LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS GAME NOTES - 4/8/18 IRONPIGS (1-0|0.5 GA|80-62 in ’17) @ PAWTUCKET RED SOX (0-1|1.0 GB|67-75 in ’17) Sun: RHP Tom Eshelman (10-3, 2.23 in IL in ’17) vs. LHP Drew Pomeranz (17-6, 3.32 w/ BOS) 2018 IL RANKINGS IRONPIGS RECORDS: OFFENSE: PITCHING: 2018 Season: Overall: 1-0 Home: 0-0 Away: 1-0 AVG .107 t11 ERA* 1.00 t1st 2017 vs. PAW: Overall: 10-7 Home: 3-5 Away: 7-2 R 3 t12 Hits* 2 1st 2017 Season: Overall: 80-62 Home: 44-27 Away: 36-35 Hits 3 t3rd CG 0 t1st All-Time: Overall: 706-731 Home: 372-346 Away: 334-385 HR 0 t5th SHO 0 t2nd BB 4 t11th SV 1 t1st UPCOMING PROBABLES: SO 10 t3rd HR* 0 t1st TRIPLE-A AFFILIATE OF THE Mon: LHP Cole Irvin (9-9, 3.39 in A/AA in ’17) vs. TBA @ SWB SB 1 t9th BB* 0 t6th Tue: RHP Enyel De Los Santos (10-6, 3.78 in ’17) vs. LHP Daniel Camerena (6-6, 3.65) @ SWB CS* 0 t1st SO 11 t6th Wed: RHP Drew Anderson (9-4, 3.59 in AA in ’17) vs. RHP Chance Adams (15-5, 2.45) @ SWB E* 0 t2nd OBA* .265 1st Thu: RHP Zach Eflin (1-0, 1.80) vs. TBA vs. LOU *Ranked in Ascending Order ’18 BY THE NUMBERS TODAY’S GAME: The IronPigs (1-0) play the fi nale of a weather-shortened, two-game series against Pawtucket Red Sox (0-1) at McCoy Stadium. With Place in North Division 1st a 3-1 win yesterday, the Pigs snapped a three-game losing streak in season-openers and leapt to the top of the North Division. Lehigh Games Ahead (Division) +0.5 Valley hadn’t won an opener since a 4-0 victory at Pawtucket on April 3, 2014. The Paw Sox -- Boston’s top affi liate -- lost a season- Games Back (WC) --- opener for just the second me in the last 13 years. A er today’s game, the Pigs travel to Scranton/WB for a three-game set against Current Streak W1 the reigning North Division Champion RailRiders before returning for their home-opener on April 12... First-pitch is at 1:35 p.m. Longest Win Streak W1 • The two hits allowed by the Pigs yesterday was the lowest total in a nine-inning game since allowing two in a 3-1 win 8/1/16 @ ROC. Longest Losing Streak --- Largest Lead --- WITH A WIN TODAY, THE PIGS WILL...: Largest Deficit 0.5 (4/6) • Will start 2-0 to open a season for just the second me in franchise history (2012) High-Water Mark 1 (4/7) • Sweep an opening series for just the second me in franchise history (2012 vs. SWB; 2-gamer) and for the fi rst me on the road Low-Water Mark --- • Sweep a series at PAW for the second me in franchise history (fi rst: 6/19-6/21/17; 3-gamer) and seventh me overall Postponements (H/R) 0/1 • Sweep a road series for the fi rst me since a three-game sweep of the G-Braves from 7/17-7/19/17 at Gwinne 2017 Attendance --- Year-to-Date Average --- ZACH ATTACK!: IL Rank --- On his last day as a 23-year-old, RHP Zach Eflin (W, 5.0 ip, h, r, er, 3 bb, 5 k) turned in an impressive start to open his season. Despite W-L-T pitching through injuries the last two seasons, the Orlando native is now 7-6, 3.47 (116.2 ip, 45 er) in 20 G, 19 GS in his IL career. vs. RHP (starter) 1-0 vs. LHP (starter) 0-0 A CLEAN PIG PEN?: vs. North Division 1-0 Expected to be a strength of the team, the Pigs bullpen started the season with four scoreless innings yesterday (4.0 ip, h, 3 bb, vs. South Division 0-0 6 k). RHP Ranfi Casimiro (1.0 ip, h, 2 bb, k), LHP Austin Davis (1.0 ip) and RHP Zac Curtis (1.0 ip, bb, 2 k) all earned holds in their vs. West Division 0-0 Triple-A debuts... RHP Pedro Beato (SV, 1.0 ip, 3 k), who led MiLB with 33 SV last season, struck out the side in ninth for the save. Day 1-0 Night 0-0 YOU SAY ‘BEE-ATE-OH’, I SAY ‘BEE-AH-TOE’...: Extra Innings 0-0 RHP Pedro Beato picked up 2018 right where he le off last season -- when he was both an IL midseason and postseason All-Star. One-Run Games 0-0 The 31-year-old has now converted 14 straight saves going back to last year (star ng June 17) and is 34-for-36 in save opportuni es Three or Less 1-0 his Pigs career (94.4%)... Last season, the 31-year-old fi nished with an MILB-leading 33 SV -- the highest total ever recorded by a Scoring First 1-0 Phillies’ Triple-A farmhand and the most in the IL since SWB’s Jonathan Albaladejo set the league record with 43 SV in 2010... He Opponents Score First 0-0 is now unscored upon in 19 of his last 21 G in the IL, going 1-0, 1.21, 12 SV (22.1 IP, 3 ER, 18 K) since June 29, 2016. Leading after 5 1-0 Trailing after 5 0-0 SEXY ALEXI: Tied after 5 0-0 SS Alexi Amarista (1-4, 2 RBI), who joined the team for the first time Friday in Pawtucket, had the game-winning, two-run single in Travel Days 0-0 the fourth. Although he’s spent the majority of the last six years in MLB, he’s posted a career .304-6-83 (184-606) in Triple-A (144 G). Series Openers 1-0 TODAY’S PITCHERS: Series Finales 0-0 RHP Tom Eshelman -- see pg. 7 for more on TE, the IL starter in the ’17 Triple-A ASG... ’17 vs. PAW: 2-0, 1.38 in 2 GS (13 ip, 8 h, 2 er, bb, 11 k) Rubber Matches 0-0 Doubleheader Games 0-0 LHP Drew Pomeranz -- on an MLB rehab assignment (on BOS’s 10-day DL with a left forearm flexor strain) -- is a 6-6, 240-pound, Sweep/Swept/Split ---/---/--- 29-year-old who was a acquired via trade with SD for pitching prospect Anderson Espanoza, 7/14/16... In 2017, the lefty had a very 2-Game Series 0-0-0 successful first full season with BOS -- going 17-6, 3.32 in 32 GS (64 ER/173.2 IP) and setting career-highs in GS, wins, and IP, He also 3-Game Series 0-0 finished 4th in the AL in winning percentage (.739), t4th in wins, 7th in ERA and 12th in SO... The Collierville, Tenn. native was draft- Sweep/Swept ---/--- ed by CLE in the 1st round (5th overall) of 2010 out of Ole Miss and made his ML debut the next season with on 9/5/11 vs. CIN (W, 4-Game Series 0-0-0 5 ip, 2 h, 5 k)... Was a 2016 All-Star with SD, representing the host team at Petco Park... Brother, Stu, reached the majors with BAL Sweep/Swept ---/--- in 2012 and his great grandfather, Garland Buckeye, who appeared in 108 games as a pitcher from 1918-1928 with Washington, 5-Game Series 0-0 Cleveland and NY (Giants)... MLB Career: 42-42, 3.67 in 170 G, 111 GS with COL (11-13), OAK (14-15), SD (16) & BOS (16-). Sweep/Swept ---/--- • Note: Was traded to COL in a deal for RHP Ubaldo Jimenez on 7/31/11 -- a package which inc. current Pigs INF Matt McBride Monday 0-0 • Scouting Report: 4-sm FB (91-94); 2-sm FB (89-93 w/ hard sink); knuckle-CV (70 grade; very sharp break); CH+... Funky delivery Tuesday 0-0 2018 PIGS BY THE NUMBERS [25 ACTIVE PLAYERS]: Wednesday 0-0 The Pigs Opening Day Roster currently consists of 11 pitchers, 2 catchers, 7 infielders and 5 outfielders. Thursday 0-0 Friday 0-0 BACON BITS: KEY PLAYER INFORMATION Saturday 1-0 • INF Alexi Amarista, signed by PHI on 3/26, hit .268-2-7 (15-56) in the VWL • C Logan Moore has nailed 45.6% (67-147) SB a in AA/AAA over last 4 years Sunday 0-0 • INF Dean Anna spent ’14 in the IL, ba ng .207-2-21 in 65 G between SWB/IND • OF Danny Or z has spent parts of last 5 years in the IL (.252-57-232 in 445 G) April 1-0 May 0-0 • OF Collin Cowgill spent ’16 in the IL, ba ng .234-4-30 in 103 G w/ COL • OF Andrew Pullin ranked 2nd in MiLB in 2B (42) & 5th in XBH (66) last year June 0-0 • OF Dylan Cozens, an IL midseason All-Star, fi nished 4th in the IL in HR (27) • OF Roman Quinn, who missed 93 G in ’17, led MLB with 9 SB in Spring July 0-0 • INF Ma McBride is a Bethlehem na ve & product of Liberty HS, Lehigh U. • C Nick Rickles reached safely in 6 of 8 starts with LHV in ’17 (.259-0-5; 7-27) August 0-0 • INF Heiker Meneses has spent parts of last 4 years in the IL (.251-1-28 in 125 G) • INF Jesmuel Valen n, who missed 108 G in ’17, hit .295-3-11 in MLB Spring September 0-0 • INF Joey Meneses was a ’17 MiLB organiza on All-Star / ATL (.292-9-45 in AA) • INF Mitch Walding fi nished 4th in EL in HR (25) & SLG% (.516) last season all 140 games broadcast live on ESPN 1160/1230/1320 AM and at www.ironpigsbaseball.com • all 70 home games televised on TV2 Sports (SECTV) • The average age on Opening Day (April 6) will be 26 years, 114 days -- the Pigs’ second youngest all-time (26 years, 6 days).