Yonder Alonso blows!

...bubbles.  He's a man of many talents! And really good at baseball.

Syracuse, NY (June 9, 2011) - I missed the first inning of this game.  It was "Education Day" at Alliance Bank Stadium.  I've been to Education Days at Scranton, and they're pretty quiet affairs.  I expected it to be similar in Syracuse.  Boy, was I wrong.  There was a massive traffic jam - and not enough people directing traffic.  Crazy lines everywhere. And a sea of yellow school buses as far as the eye could see.  If you ever go to an Education Day game in Syracuse, plan to arrive at least an hour early.

One reason for the popularity was that it was "Dollar Day" at the ballpark.  Many seats were only one dollar, and you could also buy soda, hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, ice cream, etc. for just one dollar an item.  I was going to get a soda, but the lines were so long I didn't bother.  The $1 parking was nice, though (regularly $5).

"Pops," the Syracuse Chiefs mascot.  He kinda looks like what Mr. Redlegs would look like, if he was a grandpa working on the railroad.

I wondered if I'd missed another leadoff hit by Cozart because I was late, but he was out of the lineup.  Day game after a night game, I guess. Negron was playing SS.

Todd Frazier was coaching first base again.

The third day straight he was out of the lineup.  He must have an injury.

Pitching for the Bats, Chad Reineke.

On the mound for the Chiefs, Ross Detwiler.

Detwiler was considered a top prospect a couple of years ago. First round draft pick, sixth overall.  The highest Missouri State draft pick in history.  He seems to have had some injury problems.

Reineke gave up a home run to Matt Antonelli in the first inning.  Which I missed, since I was sitting in traffic half a block from the stadium.  It was 1-0 when I finally got there.

Jesus Valdez singled in the second, but was caught stealing. Chris Valaika makes the tag.

Base stealing: Ur doing it wrong.

The Chiefs put another run on the board in the 4th. Michael Aubrey homered.

Chris Marrero followed that with a double, but was stranded.

Marrero is one of the Nationals' top prospects.

Yonder Alonso answered with a home run of his own in the fifth.

The K-Man of the Night was Danny Dorn. He was 0 for 4, with two strikeouts.  The first one was in the fifth inning.  Finally!  Free tacos!  The crowd went nuts.

He took it with good humor.  But then, he's been coming to Syracuse for three years now - long enough to know the drill.

Reineke got into trouble in the bottom of the 5th.  He gave up four singles (including one to the pitcher), a sac fly, and two runs.  Rick Sweet came out to take the ball.

Reineke heads for the dugout, letting Steven Jackson take over.

Jackson cleaned up the mess.  It was Bats 1, Chiefs 4.

The Bats scratched out another run in the 6th.  Zack Cozart pinch-hit - and singled, extending his hitting streak to 15 games, a career high.

Kris Negron also singled.

Lost a contact lens? Playing Twister?

Nope, it was a double steal.  Negron to 2B, Cozart to 3B.
Cozart scored on a Valaika groundout.  Bats 2, Chiefs 4.

Sam LeCure pitched the sixth.

Mr. LeCure walked the first batter he faced, but got out of trouble via a double play.

It was Juan Francisco to second baseman Chris Valaika...

...to Danny Dorn.

Alonso worked a leadoff walk in the 7th.  Cozart, coaching first base, congratulates him.

Alonso uses a mouthpiece?

Brent Clevlen also walked.  (The Syracuse announcer couldn't decide whether his name was pronounced Cleff-lyn or Cleveland.)

Dorn struck out, Alonso moved to 3B on a wild pitch, and Frazier, pinch-hitting, flied out. The Bats came away with nothing.

Former infielder/outfielder Jerry Gil pitched the 7th.  The announcer called him "Jeremy Gil."

He gave up a single to Gregor Blanco, and tried to hold him on.

But Blanco stole 2B.

The throw got past Valaika.

Blanco ended up stranded, though.

Juan Francisco loses his bat in the 8th.

The other Frazier, Jeff, pinch-hit in the bottom of the 8th.  He grounded out, ending the inning and stranding a runner.

The Bats tried to rally in the 9th. Yonder Alonso singled, then scored on a Brent Clevlen triple.

But that was all they would get. The rally fell just short: Bats 3, Chiefs 4.