Syracuse Mets tie game in eighth, but Red Wings answer in ninth to win 4-1 on Saturday night

 

Drew Jackson reached base three times for Syracuse on Saturday night, including with a game-tying home run in the eighth inning (Herm Card).

Syracuse, NY - After Drew Jackson hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, Rochester scored three runs in the ninth to beat the Syracuse Mets, 4-1, in front of a Saturday night crowd of 5,892 fans on at NBT Bank Stadium (Box Score),  Syracuse starting pitcher Alex Sanabia delivered four and one-third innings pitched in his Mets debut, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out three. The right-hander was signed to a minor league contract on June 1st. 

Rochester (22-30) left the bases loaded in the second inning but got on the board in the top of the third. Rafael Bautista connected on a one-out single, and Jake Noll followed with a double that advanced Bautista to third. After Brandon Synder walked, Corban Joseph hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Baustista and give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead. 

 In the fifth, the Red Wings loaded the bases with nobody out. Sanabia retired Joseph, and then Tom Windle came out of the bullpen. Windle retired Carlos Tocci and Jecksson Flores to get out of the inning unscathed with Rochester still leading 1-0.

Syracuse (14-37) threatened in the bottom of the fifth after Wilfredo Tovar singled and Jackson walked with two outs, but Windle struck out to end the inning.

The Mets also failed to get anything going in the sixth, and Rochester starting pitcher Tyler Eppler finished his night with six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out six batters.

Windle pitched a scoreless top of the sixth, and right-hander Akeem Bostick came out for the seventh for his first relief outing of the season. The 26-year-old delivered two perfect innings while striking out three batters.

Jackson led off the bottom of the eighth for the Mets and finally put Syracuse on the board, hitting a game-tying home run over the left-field wall to knot the game up, 1-1.

In the top of the ninth, the Red Wings took the lead right back. Bradley Roney came out of the bullpen for Syracuse and issued a leadoff walk to Cody Wilson. Roney then struck out Blake Swihart but surrendered a one-run double to Bautista as Rochester took a 2-1 lead. Noll followed and was hit by a pitch, and then Brandon Synder drew a walk. Next, Joseph lined a two-run single to right field to make it 4-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, Brandon Drury led things off with a double off Rochester reliever Dakota Bacus. However, Drury never got home as Chance Sisco grounded out and Khalil Lee and Tovar both struck out as Rochester evened up the series at two games apiece.

The Mets will look to bounce back Sunday in the series finale when they send right-handed pitcher Vance Worley to the mound to face Red Wings left-hander Sean Nolin. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. and NBT Bank Stadium will celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks after the game.