The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, won their fourth game in a row Saturday afternoon at Alliance Bank Stadium, 11-0, over the Rochester Red Wings.
Syracuse (15-21) struck for a first-inning run for the third time in the last four games. Corey Brown led off with a double down the right field line. Rochester (14-21) starter Daryl Thompson retired the next two Chiefs, but Red Wings center fielder Clete Thomas dropped a Xavier Paul fly ball to the alley in right, allowing Brown to score the game's first run.
After a scoreless second, Syracuse broke the game open with three-run innings in both the third and fourth. Jarrett Hoffpauir, Xavier Paul, and Carlos Rivero each drove home a run with a single in the third, as the Chiefs built up a 4-0 lead.
Then in the fourth, Hoffpauir produced a hard hit two-run single up the middle with the bases loaded. The second baseman's hit came with two outs and after Brown was intentionally walked before him. It was the second game in a row in which Hoffpauir delivered an RBI hit following a free pass for Brown. The next batter, Mark Teahen, added to his team-leading RBI total of 28 with a single on the ground to right make it 7-0.
Meanwhile, Syracuse's Tanner Roark turned in six-plus innings of shutout baseball for the second time in 2012. The righty retired the first 11 batters he faced. Roark struck out six, while walking only one and allowing four hits.
Rochester's best scoring opportunity came in the top of the seventh when Roark loaded the bases. Hassan Pena then entered from the bullpen to strike out third baseman Danny Valencia. Pena then induced a Rene Tosoni 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
The Chiefs offense continued to roll in the home eighth, extending Syracuse's lead to 11-0. Jeff Howell collected his first run-scoring hit as a Chief and Brown provided a final salute on Armed Forces Day with a three-run blast over the wall in right.
Eight of Syracuse's nine hitters tallied a hit in the game, the Chiefs' most lopsided victory of the season. Over the last six games, Syracuse's starting pitchers have given up a combined nine runs.
The Chiefs look to extend their win streak to a season-high five games at Alliance Bank Stadium on Sunday at 2:00 PM for the third game of their four-game set with the Red Wings. Syracuse sends lefty Zach Duke to the hill Sunday against Rochester's Liam Hendriks.
Courtesy: Syracuse Chiefs
