By Josh Cook
Matt Maloney bounced back from his worst outing of the season to lead the Louisville Bats to a 3-2 win over the Syracuse Chiefs on Wednesday night in Syracuse, N.Y.
The left-handed pitcher allowed nine runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings at Columbus last Wednesday, but one week later he produced arguably his best outing of the season.
Maloney (5-3) gave up only five hits and two unearned runs, while walking two and striking out six in 7 1/3 innings to help the Bats win just their second game in their last five.
Maloney helped his own cause in the second inning. Chris Valaika doubled with two outs, then moved to third on Maloney's single, before scoring on Drew Sutton's single.
Louisville added a pair of runs in the fifth to support Maloney. Sutton led off with a single, then moved to third on Zack Cozart's double. Yonder Alonso's sacrifice fly scored Sutton and moved Cozart to third. After Wladimir Balentien walked, Todd Frazier doubled home Cozart.
In the bottom of the eighth Syracuse scored two unearned runs, both were charged to Maloney, due to an error by Frazier at third. But Maloney, who gave up just one earned run and six hits while striking out eight over 5 2/3 innings in his first start of the season, got help from his bullpen.
Jon Adkins came on with two-on and one-out in the eighth and got two of the next three batters out. Adkins capped off his seventh save of the season in the ninth, as he moved closer to the Bats' career save record.
The third game of the four-game series between the Bats and Chiefs is at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Alliance Bank Stadium.
