The .500 level is proving to be just as elusive this year as it was last season for the IronPigs.
The break-even point slipped out of their grasp for the second time this season Sunday when Kevin Mench's three-run home run powered visiting Syracuse to a 3-1 win over Lehigh Valley before 8,983 on Dog Day Afternoon at Coca-Cola Park.
A year ago the IronPigs (4-6) failed in their first five opportunties to get to .500 before finally reaching the mark for the first time in franchise history on June 28 at 38-38. Overall they were 2-9 in games when they were a game under .500, and then 0-2 when they were .500.
Mench, a University of Delaware graduate who was a fourth-round pick in 1989, answered Chris Duffy's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning with his first home run in the top of the sixth off Brian Mazone (1-1).
Mazone, allowed just three singles through the first five innings, then struck out his counterpart, Luis Atilano, to open the sixth. However, singles by Roger Bernandina and former Phillie Eric Bruntlett, both with two strikes, set up Mench, who rocketed a line drive just inside the left-field foul pole.
Mazone struck out seven, four of them looking, and walked none.
Paul Hoover's leadoff single in the fifth, a blooper that fell just inside the first base line behind the bag, led to the IronPigs' only run. Hoover moved up on Mazone's one-out sacrifice bunt and sped in on Duffy's single to center.
The hit gave Duffy 11 RBis in his nine games, and his two hits raised his average to .318.
Atilina (2-0), a member of Washington's 40-man roster who was obtained by the Nationals in a 2006 trade 21 days after undergoing Tommy John surgery, allowed eight hits in six innings with three strikeouts and a walk. Duffy drew a leadoff walk in the eighth from Josh Wilkie but was doubled up when Melvin Dorta, in his first game, popped up a bunt attempt to the Syracuse reliever.
Andy Tracy led off the Lehigh Valley ninth with a single, extending his hitting streak to four games. But Cody Ransom and Dewayne Wise both fouled out to third before Paul Hoover struck out.
Ransom also had two of the IronPigs' nine hits. John Mayberry Jr. extended his hitting streak to seven games with a sixth-inning infield single.
Alex Concepcion and Brian Gordon combined for three shutout innings, two by Gordon.
From the Morning Call
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