PawSox knock off Chiefs 12-4
The Red Sox threatened to get on the board early with two singles in their first three batters. But Meyers got some help from his teammates to keep the game scoreless. Jhonatan Solano picked off Daniel Nava with a snap throw to first for the second out. Roger Bernadina then chased down a deep fly ball from Lars Anderson on the center field warning track to end the inning.
Steve Lombardozzi started the bottom of the first with a single to right field, followed by Pawtucket starter Kyle Weiland hitting Roger Bernadina with a pitch. Jesus Valdez then lined a single to center, but Lombardozzi was easily thrown out at home for the first out.
But that didn't stop the Chiefs as Tug Hulett looped a single to left-center that scored Bernadina from second. Matt Antonelli then made it 2-0 with a single to left field that brought home Valdez.
After Meyers put the Red Sox down in order in the second, Pawtucket evened the score in the third. Luis Exposito and Jose Iglesias started the frame with back-to-back singles and advanced to second and third on a balk. Exposito came home to score on a Che-Hsuan Lin groundout, and Iglesias knotted the game at 2-2 after scoring on a Nate Spears double.
The Chiefs threatened to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning. Valdez started the third with a leadoff single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a Chris Marrero fly out, Weiland walked two straight batters to load the bases. But Solano grounded into an inning-ending double play to keep the score tied.
Meyers and Weiland dominated the rest of their starts from there. Meyers retired nine of the next 10 Red Sox he faced, with the only base runner coming on a walk. He exited after the sixth, giving up six hits, walking one and striking out five in the start.
Weiland gave up just one hit after the third inning and the only other Chiefs' base runner reached on an error. He also left the game after the sixth, giving up six hits, walking three and striking out one.
Neither team threatened against the bullpens in the seventh, but Pawtucket exploded big eighth and ninth innings. The Red Sox tallied 10 hits and added two walks in the final two frames to blew the game open. Hector Luna put them in front with his two-run single in the eighth before Pawtucket really put the game away with eight runs in the ninth.
Bernadina crushed a home run in the bottom of the ninth to put the score at 12-4, but the game was already well out of reach.
The Chiefs play a doubleheader with the Rochester Red Wings Friday at 5:00 at Alliance Bank Stadium. Syracuse righty Yunesky Maya will take on Red Wings righty Liam Hendriks in game one followed by Chiefs righthander J.D. Martin and Rochester righthander Cole DeVries in the nightcap.