IronPig Game Results 8/31/11 – Fat Lady is Warming Up

You could hear the Fat Lady warming up in the tunnels at Coca Cola Park tonight. It’s not over until she sings but a 4 game losing streak combined with a hitting slump and Erik Kratz’s questionable suspension have her ready to go.

Pigs lost to SWB tonight by a score of 2-6.

Pawtucket lost tonight and remain 2 games ahead of the Pigs with 4 games to go.

Gwinnett at the moment holds a 1 game lead over the Pigs in the wild card race. That could go to 1.5 or .5 games pending the result of the 2nd game of their double header tonight. At the writing of this post, Gwinnett holds a 2-1 lead in the 6th inning.

Is it April yet?

Kratz Suspended – Other Transactions

A revised roster was released this afternoon announcing a 3 game suspension for Erik Kratz for involvement in the 8/26 game’s incident. I don’t have the details but I remember the benches clearing a couple times.

With 5 games remaining into the playoffs the Pigs will depend on Dane Sardinha’s .126 batting average and John Suomi who was called up from Reading.

Also, Tagg Bozied was placed on the DL with a left shin contusion.

Yet another nail…

Most Interesting Man in Baseball – Part 2

From our friends at SE2

IronPig Game Results 8/31/11 – Short on Time

The Pigs tried tonight, they really did.

In a 14 inning effort, the Pigs fell to SWB at Coca Cola Park tonight.

The game looked well in hand with a 1-0 lead in the 9th and Justin DeFratus on the mound. DeFratus had Jorge Vasquez (The IL HR leader) with a 1-2 count. Two very very very close pitches were called balls by home plate umpire Karl Best and on a 3-2 count Vasquez hit a solo HR to tie the game. DeFratus struck out the next two batters and retired the last on a fly ball.

The Pigs threatened in the 13th but to no avail. In came Juan Perez who quickly showed why his record is now 0 and 5. He allowed back to back singles before Brandon Laird sent a souvenir into the Lawn seating. The Pigs loaded the bases in their half of the 14th but no one crossed home plate and we all headed home.

Tonight was a great opportunity for the Pigs to move ahead. Both Pawtucket and Gwinnett lost. With all three losing no ground was lost but time is getting short. With only 5 games remaining the Pigs are holding in a tie with Gwinnett for the wild card slot and 2 games behind Pawtucket for the IL North.

The Pigs need to win. Plain and simple. Sure they could get in with the other teams losing but who wants to see that? Not me.

IronPigs 2012 Schedule – Magnetized

The International League 2012 schedule should be released soon, however the IronPigs have revealed theirs with Monday’s “fridge magnet” giveaway sponsored once again by Sacred Heart Hospital.

 

 Reading’s own Rich Thompson was awarded the pleasure of viewing what the fans are retrieving from their refrigerators for the 2012 season. Richie T is the current IronPig’s all-time leader of games played with 433 and stolen bases with 110.

Interestingly, the IronPig’s 2012 kickoff begins with an away series at S/WB on April 5^th and 6^th.  Coca-Cola Park has been rumored to be a replacement for Moosic’s PNC Field during its planned renovations. So, will the IronPigs opening day in fact be an away game?

The Pigs official home opener is scheduled for Wed April 11, 2012 against the Syracuse Chiefs.  There is a season-long 9 game home stand at the end of June through the 4^th of July. Lehigh Valley will conclude the season in Allentown against Buffalo on Mon September, 3.

Get your tickets now!

OINK ON!

DiPro’s Dish

IronPigs Game Results 8/29/11 – Missed the Bus

Not only did The Voice of the Iron Pigs Matt Provence miss the bus on the way home from Louisville, but the IronPigs may have just done the same on their road to the International League Playoffs by dropping two to the Syracuse Chiefs tonight at Coca-Cola Park.

As a result the Pigs are now 2 off the lead in the IL North and in a tie with Gwinnett for the lone Wild Card Spot with 6 games left to play. The task is clear – win and be in.

The IronPigs returned home through Hurricane Irene with an acceptable 10 game road trip finishing .500.  Before tonight’s debacle, the Pigs had won 7 of their last 12 contests but remained just 34-36 since June 16 when they led the IL North by 5 games.

Tonight the IronPigs went 0-8 with RISP and left 12 men on base on top of 4 errors (really 5).  Combine all that with 18 strikeouts in 14 innings and the results are clear.

Domonic Brown certainly had a bad night going 0-6 with 4 SO and some abnormal, run resulting field play. It was the first time this fan has heard rousing boos and cat calls directed toward any Pig’s player this year.  D. Brown was eventually yanked from game two and Tagg Bozied (IF) replaced him in left. Bottom line is, Domonic has contributed in the past and he will contribute again - unfortunately the young man had a bad night at an inopportune time.

The beautifully sunset evening  can certainly not be blamed solely on Brown however.  The team was a combined 8 for 50 for a (well below the Mendoza line) average of .160. Two doubles were the hitting highlight reel of the night.

So are the Pigs done?

Are our playoff packs going to be next year’s season ticket credit fodder?

That remains to be seen -”the bus has not left the rest stop“, yet…

I would like to leave you with a few last thoughts for this post…

This game isn’t always about winning or making the playoffs. Sometimes it’s a night of camaraderie with old friends you haven’t seen for awhile. Sometimes it’s about meeting new fans you haven’t met before. Sometimes it’s about yelling into the field microphone “CUUTT on and missed the bus”. Sometimes it’s the fact the “big club” has the best record in Baseball and they owe a huge part of that to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (especially Ryno), the management, employees and most of all the FANS!

Tomorrow the Pigs will face RIGHT handed pitcher David Phelps S/WB with an ERA of 3.53.  We’ll see what transpires…

OINK ON!

DiPro’s Dish

Transactions That Could Impact IL Playoffs

PawSox (Red Sox)
Signed: LHP Greg Smith, C Jeff Howell (Lincoln (American Association))
LHP Randy Williams (outrighted to Triple-A)
Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Chris Balcom-Miller, RHP Miguel Gonzalez, RHP Kyle Stroup, C Jayson Hernandez, 1B Jonathan Hee, OF Ryan Kalish
Placed on 60-day DL: RHP Brenden Shepard
Transferred to 60-day DL: 3B Garin Cecchini
Reinstated from DL: RHP Anatanaer Batista, RHP Michael Olmsted, RHP Mathew Price, LHP Royce Ring, 2B Zach Gentile, OF Andrew Turocy

Gwinnett (Braves)
Signed: RHP Juan Jaime, 3B Wes Helms
Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Randall Delgado
Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Erik Cordier, 2B Phil Gosselin, OF Willie Cabrera

Durham (Rays)
Optioned to Triple-A: C Robinson Chirinos
Option transferred: RHP Chris Archer (Double-A to Triple-A)
Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Jason McEachern, RHP Ryan Reid, OF Brett Nommensen
Reinstated from DL: RHP Joe Cruz, RHP Albert Suarez

Columbus (Indians)
Traded: LHP Drew Pomeranz to Rockies as player to be named in deal in which Rockies traded RHP Ubaldo Jimenez to Indians for RHP Joe Gardner, RHP Alex White, 1B Matt McBride and a player to be named
Recalled: RHP Josh Judy, RHP Zach McAllister, 1B Shelley Duncan, 2B Cord Phelps, 2B Luis Valbuena, OF Ezequiel Carrera
Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Josh Judy, RHP Zach McAllister, 2B Luis Valbuena, OF Ezequiel Carrera
Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Clayton Ehlert, RHP Jose Flores, OF Thomas Neal, OF Nick Weglarz
Reinstated from DL: RHP Danny Salazar, LHP Kelvin de la Cruz, LHP Giovanni Soto, C Juan Apodaca, OF Anthony Gallas

Transactions retrieved from:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2011/08/minor-league-transactions-aug-17-24/