Compiled of press releases from the Washington Nationals minor league affiliates and box scores
Syracuse Chiefs, AAA International League
Brown’s first-inning blast to right field gave Syracuse (23-24) a 1-0 lead. Columbus (21-25) answered quickly against Chiefs starter Zach Duke with a pair of runs in the top of the second. However, the Chiefs batted around in the second inning, scoring five runs, and sent 11 hitters to the plate in a six-run third inning to take control of the game.
After Jhonatan Solano, Brett Carroll, and Carlos Rivero led the second inning off with consecutive hits to score two runs, Seth Bynum belted a two-run homer to give the Chiefs a 5-2 edge. Syracuse added on one more in that second inning when Mark Teahen plated Josh Johnson on a sacrifice fly.
In the third, Solano, Carroll, and Rivero all reached base again, and Bynum delivered another big hit. This time, he shot a double to right field which scored Solano and Carroll, while moving Rivero to third. That gave the Chiefs a 7-3 lead and forced Clippers starter Eric Berger out of the game. Jarrett Hoffpauir and Xavier Paul both tacked on run-scoring singles later in the inning, while Teahen added another run by drawing a bases-loaded walk. The Chiefs led 12-3 after three frames.
Syracuse scored once more in the seventh. Bynum led off with a single and Brown brought him home with a triple to center field. The Chiefs’ offense finished the night with 14 hits, highlighted by three each from Bynum and Brown.
Though Duke allowed four runs in six innings, Syracuse’s bullpen trio of Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Pat Lehman, and Josh Wilkie teamed up for three innings of scoreless relief.
Syracuse has now won seven in a row at home and 11 of its last 14 overall.
The Chiefs continue their series with the Clippers at Alliance Bank Stadium on Friday night at 7:00 when John Lannan faces off against Columbus’ David Huff.
In game one, Suns starting pitcher Taylor Hill (4-3) delivered 6.1 shutout innings and struck out a career-high seven batters en-route to his fourth win of the season. Aaron Barrett (4) was called upon to record the final two outs of the game to earn his team leading fourth save.
Matt Skole’s RBI double in the fourth inning proved to be the game-winner and drove in his club-high 44th RBI of the season. Later in the inning, Caleb Ramsey added an RBI sac-fly, his 28th RBI of the season and 8th in his last five games.
BlueClaws starter Ethan Stewart (0-5) suffered the loss despite allowing just two runs on four hits in a complete game effort.
After falling behind 2-0 early in game two, the Suns rallied to take the lead, 3-2, in the sixth inning with a Jason Martinson two-run triple and another go-ahead RBI hit from Skole. Lakewood’s Brian Pointer tied the game in the seventh inning with a solo home run, but the Suns bounced back in the eighth inning. Cutter Dykstra singled and then stole second and third base, and was eventually knocked in by Skole’s second game-winning hit of the day. Skole finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs to bring his season total to 46.
Game two starter Pedro Encarnacion did not factor in the decision, pitching five innings and allowing two runs on three hits and two strike outs. Reliever Colin Bates earned the win in his Suns debut, allowing one run in the final two innings of the game. BlueClaws reliever Colton Murray (1-2) took the loss.
The Suns will send LHP Kylin Turnbull (1-3) to the mound against Lakewood’s RHP Colin Kleven (3-3) in game three of the series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m.