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IL1 Syracuse Mets

Chiefs Rally Twice, Beat Mud Hens 8-5

May 19, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Syracuse Mets News Release


The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, came back twice in an 8-5 win over the Toledo Mud Hens on Saturday night from Fifth Third Field. A four-run sixth inning by Syracuse erased a 2-0 Mud Hens lead. Then, after Toledo recovered to lead 5-4, the Chiefs scored four more runs in the eighth inning to seal the win.

In that eighth inning, Syracuse (20-23) sent 10 batters to the plate against a pair of Mud Hens relievers. Right-hander Jose Ortega began the frame by allowing a single to Seth Bynum and walking James Skelton. After a sacrifice bunt by Josh Johnson, Corey Brown was intentionally walked to load the bases. Right-hander Brooks Brown then entered to face Jarrett Hoffpauir, and the Chiefs' third baseman made the Mud Hens pay. He lined a two-run single to right field, the eventual game-winning hit, as Syracuse took a 6-5 lead. After a Mark Teahen walk re-loaded the bases, Xavier Paul scorched a run-scoring single to right field. Two batters later, Jim Negrych's bases-loaded walk drove in the final run of the frame.

The final score was a poor representation of how the night started, as neither team could muster a run through the first four and one-half innings. The Chiefs were held to one hit through five frames by Mud Hens right-hander Jacob Turner, while Toledo (22-21) collected just three hits against right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who made his third rehab start of the season for Syracuse.

Toledo then broke through against Wang in the fifth thanks to a pair of extra-base hits. Danny Worth led off the inning with a sinking line drive to center field that eluded the reach of Brown for an eventual triple. Two pitches later, right fielder Matt Young slammed his first home run of the season with a blast over the right-center field fence. The Mud Hens took a 2-0 lead, though Wang stranded runners at second and third to end the frame.

Syracuse would answer in the top of the sixth inning. Brown doubled against Turner on the first pitch of the frame, with Hoffpauir singling Brown to third on the next pitch. Teahen then grounded out to score Brown, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Paul followed with a line out to left, but Brett Carroll's infield single tied the game at two. After Carroll stole second base, Negrych then lined a single to left field, with Carroll just beating the throw from Eric Patterson. Bynum then doubled a 2-2 pitch to left-center field, plating Negrych for a 4-2 Syracuse lead.

Wang would answer with back-to-back outs to start the sixth, but the Mud Hens rallied with two down. Worth singled and Young walked to bring up Audy Ciriaco, who bounced a ground ball into center field over the glove of Johnson at shortstop. That scored Worth, cutting the Chiefs' lead to a run. With Bryan Holaday batting, Wang then bounced a pitch in the dirt, and Ciriaco took off for second. As Skelton threw to the base, Young sprinted home to try and tie the game. Bynum's throw to the plate was just late, with Young scoring on the wild pitch to even the score at four.

The Mud Hens then took the lead against left-hander Atahualpa Severino in the seventh inning. Justin Henry tripled to right-center field to start the inning, and Ryan Strieby's RBI single gave Toledo a 5-4 lead. But after Brad Eldred doubled to put runners on second and third, Severino escaped the inning with no further damage on two groundouts with a strikeout sandwiched in between. That set the stage for the eventual eighth-inning rally.

The Chiefs closed out the game with a pair of former George Washington hurlers. Pat Lehman tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and Josh Wilkie ended the contest with a perfect ninth to earn his third save in three chances.

Syracuse and Toledo will resume their series on Sunday afternoon at 2:00. Chiefs right-hander Yunesky Maya and Mud Hens left-hander Casey Crosby are the scheduled starters.

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