Chiefs lose to Red Wings in season finale

The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, closed out their 2012 season with a 6-4 loss to the Rochester Red Wings from Frontier Field. Syracuse clawed back after the Red Wings scored four runs in the first two innings, cutting the deficit to two runs with a Corey Brown eighth-inning home run, but the Chiefs ultimately fell short in the season finale.

Rochester (72-72) struck first against Chiefs starter Yunesky Maya in the first inning. With one out, the Red Wings put together four consecutive hits. Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Brian Dozier singled before Wilkin Ramirez lined a double into the left-field corner. Nishioka scored, but Dozier was thrown out at home plate, holding the lead at 1-0. Clete Thomas would follow, however, with a run-scoring single to center field.

The Red Wings grabbed another pair of runs in the second. With two outs and two runners on base, Nishioka served a two-run double into the left-center field gap. That gave the Red Wings a 4-0 lead at the end of two innings.

Syracuse (70-74) answered with its first run of the game in the third inning. With two outs and nobody on base, James Skelton and Corey Brown each singled against Red Wings right-hander Shairon Martis. Center fielder Josh Johnson then served a run-scoring single into center field, getting the Chiefs on the scoreboard.

The teams then traded late-inning long balls. In the seventh frame, Rochester shortstop Brian Dozier took Maya deep for a solo home run, putting the Red Wings ahead by a 5-1 score.

Brown would answer in the eighth. Following a Skelton walk, the Chiefs' designated hitter clubbed his 25th home run of the year, a two-run shot over the wall in right-center field. That knocked Martis out of the game and sliced the lead to 5-3. However, Rochester reliever Luis Perdomo would enter to record the final three outs of the eighth inning.

After the Red Wings tacked on an extra run with an Eduardo Escobar bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth, the Chiefs answered with a ninth-inning score. After a Chris Marrero double and a wild pitch, Brett Carroll drove home the first baseman to cut the lead to 6-4. But closer Anthony Slama then entered to retire Zach Walters and Manny Mayorson, ending the game and the season.

The next time the Chiefs will take the field will be on Thursday, April 4, 2013 against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Allentown. The Chiefs' 2013 home opener is slated for Friday, April 13, at 2:00 against Lehigh Valley.