PRESS RELEASE - Mazeika homers again, but Syracuse Mets drop series finale to Red Wings, 6-2

 

TEAM PRESS RELEASE - 

Syracuse, NY - Behind a solid start from pitcher Sean Nolin, the Rochester Red Wings took the series finale on Sunday at NBT Bank Stadium, beating the Syracuse Mets, 6-2. Nolin tallied five and one-third innings pitched, allowing two runs on eight hits and struck out six. In the sixth inning, Mets first baseman Patrick Mazeika hit his fourth home run in his last nine games, but Rochester pulled away with a three-run eighth. Even with the loss, the Mets still won the series four games to two.

Right-hander Robert Stock started the game for the Mets and provided a 1-2-3 first inning in his lone frame. Akeem Bostick came out of the bullpen to pitch the second. 

Rochester (27-37) got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. With two outs and no one on, Ali Castillo singled. With Adrian Sanchez at the plate, Castillo stole second base. Sanchez then connected on an RBI double to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead. Jake Noll followed and hit an RBI single, scoring Sanchez to make it a 2-0 Rochester advantage. 

The Red Wings added another run in the fifth. Carlos Tocci led off the inning with a walk, and the pitcher Nolin got him to second base with a sacrifice bunt. With Castillo batting, Tocci advanced to third on a balk by Mets reliever Nick Tropeano. Then, Castillo hit an RBI single to increase the Red Wings lead to 3-0.

Syracuse (23-42) finally got to Nolin in the bottom of the sixth. After his first five innings were scoreless, the Red Wings starting pitcher allowed a solo home run to Mazeika with one out in the frame, making it a 3-1 ballgame. Next, Albert Almora Jr., Wilfredo Tovar, and Drew Jackson hit three straight singles, with Jackson’s single driving in Almora Jr. to pull Syracuse within one, 3-2.

Rochester, however, added some breathing room in the top of the eighth. Castillo hit a leadoff single, and then Sanchez struck out. With Castillo at first base, Noll hit an RBI double to right-center field to give the Red Wings a 4-2 lead. Palka followed, hitting a two-run homer to make it 6-2 Rochester.

In the bottom of the ninth, still trailing by four, the Mets loaded the bases with two outs and sent Almora Jr. to the plate as the game-tying run, but he popped out to end the game.

Syracuse now heads to Trenton, NJ for a six-game series against the Buffalo Bisons, beginning on Tuesday night with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch from Trenton Thunder Ballpark.