Muñoz Extends Streak to 18 With Hits in Both Games of Doubleheader

ALLENTOWN, P.A. — The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (31-40) swept the Worcester Red Sox (37-32) in an offensive-minded doubleheader on Saturday, taking the opener in come-from-behind fashion 10-7 and then exploding for five runs in the first en route to a 6-4 victory in the nightcap in front of a capacity crowd of 10,100 at Coca-Cola Park.

The WooSox led game one 4-0 after two trips to the plate, but the Iron Pigs would blast four homers in six innings and score ten of the final 13 runs in the contest. Lehigh Valley has won three straight and has now taken four of the first six contests in the seven-game series.

Worcester began the day with a blast, as Josh Ockimey connected on a three-run home run (11) four batters into in the top of the first inning against Pigs' starter Julian Garcia. The WooSox, in fact, would score at least once3 in each of game's first four innings.

After Worcester extended the lead to 4-0 on an RBI infield single by Jonathan Arauz, Lehigh Valley answered back with a second-inning five spot. Working against WooSox ace Raynel Espinal (7-3), the home team began the frame with two singles from the first three batters and would get on the board thanks to a wild pitch.

After a hit-by-pitch put two on with two outs, Charlie Tilson single home a run to cut the deficit to 4-2. Daniel Brito capped the big rally by cracking a three-run job (2) to put the IronPigs on top 5-4.

An inning later, Yairo Muñoz extended his hit streak to 17 games—a stretch that would be 18 by the end of the night—with an RBI single against reliever Damon Jones (1-2) that tied the game at 5 through 2 1/2 busy innings.

Lehigh Valley took back control in the bottom of the frame however, as back-to-back homers from Mickey Moniak and Matt Vierling opened the frame against Espinal. The WooSox started was lifted after a Ruben Tejada one-out single, and reliever Brandon Brennan allowed an RBI double to Tilson that made it a three-run frame and an 8-5 contest through three.

Tate Matheny's two-out, two-run double in the fourth against Jones brought Worcester to within one, 8-7, after four, but the WooSox would not score again.

Moniak extended the lead to 10-7 in the sixth with his second homer (12), a two-run blast inside the right field foul pole. That was the 11th hit for the IronPigs, the final knock in their victory in game one. Cam Bedrosian worked a scoreless seventh inning to earn the save.

Game two began with another big inning for Lehigh Valley, a five-run first frame versus WooSox starter John Schreiber. The IronPigs collected six hits in the first: five singles and one double. Jorge Bonifacio started the scoring with a two-run single, Brito added another tally on a double, and after a Darick Hall's fielder's choice RBI grounder Tilson bunted for a run-scoring single.

In all ten batters came to the plate in Lehigh Valley's fourth five-run inning in the series. It would be all the offense the Pigs needed to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Worcester got two back in the top of the fourth on another big hit from Arauz, this time a two-run homer (6) over the right field wall. Lehigh Valley added one in the bottom of the inning on a Jeter Downs throwing error to make it 6-2.

The WooSox managed a late comeback, plating a run in the fifth on an RBI single by Yairo Muñoz against IronPigs’ starter David Paulino (3-2). They added another against reliever Brady Lail thanks to a run-scoring double from Jett Bandy, but Lail tossed a scoreless seventh to close out a 6-4 victory.

The WooSox conclude the series Sunday with a doubleheader at 1:35 p.m. at Coca-Cola Park versus the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Radio coverage starts live at 1:15 p.m. on 100 FM The Pike and the WooSox Radio Network.