Syracuse, N.Y. - The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, shut out the Pawtucket Red Sox 3-0 in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Alliance Bank Stadium. It was the seventh shutout by Chiefs pitching this season. Pawtucket and Syracuse split the four-game set.
The Chiefs (53-42) scored a trio of runs in the fourth inning against Pawtucket starter Robert Coello for their only runs of the afternoon. Syracuse sent eight hitters to the plate in the inning. Jason Botts got the frame started with a leadoff walk. Leonard Davis followed by smacking a double into the right field corner. Pete Orr sent Botts and Davis home on a one-out double to right for his second hit of the game. Two batters later, Red Sox outfielders Ryan Kalish and Josh Reddick collided trying to catch Pedro Lopez's fly ball in right centerfield. Neither outfielder could come up with it, allowing Orr to come home from second with Syracuse's third run.The teams combined for seven hits overall. Neither team had a hit after the fourth inning.
Matt Chico tossed seven scoreless innings for his second win in a row. He allowed three hits and one walk over 93 pitches. The lefthander also struck out three batters. Chico hasn't given up a run in his last two starts.
Syracuse reliever Josh Wilkie pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save in eight chances. Chico, Jason Bergmann and Wilkie combined to retire the last thirteen batters of the game.
Coello lasted four innings for the PawSox (43-51), giving up three runs on four hits. The righthander also had eight strikeouts and four walks in the losing effort.
Orr sparked the Syracuse offense with his first multi-hit game of the series. Lars Anderson's two-out double in the fourth was Pawtucket's only extra base hit of the game.
Syracuse heads to Norfolk Monday for the first game of a four-game series. Chiefs righthander Jeff Mandel (4-4, 4.96) will get the start against the Tides' Chris George (4-4, 4.36). First pitch will be at 7:15.
Courtesy: Syracuse Chiefs
