The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, inched by the Indianapolis Indians, 5-3, on Sunday evening at Alliance Bank Stadium. Brett Carroll's 10th home run of the season in the seventh drove in three runs to help the Chiefs overcome a two-run hole.
Syracuse (63-67) got off to a strong start in the first inning against Jeff Locke. Singles from Corey Brown and Jarrett Hoffpauir put runners at the corners with one out for Chris Marrero. The Chiefs first baseman drilled a hit back to the mound that ricocheted off of Locke's foot and over the head of shortstop Chase d'Arnaud into left field. Marrero's RBI hit - his first run driven in since June 29 - gave Syracuse a 1-0 lead. Carlos Rivero then followed with a fielder's choice groundout to score Hoffpauir from third base and make the score 2-0.
International League-leading Indianapolis (76-53) wasted no time in chipping away at its deficit in the top of the second. Matt Hague singled against Kevin Pucetas to lead the frame off and reached second on a Jeff Clement groundout. With two outs and Hague at second, Brandon Boggs delivered a timely single up the origin to trim the Chiefs' lead to 2-1.
The Indians then tied the game in the fourth with a single swing. After retiring five batters in a row, Pucetas surrendered a right-center field home run to Dallas McPherson that knotted the game, 2-2.
An inning later, Indianapolis took its first lead of the night. Boggs cranked a double off of the wall in right center to begin the fifth. The subsequent batter, Eric Fryer, singled Boggs over to third. Pucetas recovered to strike out his counterpart Locke, but Brock Holt knocked a sacrifice fly to left to drive home Boggs and give the Indians a 3-2 advantage.
A one-run cushion was enough for Locke, who zoned in after a shaky first. The left-hander settled in to retire 14 batters in a row before Eury Perez's infield single in the sixth. The outfielder was thrown out attempting to steal second, however, and Locke finished the inning with a strikeout of Brown and a fly out by Hoffpauir.
The game changed in favor of the Chiefs in the seventh, which Boggs began with a walk. Eric Fryer reached safely on a sacrifice bunt after Pucetas' throw to get Boggs at second wasn't in time. The Indians then pinch hit for Locke, who had thrown 88 pitches over six innings. Pinch-hitter Drew Sutton, though, struck out while trying to bunt. Pucetas then buckled down to set aside Indy's number one and two hitters, Holt and d'Arnaud.
Pucetas, who was throwing in Triple-A for the first time in 2012 after being called up from Double-A Harrisburg, tossed 87 pitches in seven innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out five Indians.
Though Pucetas exited the game trailing, he ended up earning the win thanks to a Chiefs rally in the home seventh. Marrero led off against reliever Jo-Jo Reyes with an 11-pitch at bat that resulted in a walk. Rivero kept Syracuse's momentum up with a hard-hit single to second. Sandy Leon was unable to advance the runners, though, as his bunt was fielded by Reyes, who threw to third for the force out. Zach Walters proceeded to pop out to center for the inning's second out. But with the Chiefs in danger of squandering the scoring opportunity, Carroll played the role of hero. The right fielder blasted a three-run homer down the left-field line to put Syracuse up 5-3.
Despite allowing two hits apiece, Erik Davis and Christian Garcia combined to pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth out of the bullpen for the Chiefs. For Garcia, it was his 11th save of the season in as many chances.
The Chiefs and Indians go to battle again at Alliance Bank Stadium on Monday night for the third contest of their four-game series at 7:00. Syracuse's Jeff Mandel is set to face-off against Indianapolis starter Kyle McPherson.
Courtesy: Syracuse Chiefs
