Buffalo, NY (May 5, 2018) - The Syracuse Chiefs scored five runs on five hits in the ninth inning, but their comeback fell just short with the tying run left on second base, in a 7-6 loss to the Buffalo Bisons Saturday afternoon at Coca-Cola Field. The two teams combined
Buffalo, NY (May 5, 2018) - The Syracuse Chiefs scored five runs on five hits in the ninth inning, but their comeback fell just short with the tying run left on second base, in a 7-6 loss to the Buffalo Bisons Saturday afternoon at Coca-Cola Field. The two teams combined for 13 runs and 29 hits on the day, with the Bisons winning a third straight game to start the series.
Syracuse (14-12) entered the ninth inning trailing 7-1, and Tuffy Gosewisch and Bengie González each singled off Connor Eller to start the inning. Hunter Jones then hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Gosewisch to bring the score to 7-2. From there, Matt Reynolds singled and José Marmolejos walked to load the bases. Mark Reynolds followed with a two-run single to left field to bring the Chiefs within three. The Bisons turned to Murphy Smith out of the bullpen, and Matt Hague greeted him with a double down the left-field line to plate Marmolejos, and put runners on second and third with Syracuse now trailing just 7-5. Jacob Wilson then hit a sacrifice fly to left-center field to score Reynolds and cut the lead to one. But with the tying run on second, after Smith intentionally walked Irving Falu to set up the force, Gosewisch grounded out to third base to end the game.
Buffalo (10-10) had started the scoring back in the first inning against Tommy Milone. Dwight Smith, Jr. doubled and Tim Lopes singled him home to give the Bisons the lead first for the third day in a row.
In the third, the Bisons extended the lead to two. Smith tripled home Devon Travis with two outs in the inning.
The Chiefs scored their first run in the top of the fourth. Wilson reached on a two-out, two-base error on Jason Leblebijian at third, and scored on Irving Falu's RBI double to cut the score to 2-1.
The Herd seemingly broke the game open in the fourth. Danny Jansen started the frame with a single, and then two batters later Darnell Sweeney started a string of five straight Bisons hits. Along the way, Leblebijian singled home a run, followed by an RBI single from Ian Parmley, and a two-run double by Roeman Fields to stretch the lead to 6-1.
The Bisons added a seventh run in the fifth against Phillips Valdez. Leblebijian singled home Sweeney for a 7-1 lead, which would hold until the Chiefs' five-run ninth.
The Chiefs look to avoid the sweep Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. RHP Austin Voth looks to continue his spectacular season for Syracuse opposite LHP Ryan Borucki for Buffalo.
