Martin leads Chiefs to third straight win

J.D. Martin dealt seven shutout innings in his longest start of the season to lead the Syracuse Chiefs (47-58), the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, to a 3-0 win over the Columbus Clippers (65-42) Friday at Alliance Bank Stadium. It was the Chiefs' third straight win over the International League leading Clippers.

Syracuse gave Martin an early lead in the bottom of the first. Steve Lombardozzi started the game with a leadoff single. He and Brian Bixler then executed a hit-and-run to put runners on first and third for Michael Aubrey with no one down. Aubrey put the Chiefs in front with a sacrifice fly to right, and Syracuse took a 1-0 lead after three hitters.

Martin kept the Chiefs in front with a dazzling first four innings. He held Columbus scoreless and allowed only two base runners on a walk and a single in that span.

In the bottom of the fourth, Syracuse managed to extend its lead. Aubrey started the frame with a double to right field and moved to third on a Chris Marrero single. Jesus Valdez then drove home Aubrey to put the score at 2-0 with no outs yet in the fourth.

Clippers starter Joe Martinez got a fly out from Seth Bynum in the next at-bat, but Jeff Frazier lined a single to right to load the bases. Jhonatan Solano popped out on his first pitch from Martinez, but the first pitch to Matt Antonelli scored a run. The Columbus righty bounced the throw in the dirt, and Marrero raced home to put Syracuse up 3-0 on the wild pitch.

Meanwhile, Martin continued to shine on the mound. After a leadoff walk in the fifth, he drew a double play from Beau Mills for the first two outs. The Clippers then threatened with back-to-back two-out singles, but Martin picked off Jared Goedert at second base to end the inning.

The righthander breezed through the sixth and seventh, giving up just a single through the final two innings of his longest start. He allowed just four hits, walked two and struck out three in his seven shutout innings.

The Chiefs offense never got going against Columbus reliever Chen Lee, but it didn't matter. Jeff Mandel entered in the eighth and pitched a one-hit, scoreless frame. Lee Hyde took over in the ninth and recorded his first save behind two strikeouts.

Syracuse next travels to Toledo to take on the Mud Hens Saturday at 7:00. Righthander Yunesky Maya will take the mound against Toledo lefty Adam Wilk.