Chiefs Take Game One, Mother Nature Takes Game Two

The Syracuse Chiefs and the Toledo Mud Hens were scheduled to face-off in a double header on Thursday, after the series opener was postponed due to rain on Wednesday.  The two teams were able to get the first game in, however Mother Nature had different plans for game two.  The Chiefs are no strangers to weather issues as this is their fifth postponement in two weeks.

Jacob Turner started the game for Syracuse, but was lifted after throwing just 1.2 innings.  After a perfect first inning, it was unclear the circumstances that surrounded his early departure.  Chief’s manager Billy Gardner put all speculation of injury or potential call-up to rest in his postgame interview.

“With the rain coming today, we wanted to try to get everybody to touch the mound today.  With this time of year we don’t want them go too long between without pitching.”

In what we found to be a confusing strategy with circumstances of today’s games, Gardner’s plan of using multiple pitchers proved to be effective, with all five of the Chief’s pitchers chipping in for a shutout and the team’s third win in a row.

Syracuse started things off early in their half of the first with a leadoff single by Rafael Bautista.  He would wind up getting moved over to third, after a walk to Brian Goodwin, and an unfortunate double play by Clint Robinson.  The Chiefs would make good on Bautista’s single as Brandon Snyder would drive him in on an RBI single.  That run would prove as the game winner, as the Chiefs downed the first place Mud Hens 1-0.

Chad Bell, who has pitched very well for Toledo was looking for his first win of the season.  After the hiccup in the first, Bell settled in and went five strong giving up just that one run.  Joe Jimenez came in for Bell in the sixth and struck out the side.

Dustin Antolin, who has struggled quite a bit in the early going this season, picked up his second win for the Chiefs going two innings, giving up two hits and two walks.  Matt Grace and Trevor Gott each got an inning of work keeping the game scoreless, and setting up a save opportunity for Austin Adams.  Adams, who picked up his first save, retained his 0.00 ERA.  His only blemish is an unearned run that he gave up earlier this year.

The postponement of the second game is unfortunate for the Chiefs as they were about to hit their stride.  With this being the last trip to Syracuse for Toledo, the makeup game will now have to be played when the Chiefs travel to Ohio in early August.

“We really wanted to play.  We already have a double header scheduled for August 4th [against Rochester at home] and will have to make up this one.  It is a TBA right now, but either the 7th or 8th [of August] in Toledo.  It’s good that we got one in” manager Billy Gardner told us.

The Chiefs will now play host to the Norfolk Tide for a three-game series starting Friday.  Greg Ross, who was scheduled to make his Triple-A debut in the second game on Thursday, will have to wait until Friday.