Chiefs take 4-3 win with just four hits
Michael Aubrey followed up his historic four home run performance Saturday against Durham by going 1-for-1 with two walks against the Tides. He singled to rightfield in his first at-bat before walking in both the fourth and the seventh innings.
The Chiefs scored a run in the first for the second consecutive game Tuesday. Gregor Blanco led off with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch from Norfolk starter Chris George (2-3). Tug Hulett looped a double to the leftfield corner two batters later to give Syracuse the early 1-0 lead.
Norfolk got on the board in the third inning when catcher John Hester scorched a leadoff double to left centerfield. Matt Angle moved him to third with a groundout before Ryan Adams' single brought Hester home. Adams would score himself one batter later when Nolan Reimold smacked a hard line drive down the third base line for an RBI double.
The Tides extended their lead to 3-1 in the fifth. Adams hit a double to deep center just short of the wall and took third as Blanco struggled to scoop the ball off the warning track. Norfolk's Josh Bell knocked a single to left two batters later that scored Adams to double the Tides' lead.
Syracuse stormed back in front in the bottom of the sixth. Jeff Frazier led off with a first-pitch double and took third on a past ball one pitch later. Hulett then walked to put runners at the corners. Chris Marrero struckout for the first out of the inning, but Jesus Flores rolled a single to leftfield one batter later, scoring Frazier and bringing the Chiefs within 3-2.
Aubrey walked in the next at-bat to load the bases, and Josh Rupe took the mound in relief of George. He didn't allow another baserunner the rest of the game, but Syracuse still managed to retake the lead before the sixth ended.
Triple-A newcomer Jesus Valdez hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield that brought home Hulett and advanced Flores to third. With Adam Fox at the plate, Rupe then bounced a wild pitch well short of the plate that bounced to the backstop, and Flores came home to give the Chiefs a 4-3 lead.
The Chiefs bullpen took over in the seventh and did not allow a Tides score in the last three innings of play. Josh Wilkie tallied two strikeouts in the ninth and got his fourth save of the year.
The Chiefs and Tides resume their four-game series Wednesday at 7pm in Alliance Bank Stadium. Righty Yunesky Maya will take the mound for the Chiefs against Norfolk southpaw Michael Ballard.