Washington Nationals Daily Minor League Affiliate Report

From staff and wire reports:

SYRACUSE (AAA International League): The Syracuse Chiefs won their sixth straight game with an 8-3 Wednesday-night victory over the Rochester Red Wings. The Chiefs scored five runs in the third inning to break open their eighth win in nine games overall and ninth consecutive home win.

Rochester (11-15) kicked off the scoring on a Byron Buxton leadoff home run. The 22-year-old top prospect hit A.J. Cole's second pitch of the game over the left-field wall to give the Red Wings the early lead.

Syracuse (15-9) opened the game hot, posting runs in each of the first three innings. In the bottom of the first, Ben Revere led off with a single into left field. The next batter, Trea Turner, reached on a fielder’s choice. Turner then stole second base, marking his tenth steal in ten tries in 24 games. Scott Sizemore followed with a single into left field, moving Turner to third base on the hit. In the next at-bat, the Syracuse shortstop dashed home on a wild pitch from Logan Darnell, tying the game at one in the bottom of the first.

The Chiefs got back on the board again in the bottom of the second. Kevin Keyes led off the frame with a double into right-center field. Brian Goodwin followed with a single into center field, moving Keyes to third. Keyes then scored on a sacrifice fly from Brendan Ryan, giving Syracuse a 2-1 lead after two.

Syracuse then rallied for five runs in the bottom of the third. Turner started the inning with a walk. Sizemore followed with a second single to left field. The next batter, Matt Skole, walked as well, bringing up Jason Martinson with the bases loaded and no outs.

Martinson hit a slow ground ball to third base that Stephen Wickens couldn't glove for an infield single, putting the Chiefs in front, 3-1. Keyes followed with a sacrifice fly into center field, bringing home Sizemore. Goodwin then picked up his second base hit of the night, a single into center field, driving in Skole, handing the Chiefs a 5-1 advantage and ending the night for Darnell.

After left-hander Taylor Rogers entered, Ryan hit a line-drive single to center field, bringing home Martinson. The inning was later capped off on a bases-loaded walk to Turner, his second base on balls of the inning, that scored Ryan. The Chiefs batted around and finished the inning up 7-1.

Rochester got back on the board in the top of the fifth. Juan Centeno led off with a home run over the right-field wall. Later in the inning, James Beresford singled into right field to score Buxton. Those would be the final runs of the game for Rochester, with Matt Grace and Nick Masset each throwing two scoreless innings in relief of Cole.

The game only saw one additional run the rest of the way. A Keyes single in the bottom of the eighth off left-hander Dan Runzler drove home Sizemore to give the Chiefs an 8-3 lead.

Syracuse aims to complete a three-game series sweep of Rochester Wednesday morning at 10:35 a.m. Taylor Hill is scheduled to start for the Chiefs opposite Pat Dean of the Red Wings.

HARRISBURG (AA Eastern League): Chris Bostick delivered a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Senators a thrilling 3-2 triumph over the Hartford Yard Goats. The victory was the Senators’ season-high third win in a row.

Bostick drove a 2-2 pitch off Hartford reliever Matt Pierpont that caromed off the top of the padding and subsequently the railing above the left field wall for the game winner.

Before the extra inning heroics, Harrisburg starter Reynaldo Lopez was masterful as the 22-year-old cruised through the first six innings of the game. The right-hander faced two batters over the minimum as only three Yard Goats reached base on a single, error, and a hit batsman.

The Senators staked Lopez to an early lead as they plated a couple of runs in the second inning without the benefit of a hit. Brenden Webb and Bostick both walked to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Hartford pitcher German Marquez then threw Stephen Perez’ sacrifice bunt past the third baseman and down the left field line allowing Webb to score. Brian Jeroloman followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Bostick and give the Senators a 2-0 advantage.

The score remained that until an eventful top of the seventh inning. Lopez immediately ran into trouble as Hartford put runners on the corners with a double and single. After a strikeout, an error on Wilmer Difo scored the Yard Goats’ first run and kept the rally going.

During the next at-bat to Mike Benjamin, Lopez was docked an automatic ball by the home plate umpire. Senators’ manager Matt LeCroy took umbrage with the decision and was ejected after the ensuing argument. Lopez walked Benjamin, his only free pass of the night, to load the bases and end the hurler’s night. His final line was for one earned run on three hits over 6.1 innings while striking out a season-high seven batters.

Wander Suero relieved and allowed yet another infield single -- Hartford’s third of the inning -- which scored the tying run. Suero induced a 1-2-3 double play to get out of the jam but the damage was already done.

Harrisburg and Hartford traded zeroes into extra innings as Dakota Bacus did yeoman’s work to keep the score knotted at two. The reliever walked four batters over three innings, but worked out of trouble to keep Hartford off the board.

Andrew Robinson earned his second win of the season for a perfect inning of relief.

The Senators face a quick turnaround on Wednesday as Lucas Giolito will take the mound against Hartford’s Harrison Musgrave for a 10:30 a.m. first pitch at FNB Field.

POTOMAC (HIGH-A Carolina League): The series between the Nationals and Lynchburg Hillcats can not catch a break, as a severe thunderstorm rolled through Lynchburg on Tuesday afternoon and caused the modified doubleheader to be postponed.

Because the two teams do not play again in the first half after Wednesday, the P-Nats (14-8) and Hillcats will play a tripleheader Wednesday afternoon beginning at 3:00 p.m. The first game will be the resumption of Monday’s suspended game, with Potomac at the plate, up 4-2, in the top of the fifth. That game will go the requisite nine innings.

Following the conclusion of the suspended game, the teams will play a pair of seven-inning games. Scheduled starters for the P-Nats include Erick Fedde (1-2, 4.91) and Boone Whiting (3-1, 4.91). The two previously announced starters for the remainder of the series for Lynchburg are Justus Sheffield (3-1, 4.91) and Mitch Brown (1-1, 5.40).

The tripleheader, the first that could be found on record in the Carolina League since 1996, will get underway at 3:00 p.m.

HAGERSTOWN (LOW-A South Atlantic League): Off day. Will start a three-game series at Kannapolis on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.