Andre Chiefs

Watertown, MA- The Intercity League playoffs are almost a month away, but certainly nobody could convince the Reds or the Chiefs of that fact on Wednesday night.

In what took on a post season atmosphere for both teams, the Chiefs prevailed 4-3 in one of the better games thus far of the ICL regular season at Victory Field.

The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead, fell behind 3-1, regained the lead 4-3, and then used no less than five pitchers over the last 1.2 innings, and had to throw out the tying run at the plate to boot, in order to secure the win.

Before the late inning dramatics, the Chiefs’ Mike DiCato and Watertown’s undefeated righty Jhonneris Mendez were embroiled in a pretty decent pitcher’s duel.

Mendez made short order of the Chiefs in the top of the first inning with strikeouts of Tony Serino and Juan Portes that were sandwiched around a Billy Mottram pop-up.

DiCato also went the two K route in the Reds’ first but he had to work a tad harder than Mendez as he stranded Mac Jacobson at third after his one out triple to center.

The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Peter Copa was drilled by a Mendez fastball in the upper leg area and shook it off and went to first. Paul Yanakopulos was next and he grounded out to Mike Samko, forcing Copa at second. Mike Andre then gave his team a 1-0 lead when he drilled a deep line double to the fence in left-center, scoring Yanakopulos all the way from first. Andre moved to third on a wild pitch, but that was as far as he got when Mendez got Mike Burgoyne to ground out, then struck out Mike Barbati, to end the inning.

The Reds tied things up at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. After Justin Forman flew to Mike Burgoyne in right for the first out, Pete Burgio lined a double to left and Samko drove him home with a single. DiCato averted more scoring by striking out Steve Morganelli and then getting Kevin Kelley on a grounder to Mottram at third.

The Chiefs went quietly in the top of the third. The Reds took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the frame on a walk to Kyle LaVigne, singles from Jacobson and Danny Chaisson, and a groundout by Steve Rogers.

The Chiefs failed to capitalize on a Watertown miscue in the top of the fourth. Copa drew a leadoff walk before Mendez retired both Yanakopulos and Andre on fly balls. Jacobson dropped and apparently lost Burgoyne’s deep fly ball to right in the lights to hand the Chiefs’ runners on second and third with two outs. Mendez kept the Reds in front when he retired Barbati on pop-up to Forman behind the bag at first.

DiCato sailed through the Reds’ fourth, which included two strikeouts.

The Chiefs regained the lead for good in the top of the fifth. Mendez hit a Nick Leva with a pitch and then issued a walk to Serino. Mottram dropped a bunt but Mendez pounced off the bump and fired to third to force Leva. Portes followed and cut the lead to 3-2 with a broken bat single to center that scored Serino when Chaisson dropped the ball after applying the tag. Copa followed and singled up the middle to load the bases. The Chiefs caught a big break when the back end of a potential doubleplay grounder off the bat of Yanakopulos was thrown low to first for an error, allowing both Mottram and Portes to score the Chiefs’ third and fourth runs.

In the Reds fifth, Jacobson flew out before DiCato issued a full count walk to Chaisson. The inning came to an abrupt end when Rogers lined to Yanakopulos at shortstop who fired a strike to Copa at first to double off Chaisson.

The Chiefs threatened to pad their lead in the top of the sixth. Leva drew a two out walk and Serino singled to right. Mottram then drilled a shot that appeared headed for extra bases before LaVigne closed on the ball and made a running catch in deep left-center to end the inning.

It was “game on” in the bottom of the sixth. DiCato issued a free pass to Forman to start the inning. Burgio then sacrificed Forman to second. Left-hander Evan Walsh replaced DiCato to face the left-handed hitting Samko. Samko hit Walsh’s first pitch to center and Serino put a charge on the ball and threw a strike to Leva who applied the tag to cut down Forman at the plate for the second out of the inning. Righty Nate Witkowski came on and walked pinch-hitter Ryan Pocock on a full count fastball to put Reds’ runners on first and second. With three lefties due up in succession, southpaw Mitchell Clegg was summoned out of the Chiefs’ bullpen as the fourth pitcher of the inning. The former Washington National product did his job and got pinch-hitter Will Breenan to bounce to Copa to end the inning.

Mendez got the Chiefs in order in the top of the seventh.

The Chiefs appeared to buy themselves a barrel of trouble when Clegg hit the rapid LaVigne with a pitch to begin the home half of the seventh. Jacobson then bunted LaVigne to second. The Chiefs went all in, when staff ace Jared Freni, who has been on the disabled list with back tightness since June 24, made a rare relief appearance to face Chassion. LaVigne then easily stole third. With the tying run now ninety feet away, Freni got Chaisson on a shallow fly ball to right and then concluded the evening when he retired Rogers on a grounder to Barbati at second

DiCato 3-1, worked the first 5.1 innings, struck out six and was credited with the win. Freni recorded the first save of his ICL career.