The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, lost another one-run game in a 3-2 defeat at Pawtucket on Saturday night. The Chiefs scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead, but Pawtucket answered with three in the bottom of the frame. The loss was Syracuse's seventh in the last eight games, with five of those seven losses coming by exactly one run.

Right-handers Tanner Roark and Zach Stewart engaged in a brilliant pitcher's duel for six scoreless innings. Through those six innings, the Chiefs had collected four hits off of Stewart, with the Red Sox getting just two hits against Roark.

In the seventh, Syracuse (44-45) finally broke through offensively. After a Jesus Valdez fly out, shortstop Carlos Rivero and catcher Koyie Hill lined back-to-back singles. With runners on the corners, second baseman Manny Mayorson lined a 2-2 pitch from Stewart into center field for an RBI single. The base hit was the first with Syracuse for Mayorson, who was promoted from Harrisburg just three days ago. Stewart exited after retiring Corey Brown on a foul pop-up, with right-hander Mark Prior coming on in relief. Prior would then walk Jarrett Hoffpauir to load the bases and Jim Negrych to force in a run, giving the Chiefs a 2-0 lead.

But just as soon as the Chiefs finally scored their first runs, Pawtucket (50-41) answered with the help of a defensive miscue. In the bottom of the inning, Andy LaRoche singled to start the frame before Alex Hassan walked. J.C. Linares then lined a single to left field, loading the bases with nobody out. Roark then induced a ground ball to shortstop from Nate Spears which looked like a routine double play - but the ball went through the legs of Carlos Rivero. The error allowed LaRoche and Hassan to score, tying the game at two. Roark then exited after hitting Ronald Bermudez to load the bases once more.

With the bases full and nobody out, right-hander Hassan Pena came on in relief. He induced a foul pop out from rehabbing center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury before shortstop Jose Iglesias hit a weak blooper to center field that dunked in in front of center fielder Corey Brown. The single scored Linares and gave Pawtucket a 3-2 lead, but Pena retired Ryan Lavarnway and Lars Anderson on fly outs to end the inning and limit the damage.

In the top of the eighth inning, Syracuse had a golden opportunity to tie the game slip by. Mark Teahen doubled to lead off the frame, and a Valdez groundout advanced him to third base. But right-hander Will Inman struck out Rivero and induced a fly out to center field from Hill.

After Syracuse right-hander Neil Holland tossed a perfect eighth inning in his Triple-A debut, Inman retired the Chiefs in order in the ninth, closing out the victory for the Red Sox.

Syracuse and Pawtucket will finish their brief two-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1:05, in the final game before the upcoming All-Star break from Monday to Wednesday. Chiefs right-hander Yunesky Maya is scheduled to start against rehabbing Red Sox hurler Clay Buchholz.