Skid Hits Six with 4-1 Loss
(Syracuse, NY) - Syracuse batted around and scored four runs in the seventh inning to snap a scoreless tie and Pawtucket barley averted being shut out for the third time in the last four games as the Chiefs beat the PawSox, 4-1, Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium to hand the PawSox their sixth consecutive loss.
Pawtucket (25-25) had been held scoreless for 22 consecutive innings before Corey Brown drilled a two-out home run in the top of the ninth. Still, the PawSox have been limited to only two runs in their last 39 innings at-bat dating back to Monday night's contest against Scranton (spanning five games).
With Syrcause (26-22) taking the first three games of the set, the PawSox have now dropped three straight series and nine of their last 11 games overall. The Chiefs won their fifth consecutive game.
Syracuse starter Taylor Hill (6-1) tossed seven shutout innings and allowed only five hits and one hit-batsman. He struck out four and extended his personal scoreless innings streak to 16 straight.
Ryan Mattheus (eighth inning) and Mike Gonzalez (ninth inning) combined to finish the win, with Gonzalez allowing Brown's sixth home run of the season to dead centerfield.
Pawtucket's Rubby De La Rosa matched Hill pitch for pitch over the first six innings, also allowing no runs and four hits while walking two and striking out five. De La Rosa, who threw a season-high 104 pitches, retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced.
Jeremy Kehrt (0-3), just activated off the disabled list before the game and pitching for the first time in one month, relieved De La Rosa in the seventh and allowed six straight Chiefs to reach after retiring his first batter faced.
Will Rhymes (one run) and Steven Souza (two runs) collected back-to-back bases-loaded RBI hits to highlight the rally.
Tommy Layne relieved Kehrt and finished the seventh for Pawtucket, but did allow the fourth run of the inning to score on Jhonatan Solano's RBI groundout. Ryan Roberts (2-for-4) was the only PawSox player with multiple hits.
The finale of the series is slated for a 6:30 pm first pitch on Sunday night with Pawtucket trying to avoid being swept in a series for the first time this season. Right-hander Allen Webster (2-2, 2.47) is slated to start for the PawSox, while MLB-rehabbing righty Ross Ohlendorf (1-0, 0.00) goes for Syracuse. Radio coverage on 920 AM (WHJJ) and also streaming online begins at 6:15 pm.
Following the four-game trip, Pawtucket returns to McCoy Stadium for a four-game series with the Gwinnett Braves from Monday, May 26th through Thursday May 29th. Good seats are still available at the McCoy Stadium box office, by calling (401) 724-7300 or by visiting pawsox.com.