Cheifs Use Small Ball to Beat PawSox 6-5

With the current success of the PawSox, teams are needing to find innovative ways to win. That's exactly what the Syracuse Chiefs did last night.

Syracuse used their speed to break-up a 5-5 tie in the top of the ninth and earn a 6-5 victory before an overflowing crowd of 12,291 at McCoy.

After PawSox reliever Eric Hull (1-3) retired the first two batters in the ninth. Speedy Chief's lead-off man Wayne Lydon reached with a walk. Lydon stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by PawSox catcher Dusty Brown. With the infield back, second baseman Danny Sandoval laid down a perfect bunt single to third, scoring Lydon and giving Syracuse the lead.

The PawSox had a chance to tie the game after Jed Lowrie reached scoring position with one out. But Chris Carter grounded out to first and Keith Ginter struck out to end the game.

For the second straight game the PawSox needed to play a game of catch-up after the Chiefs took an early lead. Syracuse scored three runs off PawSox starter Edgar Martinez in the second on a pair of singes by Lydon and Sandoval. They also added another run of Martinez in the fourth on Eric Kratz' ninth homer of the year.

The PawSox were able to knot the game at 4-4 with a Jonathan Van Every ground out RBI in the second and a Brown RBI triple and Chad Spann two-run homer, both in the fourth.

Pawtucket actually took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a Brown sacrifice fly. Syracuse tied the game in the sixth as 3B Kevin Mellilio would score on a two-out throwing error by Lowrie.

Martinez only lasted three innings for the PawSox, giving up four runs on six hits. Miguel Asencio came on in relief and pitched four strong innings, yielding one un-earned run on one hit. Micheal Tejera pitched a perfect eighth.

Syracuse starter Bill Murphy threw five innings giving up all five PawSox runs on eight hits. The Chiefs relief crew of Jonah Bayliss, Mike Gosling, and Brian Wolfe kept Pawtucket off the score board the remainder of the game. Wolfe earned his first win of the season.

Sandoval had three hits and drove in two to lead the Syracuse attack. For the PawSox Brown (2 for 3) and Spann (1 for 3) drove in a pair of runs each. OF Bobby Kielty returned to the PawSox line-up and contributed with a 2 for 5 night. Kielty had been on the disabled list since June 9th with a right oblique strain.

The two teams wrap-up their four-game home-and-home series tonight with Scott Richmond (0-0) throwing for Syracuse, opposed by PawSox All-Star starter Charlie Zink (8-2). Tonight's contest again starts at 6:15pm to accommodate a fireworks show at game's end.

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