Yankees top Pigs as Hirsh impresses

At 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, Jason Hirsh is certainly an imposing figure.

And the two times the 27-year-old has taken the mound in a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre uniform, he’s pitched as big as he looks.

Hirsh allowed just one run in six innings, and the Yankees banged out 12 hits in a 6-1 win against Lehigh Valley on Sunday night at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. The start of the game was delayed almost two hours because of rain.

The International League North-leading Yankees improved to 63-49 and increased their lead to four games over second-place Syracuse, which lost to Durham on Sunday. SWB heads to Norfolk today for a four-game series, followed by a four-game series at Durham. The Yankees raised their record to a remarkable 51-9 when scoring at least four runs.

Lehigh Valley lost to the Yankees for the first time in three games to fall to 56-58. The IronPigs dropped to eight games behind the Yankees in the IL North and eight games behind Durham in the wild card race.

Hirsh, who was traded to the Yankees from the Colorado Rockies on July 30 for a player to be named later, scattered six hits while striking out two and walking one for his second strong performance in two starts for SWB. Hirsh has allowed just one run in 11 innings en route to posting a 2-0 record with a 0.82 ERA.

The second-round draft pick of the Houston Astros in 2003 posted a 6-7 record and a 6.66 ERA in 20 appearances this season with Colorado Springs in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Hirsh also has major league experience, pitching 165 combined innings with the Rockies and Astros.

The Yankees grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning on a two-run single by Jackson. Catcher Brian Peterson, making his debut in the Yankees organization, drew a one-out walk and went to third on a double by Kevin Russo. Jackson followed with a single up the middle to score Peterson and Russo, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

The IronPigs answered with three consecutive hits in the bottom of the third to score a run and cut the SWB lead to 2-1, the first run allowed by Hirsh in a Yankees uniform.

Lehigh Valley’s J.J. Furmaniak hit a one-out single and advanced to second base on a single by Jason Ellison. David Newhan followed by drilling a double to left field to score Furmaniak and move Ellison to third.

Peterson made an outstanding play at the plate to help get the Yankees out of the jam.

With runners on second and third and one out, Mike Cervenak flied out to left fielder Colin Curtis. Ellison tagged up and attempted to score but Curtis made a nice throw to Peterson, who blocked the plate and prevented Ellison. The catcher then made the tag to complete the double play for the third out.

Furmaniak’s run was the first surrendered by Hirsh in 8 1-3 innings. Hirsh, who was traded to the Yankees from the Colorado Rockies organization, threw five shutout innings against Pawtucket in his SWB debut last week.

Clinging to a 2-1 lead entering the seventh inning, the Yankees broke open the game with a wild top half of the inning. The top of the seventh featured a home run, a walk, four singles, a throwing error, an RBI fielder’s choice, a pitching change and a runner being thrown out at the plate.

In the condensed version, Eric Duncan led off the inning with his fourth home run of the season. Peterson walked and Lehigh Valley brought in reliever Gary Majewski, the fourth of six pitchers used by the IronPigs. Peterson would eventually score on a throwing error to give SWB a 4-1 lead.

Russo hit a single and Reegie Corona reached on a fielder’s choice. Jackson hit a single to become the fourth consecutive Yankee to reach base, but Russo was thrown out attempting to score from second on the play. Shelley Duncan drove in Corona with a single to make it 5-1 and Juan Miranda smacked a single to load the bases. Jackson then scored on a fielder’s choice RBI by John Rodriguez, with Miranda being forced out at second.

SWB reliever Mark Melancon, making his first appearance with the Triple-A team following a month-long stint with the big league team in New York, worked out of a self-inflicted jam in the bottom of the eighth.

Melancon gave up singles to Cervenak and Andy Tracy before hitting Michael Taylor with a pitch to load the bases with one out. But the right-hander got Terry Tiffee, who had four hits Friday night and is hitting .400 in August, to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

SWB Third: Brian Peterson drew a one-out walk and went to third on a double by Kevin Russo. Austin Jackson hit a two-run, two-out single to score Peterson and Russo. YANKEES 2, IRONPIGS 0

Lehigh Valley Third: J.J. Furmaniak singled with one out and went to second base on a single by Jason Ellison. David Newhan followed with a double to score Furmaniak. YANKEES 2, IRONPIGS 1

SWB Seventh: Eric Duncan led off the inning with a solo home run. Peterson walked and Gary Majewski replaced Pat Overholt on the mound for Lehigh Valley. Russo hit a single and Peterson went to second base. Reegie Corona reached base on a fielder’s choice, with Peterson scoring on a throwing error during the play. Jackson singled and Corona went to second, but Russo was thrown out at home. With one out, Shelley Duncan hit a single to score Corona and move Jackson to second. Juan Miranda hit a single to load the bases and Jackson scored when John Rodriguez reached on a fielder’s choice. Miranda was forced out at second on the play. YANKEES 6, IRONPIGS 1

Looking ahead

PROBABLE STARTERS: Yankees RHP Anthony Claggett (4-6, 3.78) vs. Tides RHP Andy Mitchell (9-3, 5.00)

ON DECK: The Yankees continue their four-game series at Norfolk with a 7:15 p.m. game Tuesday.