Keller shines, but IronPigs blow three-run lead in loss to Syracuse

Brian Keller threw six scoreless innings Wednesday night at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. Lehigh Valley built a 3-0 lead behind him, but Syracuse scored five times over the final three frames and walked away with a 5-4 win.

Keller allowed two hits, walked three and struck out five over 82 pitches. The 32-year-old right-hander entered the night with a 2.70 ERA in seven starts across 23.1 innings. The New York Yankees drafted him in the 39th round out of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2016.

The IronPigs gave Keller an early cushion in the second inning. Dylan Moore opened the scoring with an RBI double, Dylan Carlson followed with a bases-loaded walk and Steward Berroa added a run-scoring fielder’s choice to make it 3-0. Keller had already worked through danger once by then, escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third before settling in and holding Syracuse off through six.

Once Keller handed the game to the bullpen, Syracuse cut into the lead in the seventh on a Tyrone Taylor RBI single, then flipped the game in the eighth. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Grae Kessinger grounded out to make it 3-2, and Ronny Mauricio followed with a two-run single that put Syracuse ahead 4-3. Tanner Banks was charged with all three Syracuse runs in that decisive inning. Ofreidy Gómez earned the win and Ben Simon finished it for Syracuse, which added an insurance run in the ninth on a Yonny Hernandez RBI infield single.

Lehigh Valley still had one late push left. Paul McIntosh led off the ninth with a solo home run to trim the deficit to 5-4, but the IronPigs could not find the tying hit before the comeback closed. The loss dropped Lehigh Valley to 35-42 overall and 0-2 in the second half after Tuesday’s 9-6 opener, while Syracuse improved to 40-37 and 2-0. The series continued Thursday with Chuck King set to start for Lehigh Valley and Zach Thornton listed for Syracuse.