Syracuse, NY (May 12, 2018) - The Syracuse Chiefs walked off for the third time this season in a 6-5 victory over the Pawtucket Red Sox on Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium. Matt Reynolds had three RBIs, two hits, two runs scored, and two walks, including a game-winning, bases-loaded
Syracuse, NY (May 12, 2018) - The Syracuse Chiefs walked off for the third time this season in a 6-5 victory over the Pawtucket Red Sox on Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium. Matt Reynolds had three RBIs, two hits, two runs scored, and two walks, including a game-winning, bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Syracuse (17-16) came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with the game tied, 5-5. Rafael Bautista led off the frame with an infield single. After Adrían Sanchez struck out, Matt Hague singled, advancing Bautista to third base. Pawtucket decided to intentionally walk José Marmolejos to load the bases. Reynolds then saw four pitches, all of them balls out of the zone for a bases-loaded walk that gave the Chiefs a 6-5 walk-off win.
Pawtucket (16-17) jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning. Tzu-Wei Lin and Aneury Tavárez both singled to put runners on first and second base to begin the game. Rusney Castillo followed with a single that scored Lin and moved Tavarez to third for a 1-0 Red Sox lead. Two batters later, with the bases loaded, Sam Travis hit a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing home Tavarez to make it a 2-0 ballgame. Jordan Betts followed with a double to left field, scoring Castillo from second for a 3-0 Pawtucket edge.
The Red Sox scored again in the top of the fourth. With Mike Olt at second base and two outs, Iván De Jesús Jr. singled to center field, scoring Olt to push the Pawtucket lead to 4-0.
The Chiefs cut into the Red Sox advantage in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Reynolds singled. After a Jacob Wilson fly out, Hunter Jones singled, setting runners on first and second. Tuffy Gosewisch then knocked home Reynolds and Wilson with a two-run double down the left-field line to trim the Red Sox' lead to two, 4-2.
Pawtucket responded with a run in the top of the fifth. Tavarez singled to lead off the inning and moved to third base on a Castillo single. Mike Ohlman then grounded into a double play, but Tavarez scored from third on the play to put the Red Sox up 5-2.
Syracuse tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Adrian Sanchez and Matt Hague both worked walks to put runners on first and second. José Marmolejos then reached first base safely on a fielder's choice where Hague was out at second, but Sanchez moved to third. Reynolds followed with a double that was driven to the left-field wall that scored both Sanchez and Marmolejos to cut the Pawtucket lead to one, 5-4. Wilson then lifted a pitch high into the sky down the left field line. The three Red Sox fielders on the left side of the diamond didn't see the ball well off the bat, and the ball landed fair in shallow left field for a double that scored Marmolejos and knotted the game, 5-5.
Chiefs relievers Phillips Valdez and Justin Miller held the Red Sox scoreless for the game's last four innings. Valdez pitched 3 and 1/3 innings, which is his longest relief outing since July 26, 2012. Valdez struck out four batters and walked just one. Miller pitched 2/3 of an inning to close out the top of the ninth.
Syracuse and Pawtucket finish their four-game series on Sunday afternoon. RHP Edwin Jackson will pitch for the Chiefs, while RHP Marcus Walden will be on the mound for the Red Sox. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
