The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, lost 6-3 to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on Saturday evening at Alliance Bank Stadium in what was technically Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s home opener.
With their home stadium in Moosic, Pa. undergoing refurbishment in 2012, the Yankees played their first of eight home games in Syracuse this season. Saturday, the “home team” made itself feel at home early. Chiefs starter Zach Duke retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the first, but then walked Steve Pearce and surrendered an RBI double to Jack Cust. Dewayne Wise followed with a double to right field to score Cust and put Scranton/Wilkes-Barre up 2-0.
The Yankees continued their strong start in the second when Colin Curtis led off with a ground rule double that hopped over the left field wall. Duke subsequently hit Ramiro Pena on a two-strike pitch and Doug Bernier sacrifice bunted Curtis and Pena to third and second, respectively. Kevin Russo’s single to right field drove in Curtis and gave the Yankees a 3-0 edge.
The Chiefs offense attempted to answer in the top of the third against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (4-5) starter Adam Warren, who retired the first six batters he faced in order. Mark Teahen hit an opposite field stand-up double to start the frame. Carlos Rivero picked up his first RBI of the season with a base hit up the middle to score Teahen, and Chris McConnell blasted a double to the warning track in front of the 401-foot marker in center. Rivero would come home on a Seth Bynum groundout to bring the Chiefs within a run at 3-2.
Syracuse (2-7) would get no closer, however, as Warren kept the Chiefs off the board over the next 3.2 innings. The righty earned his first win of the season after he pitched only three innings in a loss to Syracuse on Monday.
While the Chiefs stranded a runner at third in the fifth and sixth innings, the Yankees added to their lead. In the fourth, Curtis ripped a triple to right field and came around on a Bernier single to left to extend the Yankees’ lead to 4-2. Wise added to the comfort in the fifth with a home run over the right field fence.
Back-to-back two-out doubles in the eighth by Bryce Harper and Jhonatan Solano gave Syracuse some life, cutting the Yankees lead to 5-3. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manufactured a run driven in by a Russo sacrifice fly in the home eighth to cap the scoring.
Although the Chiefs stayed put in their home dugout, the Yankees wore their home white pinstripes, took batting practice first, and hit in the home half.
The Chiefs and Yankees finish their two-game set Sunday at 2:00 PM at Alliance Bank Stadium. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will again be considered the home team in a matchup slated to feature Syracuse right-hander Mitch Atkins and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre righty Ramon Ortiz. Sunday also marks Jackie Robinson Day at the ballpark. Robinson’s original National Baseball Hall of Fame plaque will be on display during the game.
Courtesy: Syracuse Chiefs
