Ransom caps IronPigs' eighth-inning rally

FROM THE MORNING CALL

There hasn't been a whole lot to smile about around Coca-Cola Park this summer.

But Monday was one of those nights to savor.

The IronPigs squandered a four-run lead and fell behind by three runs before roaring back for an 8-7 win over newly crowned Northern Division champion Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, capping the rally on Cody Ransom's clutch RBI double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.


Lehigh Valley (54-83) overcame a season-high 10 walks -- four of whom scored as the Yankees (92-53) scored seven uanswered runs -- by rapping seven of its 13 hits to score four runs in its final three at-bats to send the leftovers from the crowd of 9,132 home happy.

"We might not have the best record in the league but I'll tell you what -- they play hard," IronPigs manager Dave Huppert, whose team needs to go 3-4 in the final seven games to finish with a better record than the inaugural season.

"I don't think anybody in this clubhouse is looking at our record," said Paul Hoover, whose leadoff triple in the sixth inning started the comeback. "We know we haven't had the year we expected, but we've battled all the way through the season, and there's a lot of pride in this clubhouse."

Trailing 7-4, the IronPigs got single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, then a pair of two-out runs in the eighth on an RBI triple by Andy Tracy and a game-winning double by Ransom.

Greg Dobbs started the eighth with a bunt single, his third hit of the game. John Mayberry Jr. followed with a grounder up the middle that kicked off the mound and nearly got past shortstop Kevin Russo, who managed to make a reaction play on the ball and flip to second baseman Robby Hammond for a force at second.

A few pitches later Mayberry was on third after stealing second on a 1-2 pitch to Andy Tracy and moving up on a 2-2 wild pitch by Royce Ring (2-1), and Tracy delivered with a game-tying single to right.

That brought on former Phillies prospect Zach Segovia, and Ransom followed with a line drive the opposite way into the left-field corner. As Tracy rumbled toward third Huppert frantically waved him home and the veteran first baseman slid to the outside of Chad Huffman's tag with the go-ahead run.

"He was going no matter what," Huppert said. "We can't look for another two-out hit."

"I just wanted to keep the line moving with a runner on first," said Ransom, who had made a two-out error in the fifth to help Scranton take the lead. "Andy Tracy had a great at-bat against the lefthander [Ring], and it was awfully nice to get redemption [for the error] at the end."

Hoover's triple, a sinking liner that got by a diving attempt by Yankee center fielder Reid Gorecki in right center and rolled to the wall, led to Brian Bocock's RBI single that cut the deficit to 7-5. An ining later, Singles by Ransom and Joe Savery and an error set up Hoover's RBI groundout.

"That got us a spark," Huppert said of Hoover's triple, "and we didn't shut it down. We just kept grinding it out."

Dobbs singled home Rich Thompson after a leadoff triple in the first, then followed a pair of two-out walks with a three-run homer to right, his first with the IronPigs and first since July 19 with the Phillies.

"Hopefully this is exactly what Dobber needed, to have consistent at-bats and to get out there and play every day," Huppert said of Dobbs, who boosted his average to .192. "For two years he was the best pinch-hitter in the major leagues and hopefully this helps him get back on track."

Scott Mathieson came on in the ninth and struck out two of the three batters he faced for his 26th save, preserving the win for Oscar Villarreal (4-3). Villarreal pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Brian Mazone issued an uncharacteristic five of those 10 walks, matching his career high (last done in 2003), as he threw 92 pitches in his four innings; he had five walks combined in his last eight starts, a span covering 491/3 innings. And it was only the 13th time in his 12-year career he's walked four or more batters in his game.

Brandon Duckworth issued four more in his three innings, and Villarreal one in his inning as the IronPigs got within one of the franchise record.

"Home plate was on wheels for our pitching staff," Huppert quipped, taking a back-hand stab at umpire Mark Lollo's strike zone. "I told them tomorrow we'll bring some nails and we'll nail it down."

Chad Huffman hit a three-run homer off Mazone in the third (after two walks), and former Phillies prospect Greg Golson, who had doubled and walked in his first two at-bats, tied the game with a solo shot, his 10th, onto the lawn in left center.

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