IL1 Syracuse Mets

Chiefs Spring Biggest Comeback of 2012 in Home Finale, Win 8-7

September 2, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Syracuse Mets News Release


The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, capped off their 2012 Alliance Bank Stadium slate on Sunday afternoon with their largest comeback victory of the season, 8-7, over the Rochester Red Wings. In a team effort featuring nine different players with a hit and six with an RBI, the Chiefs turned a 6-0 first inning deficit into an improbable win.

Syracuse (70-73) right-hander Mitch Atkins started for the Chiefs in a pinch with scheduled starter Zach Duke scratched due to illness. The first six Rochester (71-72) batters of the game each produced a hit and scored a run before Atkins recorded an out. But after allowing a two-run home run to Rene Rivera that put the Red Wings ahead 6-0, Atkins recovered to retire eight in a row.

While Atkins improved on the mound, Syracuse's bats mounted a rapid rally. The Chiefs' first batter of the afternoon, Corey Brown, belted his team-leading 24th homer of the season off of righty Nick Blackburn. Three batters later, Jesus Valdez vaulted a solo long ball as well to bring cut Syracuse's deficit to 6-2 at the end of one inning.

The Chiefs continued their comeback in the second. Zach Walters singled with one out and reached second base after a Carlos Maldonado groundout. Brett Carroll then delivered a timely, two-out, two-base hit that kicked the chalk down the left-field line and scored Walters and brought the North Siders within three runs.

Syracuse's offense kept rolling in the third, as the Chiefs improbably tied the game. Josh Johnson reached first on an error to lead off. Though Mark Teahen and Valdez followed with groundouts, Johnson advanced to third. That put him in position to score when Chris Marrero singled to left. Jarrett Hoffpauir then singled as well, as Marrero moved to third. A Walters hit drove in Marrero to bring Syracuse within a run. The final batter Blackburn would face, Maldonado, became the fourth Chief in a row to single. Maldonado's hit brought Hoffpauir home to tie the game, 6-6.

After allowing six runs before recording an out, Atkins set aside 15 of 16 Red Wings. In his final start of the season, the North Carolina native struck out five and walked none over five frames.

While the Chiefs' sticks finally cooled off in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, the seventh saw Syracuse take its first lead of the contest. Johnson doubled to left field to begin the inning and Teahen lined a single to left to place runners at the corners with no outs against reliever Bobby Lanigan. Valdez squared an opposite-field single to right to score Johnson for the go-ahead run. Daniel Turpen relieved Lanigan after that, but the pitching change didn't stop Marrero from singling and scoring Teahen to give the Chiefs an improbable 8-6 edge.

Rochester rebounded right away for a run in the eighth. Wilkin Ramirez homered to left, leading off against Erik Davis. The Red Wings couldn't get any closer than 8-7, however. Davis recovered to strike out two and hand the ball off to Christian Garcia for a perfect ninth.

Syracuse plays the final game of its 2012 season on Monday in Rochester at 1:05. Yunesky Maya will start for the Chiefs against Red Wings starter Shairon Martis.

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