LAWRENCEVILLE — Syracuse right-hander Jeff Mandel threw the second consecutive complete-game shutout against the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves in as many nights, leading the Chiefs to a 7-0 win Sunday at Coolray Field.Mandel’s six hitter, his first nine-inning effort this season, ensured a split of the four-game series.

Syracuse left-hander John Lannan threw nine scoreless, three-hit innings on Saturday night, and Mandel (W, 5-5) continued the trend on Sunday, scattering six hits over nine innings while striking out four. He walked none in a 102-pitch, 69-strike outing.

After escaping major damage in the second inning, Gwinnett starter Yohan Flande was not able to make it past the third. The left-hander surrendered four runs on five hits in the frame, including five-straight one-out hits. Josh Johnson and Chris Marrero reached on back-to-back singles, and Carlos Rivero singled to left-center, scoring them both.  Jesus Valdez singled to score Rivero, and Sandy Leon added a double plating Valdez for a 4-0 lead.

Flande (L, 7-9) allowed four earned runs on six hits, walked three and struck out two over just 2 2/3 innings of work.Cole McCurry relieved Flande with two outs in the third inning and worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings. McCurry struck out three and walked none, departing after Stefan Gartrell singled in his pinch-hit at-bat for the pitcher in the sixth.

Ryan Buchter entered the game for the G-Braves in the seventh and allowed three more runs over 1 1/3 innings.Rivero singled home Johnson to raise the lead to 5-0 in the seventh, and a two-run triple by Eury Perez ensured the final score of 7-0 in the eighth. Anthony Varvaro relieved the left-hander, pitching 1 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball with one strikeout.  

Gwinnett collected just six total hits on Sunday, with Jose Constanza accounting for two of them as he went 2 for 4.Jose Yepez had the only extra-base hit, notching a double off Mandel in the eighth.

Rivero and Leon led the offensive charge in Syracuse’s 12-hit attack, both registering three-hit games. Rivero went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored and Leon recorded a 3-for-4 day with one RBI. Johnson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

The Gwinnett Braves (61-75) welcome the Pawtucket Red Sox (73-63) to town at 7:05 tonight as the two teams begin the final four-game series of the season at Coolray Field.