PawSox Swept by Chiefs with 10-9 Loss

(Syracuse, NY) - Syracuse first-baseman Brock Peterson drilled a two-out, go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning to cap a run of eight unanswered runs that gave the Chiefs a come-from-behind 10-9 victory over the Pawtucket Red Sox Sunday night at NBT Bank Stadium to complete a sweep in the four-game series. 

Pawtucket (25-26) held an 8-2 lead after 5 ½ innings, but Syracuse (27-22) scored four runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and three more in the eighth against Dalier Hinojosa (0-3) to earn a sixth-consecutive win. The PawSox lost their seventh game in a row and tenth in their last 12 games played.

Pawtucket plated a run in the ninth inning and had runners on first and second with only one out, but veteran closer Mike Gonzalez entered and struck out Corey Brown. Gonzalez then induced a ground out from Alex Hassan to end the game, with Chiefs shortstop Manny Burris making a terrific play from deep in the hole to get the final out at first.

Hinojosa walked two batters in the eighth, Jose Lozada to lead off the inning and then Steven Souza two outs later to put two runners on base. Peterson then clobbered a 3-1 pitch well over the fence in left for his fifth long ball of the season to give the Chiefs their first lead of the night at 10-8.

After being held to only two runs in the first 30 innings of the series by Syracuse pitching, Pawtucket erupted for eight runs against Chiefs reliever Josh Roenicke in the fourth (two runs), fifth (two runs) and sixth (four runs) innings. Corey Brown's two-run blast to right field (7) opened the scoring.

Newcomer Shannon Wilkerson's two-out, two-run single that chased Roenicke highlighted the four-run rally in the sixth. But PawSox starter Allen Webster permitted the first five batters he faced to reach in the bottom of the inning, with four of them eventually scoring to cut the Chiefs' deficit to 8-6.

Drake Britton allowed an RBI single to Brandon Laird in the seventh that brought Syracuse within one run. Webster allowed a season-high six runs (five earned) in five-plus innings of work on eight hits and two walks.

Brandon Snyder collected an RBI single against Chiefs reliever Manny Delcarmen in the ninth, part of a 2-for-5 evening for Snyder at the plate. Carlos Rivero (2-for-4), Dan Butler (2-for-4, two doubles) and Wilkerson (2-for-4, two RBI and two runs scored) also collected multi-hit nights for Pawtucket.

The PawSox next return to McCoy Stadium for a four-game series against Gwinnett that begins on Monday night. Pawtucket right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (4-3, 3.27) will get the start against Braves lefty Daniel Rodriguez (4-4, 3.12), with first pitch scheduled for 6:15 pm. 

Good seats are still available for all of the upcoming games at the McCoy Stadium box office, by calling (401) 724-7300 or by visiting pawsox.com. Radio coverage on 920 AM (WHJJ) and also streaming online begins at 6:00 pm on Monday.