One Strong Offensive Inning is Enough for the Chiefs

By Kaimeng Yang

Syracuse, N.Y.- The Syracuse Chiefs stretched their winning streak to nine with a 9-5 victory against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Wednesday night at NBT Bank Stadium. It's their longest winning streak since June 6, 2012.

The two teams went scoreless in the first two innings. Chiefs' starting pitcher Paolo Espino gave up the first run in the top of third, but the Chiefs answered immediately with two runs in the bottom.

The turning point of the game was the bottom of the fourth. The game was tied at 2-2 when Matt den Dekker and Caleb Ramsey started the offensive run with two singles. Then Dan Butler fired a double to the left allowed den Dekker and Ramsey to score. Emmanuel Burriss kept his momentum from the third inning, when he had driven in a run and got Butler home with a double.

IronPigs' pitcher Anthony Vasquez lost his rhythm after allowing three runs in five minutes and walked Trea Turner. With Burriss and Turner on bases, Jason Martinson sent another two-run double to center field. The IronPigs brought in Jason Berken to stop the bleeding, but the momentum had changed to the Chiefs' side.

Brian Bogusevic hit a three-run homer for the IronPigs in the top of the fifth, but it was not enoughe to save his team. The Chiefs punched back with two runs in the bottom of the six and kept the 9-5 score to the end.

With nine straight wins in the book, team manager Billy Gardner, Jr. is happy with the team effort. “You pitch. You defend. You get some timely hits, you are going to win some games,” he said. The Chiefs have struggled this season but Gardner says they are finding their way out. He mentioned the clubhouse environment is really good right now and it helps the team a lot.

Starting pitcher Espino struggled, giving up all five runs, but as an experienced veteran he still has confidence. When asked about the pressure from the winning streak he said “It actually makes me do even better and try even harder, I feel no pressure.”

Espino got an extra surprise in offense. His sacrifice bunt helped Ramsey tied the game in the bottom of the third for the Chiefs. It is his fourth RBI of the season.  “It is always great as a pitcher when you get something like that,” he said.

The Chiefs and the IronPigs will play their last game of this series on Thursday night, and the Chiefs is looking to make the winning streak into double-digits.