Chiefs foiled by Yankees in series finale
The first inning foreshadowed the outcome between Syracuse and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Father's Day. After the Chiefs were unable to score despite a leadoff triple by Corey Brown, the Yankees' first batter, Chris Dickerson, also reached third and did score. Dickerson, who doubled to right field off of Tanner Roark, made it to third on a throwing error. Corban Joseph drove Dickerson home with a sacrifice fly to give the home team a 1-0 lead. The next four Scranton/Wilkes-Barre batters all collected hits, with Jack Cust and Francisco Cervelli driving in runs to give the homestanding Yankees a 3-0 lead after the first.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (40-30) put its fifth run of the game up on the board in the fifth when Corban Joseph hit a home run over the wall in right field. An inning later in the sixth, the Yankees extended their lead to 6-0. Cervelli singled to start the frame and came home on a Colin Curtis triple. Curtis scored later in the inning on a Ramiro Pena sacrifice fly.
Syracuse (32-37) had difficulty generating offense against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Ramon Ortiz. The 39-year-old threw seven and two-thirds innings, allowing only four hits and two runs. During one span, Ortiz retired fifteen Chiefs batters consecutively.
Brett Carroll snapped that streak in the top of the seventh, however, with a homer to left field that brought the Chiefs within five runs at 6-1. Syracuse scored another run in the seventh after Xavier Paul walked and Carlos Rivero plated him with a double.
The Chiefs begin a new series at Alliance Bank Stadium on Monday at 7:00, as the Pawtucket Red Sox enter town. Syracuse is set to start Yunesky Maya against Pawtucket's Aaron Cook.