Andre Chiefs

Lexington, MA- Zach Kirby spun a sharp four-hitter when the Chiefs knocked off the Blue Sox 4-1 in Lexington on Wednesday night. Although the game was played in Lexington the Chiefs were the home team due to a scheduling conflict at Maplewood.

Kirby was in control all game long, striking out eleven, and allowing only an unearned run in the top of the third inning.

Both teams spared with each other with three doubles over the first two frames but neither could score. A leadoff double by Aaron Barbosa in the Blue Sox first, and Chiefs’ two-baggers from Ben Waldrip in the home half of the inning, and Nate Witkowski in the second, all went by the boards as the game remained scoreless into the third.

The Blue Sox scored their unearned run and took a 1-0 lead when Aaron Barbosa led off the third inning with an infield single. Dom Zaher sacrificed him to second, and with Julian Alvarez at the plate, Barbosa took off for third. When Nick Leva’s throw sailed into leftfield, Barbosa scored the game’s first run. Kirby ended the inning by striking out Alvarez and then getting Red Sox draftee Ryan Beradino to flyout to Tony Serino in center.

The Chiefs got a two out single from R.J. Libby in the bottom of the third but they couldn’t break through against Blue Sox starter Mike Geannelis when he ended the inning by getting the dangerous Waldrip on an infield grounder.

Kirby struck out the side in order for the second time in the game in the Blue Sox fourth.

The Chiefs got two timely hits and capitalized on a couple of infield errors to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Steve Passatempo led off and reached on a throwing error. Mike Gedman followed and drilled a single to right-center sending Passatempo to third. After Nate Witkowski was called out on a close 3-2 pitch for the first out, Andrew Caulfield came up big and doubled to left, scoring Passatempo, to tie the game at 1-1. Leva then hit a grounder to third that was bobbled and allowed Gedman to score what proved to be the winning run. Geannelis escaped further damage when he got Mike Burgoyne to pop up before John Puttress picked Leva off first to end the inning with Serino at the plate.

Kirby retired the Lexington side in order in the top of the fifth on a couple of fly balls and a strikeout and the Chiefs gave him some big time breathing room in the bottom of the inning. Serino led off with a single and Passatempo drilled a two out offering from reliever Borja Jones-Berasaluce over the leftfield fence for a 4-1 Chiefs lead.

The Blue Sox threatened a bit in the top of the sixth when Julian Alvarez drew a one out walk and Beradino reached on a chopped infield single to third. Kirby recorded a big strikeout of Zach Stevens for the second out before Kyle Adie gave the Chiefs an anxious moment when he flew deep to Libby down the rightfield line to end the inning.

The Chiefs went in order in the bottom of the sixth against Sean Mahan.

Kirby ended the night in style with two strikeouts, sandwiched around a nice grab of a Puttress liner by Witkowski, in the top of the seventh.

Chiefs Chatter….The Chiefs outhit the Sox 7-4 in the game with four of the hits going for extra bases. Kirby upped his record to 4-3 on the season and now has 75 strikeouts in 47 innings. Geannelis (3-1) took his first loss of the year…..Kirby retired ten in a row after Lexington scored their run in the third….. In an oddity, the Chiefs recorded no assists in the game. Of the 21 outs, 11 came on K’s, nine on fly balls or liners, and one on a sacrifice bunt where Waldrip tagged out Zaher unassisted…..The Chiefs stay on the road for the next three games. They travel to Morelli Field on Thursday at 7:30 PM to visit the Americans before returning to Lexington for a rematch with the Blue Sox on Friday at 8:00 PM. On Sunday, they play an afternoon game with the Wakefield Merchants at Walsh Field at 3:00 PM….