Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Donovan Walton and Justin Crawford led the offense with three hits apiece, but Lehigh Valley fell to Omaha 11-9 Tuesday in Nebraska. Both players also homered in the game as did Gabriel Rincones Jr., who picked up two hits against Omaha pitchers. It was the second straight game that Crawford homered in for Lehigh Valley. Crawford and Rincones both hit two-run home runs while Walton added a ninth inning solo blast. Lehigh Valley had 11 hits and walked six times in the game while Omaha collected 13 hits and drew eight walks against IronPigs pitchers.

Right-hander Mitch Neunborn got the start for Lehigh Valley and lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits and three walks. Michael Mercado threw 1.1 shutout innings and Phil Bickford pitched a clean seventh inning. Lucan Sims (1 IP, 3 ER) and Seth Johnson (1 IP, 4 ER) both struggled in their outing.

The two teams play game two of the series Wednesday night in Omaha.

Reading Fightins

Chesapeake came to town and beat Reading 5-2 at FirstEnergy Stadium Tuesday night. Felix Reyes had the lone multi-hit game for the Fightins as he picked up two hits, including a double. Nick Dunn also had a double for Reading. Reyes’ second hit came with runners on second and third and two out in the bottom of the fifth when he singled to plate both runners for the only Reading runs of the night to give Reading a short-lived lead. The Bay Sox got two runs against starter Estibenzon Jimenez in the top of the sixth.

The two runs allowed by Jimenez were the only runs he allowed as he lasted six innings and gave up five hits and did not walk a batter. Tommy McCollum followed Jimenez and pitched a scoreless seventh to keep the game tied. The Sox got a run against lefty Andrew Walling and two unearned runs against Andrew Baker in the ninth. Walling (2-5, 4.50) took the loss.

Jersey Shore BlueClaws

Five Aberdeen pitchers allowed just three combined hits to shutout Jersey Shore 4-0 at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, MD. Dante Nori, Aroon Escobar, and Kehden Hettiger collected the hits. Jersey Shore hitters did walk seven times in the game, but struck out 11 times.

Reese Dutton struck out seven over five innings, but allowed all four runs to pick up the loss. Kevin Warunek, Casey Steward, and Jake Eddington all contributed shutout innings out of the bullpen with Eddington throwing a perfect inning and striking out two batters.

Clearwater Threshers

Clearwater also lost Tuesday night as they fell to Daytona 7-4. Leadoff hitter Manolfi Jimenez and two-hole hitter Jonathan Hogart both picked up two hits with Hogart getting an RBI. Will Vierling reached base three times with two doubles and a walk, he also drove in one of the Threshers runs in the game.

Starter Luis Gonzalez (0-1) threw three innings and gave up six runs – four earned – and took the loss. Adilson Peralta gave up one earned run in three innings of work and Eli Trop threw two shutout innings, allowing just one baserunner on a walk.

Tuesday’s home runs (season total in parenthesis):

  • Lehigh Valley – Gabriel Rincones Jr. (14), Donovan Walton (13), Justin Crawford (6)
  • Reading – none
  • Jersey Shore – none
  • Clearwater – none