Lehigh Valley IronPigsL Lehigh Valley secured a 10-6 victory over the Charlotte Knights in a game that showcased their offensive firepower. Otto Kemp led the charge with a three-run homer, marking his 14th of the season. Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Rodolfo Castro also contributed home runs, helping the IronPigs build an early lead. Charlotte managed to tie the game at 3-3 in the first inning, but Lehigh Valley responded with a five-run surge between the third and fourth innings. Michael Mercado pitched four innings in relief, allowing just one run and earning the win.

Reading Fightins :Reading suffered a 5-4 loss to the Erie SeaWolves in a game that slipped away in the final inning. Reading held a 4-3 lead heading into the ninth, but Erie rallied with two runs to steal the victory. The Fightins had a chance to respond in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases, but they couldn’t capitalize. Keaton Anthony continued his strong season for Reading, improving his batting average to .331, but his efforts weren’t enough to prevent Reading from dropping the game.

Jersey Shore BlueClaws: The ‘Claws fell 7-3 to the Bowling Green Hot Rods despite hitting three home runs. Carson DeMartini and Kehden Hettiger each hit solo shots in the second inning to give Jersey Shore an early 2-0 lead. However, Bowling Green responded with a four-run third inning, taking advantage of three consecutive bases-loaded walks issued by BlueClaws starter Alex McFarlane. Bowling Green added three more runs in the sixth inning, including a two-run double by Adrian Santana. Matt Higgins hit a solo homer in the ninth, but Jersey Shore couldn’t mount a comeback.

Clearwater Threshers: The sharks lost 8-5 to the Bradenton Marauders in a back-and-forth contest. Clearwater had a promising start, scoring four runs in the third inning, but Bradenton responded with three insurance runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach. Aroon Escobar was the standout performer for Clearwater, hitting two home runs and driving in four of the team’s five runs. Despite his efforts, the Threshers struggled to contain Bradenton’s offense, which capitalized on key scoring opportunities throughout the game.

Tuesday’s Minor League Home Runs (season total in parenthesis):

Aroon Escobar 2 (10), Clearwater Threshers

Otto Kemp (14), Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Gabriel Rincones Jr. (5), Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Rodolfo Castro (3), Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Carson DeMartini (1), Jersey Shore BlueClaws

Kehden Hettiger (1), Jersey Shore BlueClaws

Matt Higgins (1), Jersey Shore BlueClaws