Five-run fourth leads Chiefs past Knights

The Syracuse Chiefs used a five-run fourth inning to sprint past the Charlotte Knights, 8-4, on Thursday evening. The Chiefs' top three hitters - Adrían Sanchez, Brandon Snyder, and Ryan Raburn - reached base five times while combining for five runs scored and six runs batted in. The Chiefs also took advantage of six Charlotte errors in the win

Syracuse (17-32) got the scoring going right away in the bottom of the first inning. Adrian Sanchez led off the frame with a double off Knights starter Tyler Danish. After a from Brandon Snyder moved Sanchez to third, another sacrifice fly from Ryan Raburn plated the Venezuelan infielder and put the Chiefs up 1-0
The Chiefs doubled their lead in the second. With one out, Joey Butler reached on a throwing error from shortstop Everth Cabrera. On the next play, Cabrera committed his second consecutive error when an Andrew Stevenson ground ball bounced off his chest, allowing Butler to move to second. Following an Irving Falu line out, Danish walked Caleb Ramsey to load the bases. The next batter, Sanchez, slapped a ground ball off the glove of first baseman Cody Asche for the third Knights error of the inning and the second Chiefs run of the game.
Charlotte (26-26) knotted the score on a long swing in the fourth inning. After a Yoan Moncada groundout to lead off the frame, Danny Hayes singled into center field off Syracuse starter A.J. Cole. In the next at-bat, Asche hit a deep fly ball that just cleared the right-center field fence for his second home run in as many days and tied the game at 2-2.
The Chiefs broke the game open in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Danish issued back-to-back walks to Falu and Ramsey to put runners on first and second. On the next play, Sanchez hit a ground ball to third baseman Tyler Ladendorf, whose throw pulled Asche off the bag at first, allowing Sanchez to reach and load the bases. Snyder promptly unloaded the bases in the next at-bat as he smashed a three-run double to deep center field. Raburn followed up with an RBI double of his own, advancing to third on a fielding error from center fielder Jacob May. Two batters later, Ladendorf threw away a ground ball of the bat of Pedro Severino, enabling Raburn to score on the inning's third and game's sixth error.
The Knights grabbed back a run in the fifth. With runners on second and third after a walk and Nicky Delmonico double, Yoan Moncada hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Chiefs extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sanchez led off the frame with a single into left field and moved to third on a base hit by Snyder. Raburn followed with his second sacrifice fly of the game, upping the lead to 8-3.
Charlotte didn't go away quietly. In the top of the seventh inning, three consecutive singles off reliever Austin Adams brought in a run, with a base hit from May scoring Ladendorf. Adams recovered with a pair before outs before Neal Cotts entered to strike out Hayes.
Charlotte threatened to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning as it brought the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded, but reliever Trevor Gott induced a groundout from Carson Blair to end the game and secure the Chiefs' second consecutive victory.
The Chiefs are back in action Friday night at 7:05 p.m. at NBT Bank Stadium. Syracuse welcomes the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, to Central New York for the first time this season. Kyle McGowin is set to take the mound for the Chiefs opposite right-hander Adam Plutko for the Clippers.