IL1 Syracuse Mets

Chiefs Start Homestand with 11-1 Win

June 5, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Syracuse Mets News Release


The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, began their 21-game homestand on the right note Tuesday night with an 11-1 win over the Louisville Bats at Alliance Bank Stadium. Corey Brown continued to shine offensively for the Chiefs with his seventh home run in his last eight starts, while John Lannan threw Syracuse's first nine-inning complete game of the season.

The first inning set the tone for the rest of the night, as the left-hander Lannan sent the Bats down in order with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout on only nine pitches. Then in the bottom of the first, the Chiefs' first three batters -- Brown, Erik Komatsu, and Xavier Paul -- each ripped hard-hit singles to load the bases against Louisville starter Tim Gustafson. Syracuse's cleanup-hitting first baseman, Tyler Moore, drove Brown home with a sacrifice fly to down the right field line to put the Chiefs on the board, 1-0.

The Chiefs extended their lead to 3-0 in the third thanks to solo home runs off the bats of Brown and Moore. Both shots cleared Alliance Bank Stadium's right field fence. For Brown, the blast was his 14th, equaling his 2011 total and tying him for second most in the International League this season. Meanwhile, Moore's homer was his ninth of 2012.

Louisville (18-41) plated its lone run off Lannan in the fourth via a Neftali Soto solo shot that brought the Bats within two at 3-1. Otherwise, the Major League veteran cruised. Lannan allowed just four hits and one walk, while striking out six Bats.

Lannan even helped his own cause at the plate in the fifth when he led off with a seven-pitch at-bat that resulted in his first hit of the season against Louisville reliever Josh Judy. Brown then walked and Komatsu reached first on a bunt single before Paul followed with a run-scoring single. Jim Negrych tacked on more insurance, driving in two runs with a single to right. A Carlos Rivero sacrifice fly further extended Syracuse's lead to 7-1.

As if the Chiefs offense hadn't done enough, Syracuse loaded the bases for Komatsu in the home half of the eighth. The 24-year-old left fielder proceeded to serve a Scott Carroll pitch over the wall in right for a grand slam, giving the Chiefs an 11-1 edge. Meanwhile, Lannan retired the final ten batters he faced. The complete game is his first since July 21, 2009 when, as a member of the Nationals, he shut out the New York Mets.

Syracuse and Louisville continue their five-game series at Alliance Bank Stadium on Tuesday night with a doubleheader. Game one is slated to start at 5:00 PM, featuring Chiefs right-hander Yunesky Maya and Bats righty Pedro Villareal. Syracuse's Jeff Mandel is scheduled to start the second game against Louisville's Wirfin Obispo.

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