The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, hit three home runs in a 7-3 win over the Louisville Bats on Friday night. Corey Brown's fourth-inning grand slam provided the winning margin for the Chiefs.
Louisville (19-44) started the homer party in the top of the second inning. Dioner Navarro launched a two-run home run to right field that also scored Bill Rhinehart.
Syracuse (30-32) answered with solo shots in back-to-back innings. Carlos Rivero led off the bottom of the second inning by driving a ball off the base of the light tower in left field to bring the Chiefs within one. Chiefs starter Mitch Atkins joined in as well, leading off the third inning with the first Chiefs home run by a pitcher since 1975. That dinger tied the game at two.
The Bats bounced right back with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Rhinehart doubled to start the inning, moved to third on Cody Puckett's fly out, and scored the third Bats run on a sacrifice fly from Daniel Dorn.
The Chiefs got back to the long ball in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Bats starter Ryan Feierabend walked Jason Michaels and Seth Bynum and then allowed a Jeff Howell single to load the bases. After Atkins popped out, Brown blasted a 1-0 pitch off the batter's eye in center to put the Chiefs up 6-3.
Syracuse added an insurance run in the fifth inning. Carlos Rivero's one-out single brought home Brett Carroll to increase the Chiefs lead to four runs.
Meanwhile, Mitch Atkins pitched into the seventh inning to get his fifth win for the Chiefs. He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks in six and one-third innings. Hassan Pena and Pat Lehman combined to pitch two and two-thirds scoreless innings out of the bullpen to end the game.
The Chiefs start a four-game series with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Saturday night at 7:00. Zach Duke is scheduled to start for Syracuse. Right-hander Matt Wright is set to counter for Lehigh Valley.
**Courtesy Syracuse Chiefs**
