From wire and staff reports
SYRACUSE (AAA): The Chiefs swept a doubleheader from the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Friday afternoon by scores of 5-1 and 2-1 in two games closed to the public at Coca-Cola Park. Trea Turner scored three runs in the two games, including the game-winning run in the second game on a wild pitch, to lead the Chiefs to the sweep.
Syracuse (2-0) got out to a fast start in the bottom of the first inning of game one. Turner walked to start the frame against IronPigs starter Jake Thompson. Two hitters later, Scott Sizemore doubled to left-center field to put runners at second and third. Turner scored on a wild pitch and Sizemore came home on an RBI groundout by Matt Skole to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead.
Chiefs starter A.J. Cole settled in and the game held at 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth. Turner once again got the inning started with a infield single off Edward Mujica. Turner moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tony Campana and then stole third as Scott Sizemore walked. Syracuse then put together three straight hits, a double from Skole and singles by Jason Martinson and Brian Goodwin, which brought in three runs to extend the lead to 5-1.
In game two, Jason Martinson got the Chiefs on the board with a line-drive home run off the left-field foul pole in the first inning to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. The home run the first of the season for Martinson, who led Syracuse with 19 last year.
Chiefs starter Taylor Jordan allowed singles to Ryan Jackson and Carlos Alonso with one out in the fifth inning. The runners moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Adam Morgan. Jordan then uncorked a wild pitch on ball four to Sweeney, allowing Jackson to score from third and tie the game at one.
Wild pitches continued to be a theme of the day as the Chiefs took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth. Luis Garcia walked three straight Chiefs - Turner, Martinson and Sizemore - to load the bases with no one out. Right-hander Andrew Bailey entered and nearly salvaged the situation, striking out Nate Freiman and Skole. However, he uncorked a wild pitch with a 2-0 count against Jhonatan Solano, bringing home Turner for the eventual game-winning run.
Right-hander Nick Masset shut the door with a scoreless seventh inning.
The Chiefs, who are idle on Saturday and Sunday, return to Syracuse for the NBT Bank Stadium opener on Monday at 6:35 vs. the Buffalo Bisons. Right-hander Taylor Hill is scheduled to oppose left-hander Wade LeBlanc.
HARRISBURG (AA): On another frigid evening in Altoona, the Senators continued to be patient at the plate pounding out 13 hits and drawing 10 walks on their way to a 10-6 win over Altoona. Harrisburg has started the season with back-to-back ten run games and have 27 hits through the first two games. Every Senators starter had at least one hit Friday night.
Not to be outdone by the offense, the pitching staff was sharp Friday as well. Tyler Mapes started and tossed five solid innings in earning his first double-A win. Mapes scattered eight hits and struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. The bullpen was a big story Friday as Gilberto Mendez, Bryan Harper, and Abel de los Santos combined to retire 12 of the 13 batters they faced including the final 12 in the game.
The top three in the lineup for the Senators all came to the plate six times, combined to score six runs with five hits and four RBIs. Rafael Bautista scored four times alone for the Senators. He reached base five times Friday after reaching three times on Thursday.
Wilmer Difo, Shawn Pleffner, Kevin Keyes, Chris Bostick and Isaac Ballou all had two hits for the Senators. Pleffner drove in three runs to give him five in two games. Keyes and Ballou also drove in two runs.
The Senators go for their third straight over Altoona on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. RH Reynaldo Lopez makes his double-A debut for the Senators.
POTOMAC (HIGH-A): Game two of the 2016 campaign got off to a quicker start than the opener, as Mother Nature held off throughout the night and gave the Potomac Nationals (2-0 Overall, 2-0 Road) an opportunity to remain atop the Northern Division standings. The Wilmington Blue Rocks (0-2 Overall, 0-2 Home) made two errors on a bunt by 2B Bryan Mejia in the top of the eighth inning that allowed both he and 3B Drew Ward to score, and turn a 2-2 game into a 4-2 game, an eventual 5-2 final.
After more than a year since his last pitch in full season baseball, RHP Wirkin Estevez (ND) got off to a good start but threw only 50 pitches and left with an apparent injury midway through the third inning. Estevez, who missed all of 2015 after Tommy John surgery, allowed four hits and one run over 2.2 innings and the Potomac bullpen was tasked with the rest of the game.
The P-Nats struck first for the second consecutive game, as Friday night, they tagged Wilmington starter RHP Pedro Fernandez for a run in the second inning. Ward, who had a pair of hits for the second straight night, singled with one out in the frame. After Mejia drew a walk, LF Alec Keller grounded into a fielder’s choice and beat out a potential double play at first base. That allowed DH David Masters to get his first at-bat of the season, and Master’s made it 1-0 with an RBI single to right field. RHP Ryan Brinley (SV, 1) worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning and picked up Potomac’s first save of the season.
Saturday night is game three of the series at Frawley Stadium. First pitch is set for 7:05pm, as highly touted Washington Nationals prospect RHP Erick Fedde is set for his season debut. Wilmington will send 25th round pick LHP Matt Tenuta to the hill as they try to avoid an 0-3 start.
HAGERSTOWN (LOW-A): The Suns scored three times in the eighth inning to take a 6-4 win over the Delmarva Shorebirds at Municipal Stadium. Hagerstown pounded out nine hits, two apiece from Victor Robles, Matthew Page and Jorge Tillero. Robles had a double, stole two bases and scored twice out of the leadoff spot and Edwin Lora homered. The Suns stole a total of six bases, including three in the deciding inning.
Taylor Hearn gave up one unearned run on four hits and a walk over five innings, striking out four. Taylor Guilbeau went 2 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits and a walk, while Mariano Rivera gave up a hit and a walk in his 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Suns are back at it against Delmarva in the third of a four-game set at 6:05 p.m. Saturday.