Barnes followed with a clean ninth inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced to hold Lehigh Valley to five runs.

The Diamond Pro Player of the Game for Saturday’s home opener goes to SS Jack Dunn. The 2019 20th-round selection finished the contest with a 1-for-4 line, clearing the bases with a three-RBI triple. Dunn has now driven in a run in each of the first four games of the season, becoming the first Rochester hitter since at least 2005 to do so.

Rochester looks to return to the win column Sunday in a seven-inning doubleheader. LHP DJ Herz is slated to make his Triple-A debut in game one, with RHP Mick Abel opposing him. RHP Joan Adon toes the rubber against Space Pigs RHP Tyler Phillips in game two. First pitch for game one is slated for 1:05 p.m.

Find the box score here.