Chiefs shut out Mud Hens in rain-delayed game
The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, beat the Toledo Mud Hens, 3-0, in a rain-delayed game from Fifth Third Field on Wednesday afternoon. Right-hander Taylor Hill earned the win with five innings of shutout ball, and shortstop Emmanuel Burriss picked up the game's biggest hit with a two-run double.
After four-plus scoreless innings by left-hander Blaine Hardy, Syracuse (20-19) broke through in the fifth against right-handed reliever Chad Smith. With one out, left fielder Destin Hood grounded a single to center field, and catcher Jeff Howell followed with a ground-ball single to right field. Second baseman Sean Nicol loaded the bases with an infield single to third base, bringing up Burriss. The Syracuse shortstop slammed a 2-0 pitch to the wall in left field for a two-run double, plating Hood and Howell to give the Chiefs' the game's first lead.
After the end of the fifth, the teams paused play for a one-hour, 56-minute rain delay. After the delay, the teams traded zeroes until the top of the ninth inning. Syracuse added an insurance run in that frame when Brandon Laird scored from third base when Sean Nicol reached on a fielding error by third baseman James McCann.
Those runs were more than enough for Hill, who allowed just two hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out four and lowered his ERA to 1.99 after eight starts. Hill didn't allow a run in either of his starts against Toledo (18-22) this season after a nine-inning complete game on May 4th. He was bolstered by two innings of shutout relief from both Mike Gonzalez and Manny Delcarmen, with the latter earning his third save of the season.
Syracuse and Toledo will resume their four-game series on Thursday night at 6:30 PM. Chiefs right-hander Taylor Jordan is scheduled to throw against Mud Hens right-hander Drew VerHagen.