IL1 Syracuse Mets

Extra innings win delivers Chiefs sweep

May 20, 2011 - International League (IL1)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Tug Hulett hit a walkoff RBI single in the 10th to secure a 5-4 win for the Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, over the Norfolk Tides. The Chiefs (17-22) swept the Tides (14-28) to end their homestand, the first four-game sweep for Syracuse since May 2010. After Norfolk sent the game to extra innings by tying the game in the ninth, the Chiefs quickly clinched the win. Alberto Castillo stepped to the mound for the Tides and got pinch-hitter Jesus Valdez to fly out to start the 10th. Michael Aubrey then drew a walk followed by Chris Marrero's single to leftfield. Pitcher Yunesky Maya pinch ran for Aubrey at second and didn't have to wait long. Tug Hulett hit a soft grounder toward third base but Norfolk's Josh Bell overran the play. Maya got to third and stormed home to score the winning run. Castillo (1-4) took the loss for Norfolk while Syracuse reliever Collin Balester (2-0) got the win with just one inning of work. Syracuse got on the board first when Aubrey and Marrero hit back-to-back singles to open the fourth inning. Hulett's sacrfice bunt moved his teammates to second and third. Jesus Flores' deep sacrifice fly to the warning track in leftfield brought home Aubrey while Marrero stayed at second. But Frazier stepped to the plate next and knocked a single up the middle that scored Marrero and put the lead at 2-0. Syracuse starter Brad Meyers started the game allowing just one hit through four innings, but the Tides' bats got going in the fifth. Blake Davis crushed a one-out home run over the rightfield wall to cut the Syracuse lead in half. Norfolk followed the homer with three straight singles, the last by John Hester bringing home the tying run. The Tides briefly took the lead in the sixth on Rhyne Hughes' solo home run, but the Chiefs answered quickly. Hulett started the bottom of the frame with a walk. Norfolk starter Ryan Drese got Jesus Flores to line out in the next at-bat before handing the ball off to reliever Armando Gabino. Frazier then singled to left and Gabino's wild pitch moved Hulett and him to second and third. McConnell then stepped to the plate and drilled a double just inside the left field line that regained the lead for Syracuse at 4-3. The Chiefs hung on to their lead for the next two innings but reliever Josh Wilkie could not get the save in the ninth. Two Norfolk singles to open the inning put runners at first and second. Craig Tatum's sacrifice bunt advanced both baserunners, and Hester's grounder to left knotted the game at 4-4. The single put Tides at the corner with one out, but Syracuse buckled down on defense. Matt Angle hit a soft tapper to the shortstop McConnell who threw home to try for the tagout. The catcher Flores blocked the plate and tagged Tyler Henson for the second out of the inning. Wilkie struck out Brendan Harris one batter later to end the inning. Balester almost handed the game to the Tides in the 10th, but was able to get out of a jam. Rhyne Hughes singled to lead off the inning and two straight errors on pickoff attempts by Balester moved the runner to third base with one out. But the pitcher stuck out Nick Green, intentionally walked Blake Davis and then forced Henson to fly out to right to end the inning. And that set the stage for Hulett's heroics in the 10th. The win also finished Syracuse's season series with the Tides. The Chiefs won seven of their eight games against Norfolk this year. Next up for Syracuse is a trip to Rochester to take on the Red Wings Saturday at 7:05pm. Lefty Tommy Milone will toe the rubber in his first start since a win over the Tides on May 10.

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