IL1 Syracuse Mets

IronPigs Edge Chiefs 7-6 in Series Opener

April 11, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Syracuse Mets News Release


The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, fell just short on Wednesday night in a 7-6 loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The Chiefs clawed back from a four-run deficit, cutting the IronPigs' lead to one run on two separate occasions, but Lehigh Valley held on to win the first game of a three-game series.

Lehigh Valley (5-2) got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, center fielder Scott Podsednik attempted to steal third base. Catcher Jhonatan Solano's throw sailed high and into left field, and Podsednik came home on the error.

Syracuse (2-4) would answer immediately in the top of the second. The Chiefs loaded the bases with nobody out for starting pitcher Tanner Roark, who bounced into a double play, scoring a run. Corey Brown then blooped a double to right field on a ball that the IronPigs' Lou Montanez lost in the lights, scoring Mark Teahen for a 2-1 Syracuse lead.

The lights would come back to blind Syracuse in the bottom half of the frame. Right fielder Xavier Paul lost a ball off the bat of catcher Erik Kratz in the lights, with Kratz advancing to second on a double. He would later score on a wild pitch to tie the game.

Lehigh Valley blasted off on Roark in the third inning. Dominc Brown walked and Hector Luna was hit by a pitch with no one out. After a strikeout of Montanez, first baseman Cody Overbeck stroked an RBI single to center field. Kratz then followed with a deep double to left field off the glove of Brown, scoring two runs and putting the IronPigs ahead 5-2. Brown's RBI single in the fourth extended the margin to 6-2, and Roark was finished after four innings.

But Syracuse clawed back against reliever Michael Schwimer in the sixth inning. Solano singled - one of his three hits on the night - and after a Teahen fielder's choice groundout, Jarrett Hoffpauir walked. Pinch-hitter Jason Michaels then grounded a ball to third off the chest of Hector Luna, loading the bases on the third baseman's error. Brown - who was 4-for-5 on the night - grounded into a fielder's choice for his only out made of the night, but Teahen crossed to cut the lead to 6-3. Seth Bynum then slammed a two-run double to deep center field, bringing the Chiefs within one run, before Schwimer induced a Xavier Paul fly out to end the inning.

In the eighth, Lehigh Valley added a crucial insurance run against Chiefs reliever Hassan Pena. Pinch-hitter Joe Thurston crushed Pena's second pitch into the right field stands for a solo home run, giving the IronPigs a 7-5 lead. Pena allowed just the one run in two and two-thirds innings of relief, after Josh Wilkie entered in the eighth with the bases loaded and struck out Kevin Frandsen to keep the game within reach.

Syracuse had one final rally in the ninth. Tyler Moore crushed a Phillippe Aumont offering to left-center field for his second home run in two games, cutting the deficit in half. But Aumont induced a Bryce Harper groundout and Solano strikeout to end the game.

The Chiefs and IronPigs play the middle game in their three-game set at 7:05 on Thursday night. Right-hander Yunesky Maya, fresh off a six-inning, no-run performance, will toss for Syracuse against Lehigh Valley left-hander Pat Misch.

Check out the Syracuse Mets Statistics



International League Stories from April 11, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central