IronPigs win in extra innings on dropped fly ball

Oct 21, 2023

Francisco Morales didn't throw enough strikes, then he didn't throw quality strikes.

It added up to a whopping 37.13 ERA in his final five outings of 2022 with the IronPigs.

The 23-year-old right-hander turned it around with nine scoreless appearances in the Arizona Fall League, but then fell back into trouble in his first two games of 2023.

Since then, however, Morales has made his two-pitch repertoire work like many in Philadelphia it will for years to come.

"Throwing strike one," IronPigs manager Anthony Contreras said. "He leads the team in first-pitch strikes. Throwing the ball over the plate has been his Kryptonite. But this year he's been able to do it with his sinker and slider.

"This is the guy everybody saw get put on the 40-man [roster]. It's great to see him at a young age resurrect himself and become the guy everybody thought he could be."

Morales struck out five in two scoreless innings in Thursday's game, mixing his sinker and slider well to keep Worcester hitters off balance.

"That's minor league baseball," Contreras added. "That's why the word process is used in the minors, and development. These guys have to go through stretches of figuring things out, making adjustments, understanding who they are as pitchers."

Lehigh Valley teammate McKinley Moore another bullpen guy with a live arm and a promising future. The 24-year-old struggled in his three outings with the Phillies and his first one back in Triple-A on Thursday.

Throwing strikes was at the heart of his issues. He walked three in his Thursday outing and has thrown just 52.4% of his 145 combined pitches in his five outings between the minors and majors for strikes.

Moore and Contreras talked about working on a daily routine that allows him to be in ready mode.

"He's a student of the game," Contreras said. "But this is where you rely on your coaches and guys who have been there, done that to let you know, ‘This is what we do every single day of our job."

Starting pitcher Michael Plassmeyer returned Friday night to the guy IronPigs fans saw last season after he came over from the Giants in the Austin Wynns trade.

The left-hander allowed two runs on three hits in six solid innings of Lehigh Valley's 4-3 win in 11 innings. He struck out seven, walked one, threw 17 of 23 first-pitch strikes and 63 of 87 pitches for strikes.

The IronPigs are 2-0 this season in extra innings.

Top 1: David Hamilton singled to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, stole his 11th base of the season and scored four batters later on Niko Goodrum's two-out single. WooSox 1-0.

Bottom 1: Weston Wilson hit a team-leading fifth home run to left field, a solo shot with one out. Tied at 1.

Top 3: Hamilton was hit by an 0-2 pitch and scored on Enmanuel Valdez's triple off the center-field wall. IronPigs outfielder Scott Kingery got a glove on it, but couldn't haul it in. WooSox 2-1.

Bottom 3: Wilson was hit by a pitch, stole second, took third on a grounder and scored on Hicks’ sacrifice fly to center. Tied at 2.

Bottom 6: Hicks doubled, was sacrificed by Scott Kingery and scored on Vimael Machin's single. IronPigs 3-2

Top 7: Caleb Hamilton walked with one out, took third on Narcisco Crook's single and scored on David Hamilton's sacrifice fly to center. Tied at 3.

Bottom 11: Ghost runner John Hicks stole third and scored three batters later on a sacrifice fly/dropped fly ball hit by pinch hitter Simon Muzziotti. IronPigs 4-3.

RHP T.J. Zeuch (1-1, 4.80) vs. Worcester LHP Brandon Walter (0-1, 4.40) at 6:35 p.m.

Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at [email protected]

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