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Chiefs crack 19 hits in 12-4 rout

Valdez collects 5 hits, 2 HRs
June 22, 2011
The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, knocked out season highs with 19 hits and 12 runs in a 12-4 blowout of the Gwinnett Braves on Wednesday night. Jesus Valdez led the offensive surge with a Syracuse season high five hits, along with two home runs, four runs scored, and four RBI. Every Chiefs starter had at least one hit, with seven batters including pitcher Tommy Milone collecting at least two.

Milone helped Syracuse (28-42) get going in the second inning. Corey Brown doubled in a run with nobody out and Milone stepped up two batters later. The lefthander stroked the first pitch from Yohan Flande into right field for an RBI double to score Brown. Milone would later reach in his next at-bat on a single to center field.

After Gwinnett (38-34) scored a third inning run, Chiefs right fielder Valdez answered in the fifth. He swatted his first home run to very deep left field to extend the lead back to two.

The Chiefs then opened the floodgates in the sixth. Syracuse sent ten men to the playe in a four-hit, three-run inning against Flande and reliever Ben Swaggerty. Brown's home run started the frame, and Valdez, Chris Marrero, and Jhonatan Solano all drove in two-out runs to put the Chiefs up 7-1.

Gwinnett tried to rally in the bottom of the inning thanks to slugger Stefan Gartrell. The right fielder launched a two-run home run to left field, his third in two games, to cut the deficit to 7-3. But Milone escaped the inning otherwise unscathed and departed after six innings of five-hit, three-run ball.

Syracuse hammered home the final nail in the coffin in the seventh thanks to Valdez. His fourth hit of the game was a three-run home run, extending the Syracuse lead to 10-3. Valdez's two-homer game was the Chiefs' third individual multi-home run contest of the season, with Michael Aubrey and Brown providing the other two. In the ninth inning, Jeff Frazier's two-run double finished the scoring off.

Syracuse and Gwinnett finish their series on Thursday night at 7:05 from Coolray Field. Righthander Craig Stammen will take the mound for the Chiefs.