Lehigh Valley IronPigs

At that point, the game, which had been back and forth, was tied at seven runs apiece, and he blasted a home run that broke the tie.

The Iron Pigs tied the game up in the top of the fourth.

Rojas came to bat again in the bottom of the fifth, with Kevin Parada on third base and one out, and Rojas hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Parada and that proved to be the game-winning run.

Now, the Syracuse Mets going into the week were half a game back of Scranton, which is the Yankees affiliate.

I'm even going to interrupt you there.

In 2011, Doc, your son, was one of our bullpen catchers with the Iron Pigs.

And there was a difference in how he, because there was other bullpen catchers that were there, and the bullpen catching role is not like the most glamorous, but it's a stepping stone.

And I remember just his work ethic and his drive and him wanting to, you know, continue his, obviously looking up to you as a coach, but continue his coaching.

I don't want to see any of them in Philly's uniforms next week.

Just bring me up the Iron Pigs and let them finish out the season.

I mean, this is...

This is total – it's disgusting watching this team.

And, you know, Jack, I really can't take it anymore.

Well, it doesn't sound like you can, Dave, as everyone has to go.

Burn it to the ground, bring up the Iron Pigs who stink.

So, yeah, I mean, I would still be very surprised if they ended up fully blowing it and missing the playoffs, but it is on the table, and what would make it Doubly more annoying for all of us out there is Dave Dabrowski's getting a contract extension this offseason.

Um, one of the most respected sports journalists, spent decades covering people, teams, and stories that define our region's sports landscape as a senior writer for The Morning Call.

From the, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, then Phillies prospects, to high school football, wrestling, and countless unforgettable moments, Tom has earned a reputation for insightful reporting, trusted relationships, and a deep passion for the games and athletes he covers.

Tom Houstek, welcome to Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania.

I am, uh, really thrilled that you spent some time with me today.

You know, there's a lot of good mediums out there.

Why is it so...

Why does it matter so much right now, especially locally? Um, lot of great sports and programs in the Lehigh Valley and the surrounding areas and, of course, all the way down to Philadelphia and IronPigs and so forth.

Why, why does local sports matter so much right now?

And then that, you know, you're kind of... [laughs] It's not really-

The idea of the Woo Sox, you know, getting into the playoffs and being like, "Listen, Garrett, we know that you're making a lot of money with the big club, and I know that they, they're in a pennant chase, but we really need you to go against the Iron Pigs here, man.

We really need you-

Yeah

And we only have, I think, two weeks left of Reading.

And then September 20th is the last day for the Iron Pigs.

We'd love to see Aiden go from Reading to Lehigh Valley to close us out.

That'd be a fun little way to end the minor league season.

Yeah, and I mean, I've liked what I've seen out of Alex McFarland.

We were wondering what took him so long to get up here, 'cause he was throwing 99, 100 at Triple A and having success at the end of the game with the IronPigs, and he's been really good since he first got up.

He's allowed three runs, but only one of them's earned, so he has that .87 ERA, been limiting the base runners.

And it's not like he's fluked or gotten lucky to get outs.