Chiefs beat Bisons with 5-run 6th
Syracuse (52-64) starter Craig Stammen started slowly against the Bisons offense. Buffalo (48-69) got a second-inning run from third baseman Zach Lutz. Lutz crushed a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall for his sixth home run, giving the Bisons a 1-0 lead.
Buffalo right-hander Dylan Owen held the Chiefs scoreless for the first four innings, allowing only two hits to Roger Bernadina. But Syracuse finally got on the board in the fifth. With one out, Jhonatan Solano reached on a fielding error by shortstop Luis Valdespin. Valdespin made two errors in the field in his first career Triple-A game. After a sacrifice bunt by Craig Stammen, Steve Lombardozzi lined a single to center field, scoring Solano.
The Chiefs broke open the 1-1 tie in the sixth inning. Syracuse loaded the bases on three consecutive singles to start the frame. Tug Hulett singled to right field, Seth Bynum singled to left, and Corey Brown blooped a single to center. Solano then took a 3-2 pitch from Owen outside for a bases-loaded walk, giving the Chiefs a 2-1 lead. With the bases still loaded, Stammen hit a ground ball to second base, scoring Bynum and advancing the other two runners. Lombardozzi then ripped a single down the right field line, scoring Brown and Solano and giving the Chiefs a 5-1 lead. Syracuse added a sixth run three batters later, when Jesus Valdez hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
That was all that Stammen would need. The right-hander picked up his ninth win of the season, allowing just six hits and one run in seven innings. Stammen walked three and struck out six in the game, before Lee Hyde fired a scoreless eighth and Zech Zinicola tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Chiefs look for a four-game sweep against the Bisons on Thursday afternoon at 1:05. Right-handers Brad Meyers and Miguel Batista will duel for Syracuse and Buffalo, respectively.