Corey Brown and Michael Aubrey broke open a tie game with back-to-back homers in the seventh that powered the Syracuse Chiefs (37-45), the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, to a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Bisons Monday at Alliance Bank Stadium. Relievers Jeff Mandel and Zech Zinicola dealt two scoreless innings after the two home runs to close out the win. The Chiefs built a 2-0 lead through the first six innings on two sacrifice flies. After a Steve Lombardozzi single and a Matt Antonelli double with one out in the third, Jesus Valdez lobbed a fly ball to deep centerfield that allowed Lombardozzi to come home. Then in the sixth, Valdez reached on a single and advanced to third on a fielding error by Bisons third baseman Zach Lutz. Chiefs catcher Jesus Flores came up to bat and popped a fly ball to rightfield that brought Valdez home for the 2-0 lead. Syracuse starter Yunesky Maya dealt six scoreless innings with just three hits and looked as if he would continue that dominance in the seventh. He walked the first Bisons batter and struck out the next two, but Buffalo quickly turned it around. Bubba Bell knocked a double to left that moved Valentino Pascucci to third. Maya walked the next batter before Luis Hernandez lined a pinch hit single up the middle. Pascucci scored easily and Bell just beat the throw home to even the game at 2-2. The game turned over to each teams’ bullpen following that small burst from the Bisons. Atahualpa Severino drew a popout to end the seventh on just two pitches before Buffalo trotted out Dale Thayer in the bottom of the frame. The Bisons righty struck out Jeff Frazier to start the inning, but Brown broke the tie with a full count home run to right centerfield that put the Chiefs up 3-2. Aubrey then stepped to the plate and blasted another homer over the rightfield wall to double Syracuse’s lead. Thayer did recover to get two more strikeouts and end the inning, but the Chiefs bullpen shut down Buffalo’s offense the rest of the way. Jeff Mandel took over in the eighth, allowing a one-out single to Nick Evans. The Bisons leftfielder advanced to third on a past ball and a groundout from Pascucci, but Mandel ended the inning unscathed with a strikeout of Michael Fisher. Thayer retired the Chiefs in order in the bottom of the frame before Zech Zinicola took the mound for the save opportunity. He struck out Zach Lutz and induced a popout from Bubba Bell before walking Mike Nickeas. But Zinicola stranded Bell at first with a strikeout of pinch hitter Jason Botts to give Syracuse the 4-2 win. The Chiefs and Bisons battle again Tuesday at 7:00. Syracuse righty Brad Meyers will toe the rubber against Buffalo righthander Dylan Owen.
Courtesy: Syracuse Chiefs
