Jesus Valdez blasted a walkoff two-run double to right-centerfield to give the Syracuse Chiefs (34-45), the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, a thrilling 5-4 win over the Indianapolis Indians (42-41) Friday at Alliance Bank Stadium. Facing a one-run deficit with no runners on and two outs in the ninth, the Chiefs strung together three straight hits capped off by Valdez’ game-winning double. The Chiefs rightfielder finished 2-for-4 on the day with a run and the two RBI.

Syracuse got on the board first in the contest thanks to back-to-back doubles in the second. After a Jesus Flores strikeout to start the inning, Jeff Frazier blasted the first over the head of Gorkys Hernandez in centerfield. Seth Bynum then stepped up and ripped the second into the leftfield corner to give Syracuse the 1-0 lead.

Chiefs righthander J.D. Martin kept the Indians scoreless through four with a spectacular fielding play on the mound. With Brian Friday on first after a leadoff single, Indians leftfielder John Bowker ripped a line drive straight to the mound. Martin managed to snare the ball out of the air, but its momentum knocked him to the ground. Without getting up, he tossed the ball to Chris Marrero at first before Friday could get back for the double play.

In the bottom of the frame, Bynum added his second RBI of the night. Chris Marrero led off the fourth with a single, but Indians lefty Rudy Owens induced a flyout and a popout from the next two batters. With Bynum at the plate, Marrero stole second uncontested. Bynum then knocked a single to center that put Syracuse up 2-0.

The Chiefs nearly added to that lead with Martin at the plate, but Bynum was thrown out at home by the leftfielder Bowker after Martin’s single. After that, it was all Indianapolis through the next three innings.

Back-to-back one out singles in the fifth put runners at first and second for the Indians. Owens laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced both runners, followed by Pedro Ciriaco’s triple to leftfield that knotted the game at 2-2.

The Indians took the lead in the sixth with Bowker’s leadoff blast over the rightfield wall. Martin got the first two outs in the next two batters, but Indianapolis chased him from the game with a single and a hit batter. Jeff Mandel took over on the mound and loaded the bases with a walk, but the righty got out of the jam with a strikeout of pinch hitter Anthony Norman.

The Indians added one more in the seventh off Chiefs lefty J.C. Romero. Friday lined a single just past the pitcher after a Ciriaco flyout and stole second with Bowker at the plate. He advanced to third on a Bowker groundout and gave Indianapolis a 4-2 lead on Matt Hague’s RBI double.

But the Chiefs cut into that lead in the bottom of the eighth against Indians reliever Cesar Valdez. Syracuse’s Valdez started the frame with a single just out of the reach of a diving Friday at second base. Two batters later, Jesus Flores cracked a double to the leftfield corner, and Valdez easily beat the throw home to put the score at 4-3.

Cesar Valdez retired the next two batters to end the inning, but Syracuse threatened to pull even in the ninth. Indians lefty Justin Thomas put down the first two Chiefs he faced, but Steve Lombardozzi looped a single to shallow centerfield to keep the game alive. Matt Antonelli then knocked a single up the middle that moved Lombardozzi to second.

That set the stage for Valdez’ heroics. Indians righty Jose Ascanio stepped to the mound to get the final out, but the Chiefs rightfielder had other ideas. He blasted a 1-1 pitch to the gap in right, and it dropped just out of reach of the diving Miles Durham. Both Lombardozzi and Antonelli came around to score and delivered the 5-4 win for Syracuse.

The Chiefs will head to Buffalo for a two-game set with the Bisons starting tomorrow at 7:05. Newly named International League All-Star Tommy Milone will take the mound for the Chiefs against Buffalo lefty Mark Cohoon.

Courtesy: Syracuse Chiefs