Chiefs out-slugged in loss to IronPigs

The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, fell to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 8-6, Tuesday afternoon in Syracuse. The IronPigs scored four runs in the second inning to kick-start their seven-run outburst.

Early on, Syracuse (53-58) foreshadowed the ensuing slugfest. Eury Perez led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk. Then, with one out, he stole his fifth bag in 12 games to advance to second base. Three-hole hitter Jesus Valdez brought Perez home with a double to right-center field that gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead.

It didn't take long for Lehigh Valley (60-52) to respond. The IronPigs pounded seven straight one-out hits to bring home four runs and chase Chiefs starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx from the game in the top of the second inning. John Suomi's double drove in two runs during that stretch, and Tom Cochran and Pete Orr each drove in a run with a single. After the frame, Lehigh Valley led 4-1.

The Chiefs pushed back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Carlos Rivero walked and Jim Negrych and Brett Carroll each singled to load the bases with just one out. After a Carlos Maldonado line out, Jarrett Hoffpauir came through with a two-out, two-run single to pull the Chiefs within a run.

In the top of the fifth inning, the IronPigs scored three runs to claim a 7-3 lead. Cody Overbeck drove in a run with a no-out single and Andres Blanco brought home two more runs with a one-out base hit.

Syracuse bounced right back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Valdez drilled a three-run home run off the camera well in center field. Valdez's fourth homer of the season pulled the Chiefs within one.

Jason Pridie supplied Lehigh Valley with an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. He teed off on a 1-2 pitch from Hassan Pena and smashed it over the wall in right field for a solo home run to give the IronPigs an 8-6 lead.

The Chiefs got a runner to second but could not score in the bottom of the eighth, and in the ninth, Phillippe Aumont induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

Up next for the Chiefs, is a four-game set in Buffalo starting Thursday at 7:05. Yunesky Maya, who retired 20 straight batters in his last start, is scheduled to pitch for Syracuse. Buffalo is set to counter with Garrett Olson.