Felix Reyes carried his hot Spring Training start into the regular season Friday night in the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 5-2 win over the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit). The Phillies prospect delivered two doubles and two singles and scored twice for Lehigh Valley. The win was the sixth straight season opening win for the Pigs. Christian Cairo reached base three times with a walk, a single, and a double. The walk came with bases loaded in the sixth inning to force home a run.
On the mound, Alan Rangel worked 4.2 innings, giving up three hits and walking three while striking out four and allowing one earned run. Nolan Hoffman pitched a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts to get the win. In all, the bullpen threw 4.1 innings and allowed one earned run and struck out five batters.
Mud Hens pitching issued nine walks in the game with three of them coming in a four-run seventh inning. The big hit in the inning came from Liover Peguero when he came through with a bases loaded single to plate two runs.
Toledo picked up a run in the second inning when a single by Trei Cruz was followed by a wild pitch. One out later, Corey Julks singled to bring home Cruz. Their other run came in the top of the ninth on a one out solo home run from Wenceel Perez off of Trevor Richards.
The two teams play again Saturday and will feature Zack Wheeler making his first rehab start for Lehigh Valley. Reliever Orion Kerkering is also scheduled to pitch. Wheeler is set for three innings of work and Kerkering will throw one inning. Wheeler is still recovering from surgery to remove a rib after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. Kerkering was sidelined by a hamstring injury in Spring Training and just needs more work to get ready for pitching in the majors.
