Thompson sparks IronPigs comeback win over Buffalo

FROM THE MORNING CALL

Now that the rosters have been expanded, Rich Thompson's name has been quietly brought up occasionally as someone who could fill a specialized role as a late-innings pinch-runner or defensive replacement with the Phillies.

That likely won't happen. But the speedy IronPigs center fielder is not-so-quietly capping yet another solid year with the Phillies minor league season.

Thompson tripled home the tying run in the seventh inning, then scored the go-ahead run as Lehigh Valley rallied for a 4-2 win over Buffalo Saturday night before 9,051 at Coca-Cola Park.

John Mayberry Jr. added a crucial insurance run with his 15th homer onto the berm in left center to cap the three-run inning against Manuel Alvarez to give Brian Mazone a well-earned win in his final start of the season.

Mazone (7-13) allowed two runs in seven innings as he matched his own franchise record with 28 starts and set a new mark with 165 innings.

Thompson is hitting .287 in 97 games with the IronPigs with a team-leading 28 steals in 32 attempts. Throw in his Reading stats — he spent 32 games in Double-A after Domonic Brown was promoted to the IronPigs — and he's hitting .290 with 41 steals in 45 attempts.

Mayberry's homer turned out to be the deciding run after Kirk Niewenhaus's two-out RBI single off Mike Zagurski cut the deficit to 4-3 in the eighth. But Zagurski threw a fastball by Michael Barrett to end the inning and strand the tying run on second, then struck out the side in the ninth for his third save.

Trailing 2-1, the IronPigs (57-85) got their go-ahead rally started with a leadoff walk to Brian Bocock. Bocock moved to second on a wild pitch as pinch-hitter Joe Savery was striking out, but Thompson lined a 1-0 pitch out of the reach of Niewenhaus to the wall in center for a stand-up triple to tie the game. Ozzie Chavez followed with a fly to center that easily scored Thompson with the go-ahead run.

Buffalo (75-67) used a pair of doubles and ex-IronPig Mike Cervanak's two-out RBI single to score twice in the first inning. Jesus Feliciano led off with a looping double the opposite way to left field, then scored on Nick Evans' double to right center. Cervenak then looped a single off his fists over Chavez and into right for a single.

But Mazone after throwing 27 pitches in the first inning the veteran lefty needed just 63 to get through his last six innings, allowing just four baserunner son two hits and two walks. He retired 10 straight before Barrett opened the fifth with a double, then quickly moved to third on a groundout.

However, Mazone got pinch-hitter Andy Green and Justin Turner on pop-ups to shallow center field sandwiched around a walk to escape the inning. He later issued a walk and a gave up a pinch-hit single to another ex-IronPig, Valentino Pascucci, before Feliciano grounded to second.

Mazone's bat also got the IronPigs their first run after they had stranded the bases loaded in the second inning and a runner at third an inning later. Mazone followed a leadoff walk to Melvin Dorta in the fourth with a two-out drive off the wall in right for his second double of the year and second RBI, cutting Buffalo's lead to 2-1.
http://www.mcall.com/sports/baseball/ironpigs/mc-ironpigs-0904-20100904,0,5477403.story