Rehabbing Jean Segura is still in Triple-A. Healthy Johan Camargo was sent here.
Both helped the IronPigs stay in first place in the International League’s Eastern Division.
Segura singled in a run and scored a run in a six-run fourth inning. Camargo drove in three runs and made a stellar defensive play in the eighth inning of a 13-6 win Tuesday afternoon over the Syracuse Mets at Coca-Cola Park.
Segura, working his way back from a right index finger fracture, was 1 for 4 Tuesday, and is 5 for 26 in seven games with Lehigh Valley.
Camargo was optioned July 31 to Triple-A to make room for infielder Edmundo Sosa, who was acquired from the Cardinals for LHP Jo Jo Romero.
Lehigh Valley gave up the game’s first run Tuesday in the first inning thanks to a wild pitch and passed ball, then scored the next 13 runs.
Every position player had at least one hit or scored a run. Dalton Guthrie scored three runs, Rafael Marchan had three hits and scored twice.
Bubby Rossman (1-1) escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second inning in relief of Ofreidy Gomez to keep momentum on the IronPigs’ side.
Lehigh Valley started Tuesday tied for first place with Durham and Jacksonville, which it does not play this season.
The Triple-A playoff format for this season has the two division winners facing each other in a one-game playoff at 9:05 p.m. ET on Oct. 1 in Las Vegas. The winner takes on the Pacific Coast League champion at 7:05 on Oct. 2, also in Las Vegas for the championship.
Division tiebreakers are 1. head to head; 2. record in last 20 games.
Lehigh Valley has won only one division title in its 15-year history (2018) and made three playoff appearances (2016-18).
Camargo, who had three hits, made the game’s best defensive play when he made a diving, backhand stab of Khalil Lee’s grounder and started a 5-4-3 double play from the seat of his pants.
No obvious retaliation
There was no retaliation by the IronPigs against Lee, who took out Marchan on a force play in the seventh inning of the July 3 game in Syracuse. Marchan left the game and missed the next contest against Rochester.
Gomez did throw a ball behind Lee’s feet on a 2-1 pitch in the top of the second Tuesday. Home plate umpire Erich Bacchus took a slow walk toward Gomez to give him a new baseball, but no warning was issued. Gomez lasted only 1 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits, walked two and hit a batter.
Lee walked to end that at-bat, but hit into two double plays and struck out twice — including for the game’s final out. He’s batting .197 this season.
Game notes
Camargo was hit with an auto strike before the first pitch of his eighth-inning at-bat that ended with an RBI single. … Former IronPigs and Phillies pitcher Adonis Medina allowed a run on four hits in 2 2/3 innings of relief for Syracuse. He also committed a balk. … RHP James Dykstra left the game after completing his warm-up pitches to start the fourth inning for Lehigh Valley. … Nick Maton’s RBI double in the fourth extended his hitting streak to eight games. … OF Mickey Moniak went to Atlanta on Tuesday to be on Philadelphia’s taxi squad ahead of its two-game series against the Braves. … The IronPigs were 10 for 16 with runners in scoring position, 21 for their last 39. They entered Tuesday leading the IL with a .287 average with RISP.
Roster moves
The Phillies claimed LHP Andrew Vasquez off waivers from the Blue Jays and optioned him to the IronPigs. Vasquez had an 8.10 ERA in nine games this season with Toronto. He appeared in 12 combined games from 2018-21 with the Dodgers and Twins.
How they scored
Top 1: Kramer Robertson walked, took second on a grounder, third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball. Mets 1-0.
Bottom 1: Guthrie and Sands walked with one out. Camargo’s double scored Guthrie. Sands scored on a passed ball. IronPigs 2-1.
Bottom 4: Chris Sharpe doubled with one out. Josh Ockimey walked and Marchan singled to load the bases. Segura singled in Sharpe. Guthrie singled in Ockimey. Sands singled in Marchan and Segura. Camargo’s sacrifice fly scored Guthrie. Nick Maton’s double scored Sands. IronPigs 8-1.
Bottom 5: Sharpe singled, took second on a grounder, third on a balk and scored on a Marchan bloop single. IronPigs 9-1.
Bottom 8: Marchan walked and Guthrie walked one out later. Sands’ bloop single scored Marchan. Camargo’s single scored Guthrie. Jorge Bonifacio’s fly ball was lost in the sun for a single which scored Sands. Sharpe walked to force in Camargo. IronPigs 13-1.
Top 9: Tzu-Wei Lin walked, took second on Francisco Alvarez’s single and scored on Daniel Palka’s single. Mark Vientos walked to load the bases and Nick Plummer walked to score Alvarez. Gosuke Katoh doubled in Palka, Vientos and Plummer. IronPigs 13-6.
Up next
LHP Michael Plassmeyer (2-2, 3.65 ERA) faces Syracuse RHP Trevor Cahill (0-0, 5.71 ERA) in a 7:05 p.m. start.
Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at thousenick@mcall.com
