8/14/21

Press Release: Syracuse Mets sweep Friday doubleheader against Worcester Red Sox

Eight-run comeback in game one and wire-to-wire win in game two

Worcester, MA - The Syracuse Mets overcame an eight-run deficit in game one and led most of the way in game two to sweep Friday night's doubleheader against the Worcester Red Sox with Syracuse winning the first game, 10-8 (Box Score), and the second game, 5-4 (Box Score). 

In game one, Syracuse (32-54) trailed, 8-6, going to the top of the seventh inning: the final inning of game one of the doubleheader. Both Patrick Mazeika and Wagner Lagrange started the frame with singles, putting runners at first and second base. After Khalil Lee struck out, Cheslor Cuthbert singled to load the bases. Mason Williams then grounded into a fielder's choice where Cuthbert was out at second, but the throw to first base was low and not secured by Worcester first baseman Joey Meneses, so Williams was safe at first to keep the game going. Lagrange went to third base on the play, and Mazeika scored to cut the Syracuse deficit to one, 8-7. The Mets then sent Josh Reddick to the plate as a pinch hitter for his first plate appearance since signing a minor league contract with the New York Mets on Friday. Down in the count, 0-2, Reddick crushed a pitch over the 22-foot-high Worcester Wall in right field for a go-ahead, three-run home run that gave Syracuse a 10-8 lead, completing the comeback from being down, 8-0.

Mets reliever Tom Hackimer came into the game in the bottom of the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to secure the come-from-behind 10-8 victory.

Worcester (46-40) jumped out to an early lead in game one in the bottom of the first inning. Yairo Muñoz was at third base, Delino DeShields was at first, and Johan Mieses was at the plate with one out, Mieses struck out and on the strike three pitch, DeShields stole second. On the throw to second base, Muñoz stole home to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. DeShields advanced to third base on an errant throw to second during his steal attempt. Josh Ockimey, Jack Lopez, and Jhonny Pereda all had RBI singles later in the inning to give Worcester a 4-0 advantage.

The Red Sox extended the lead in the fourth with four runs on four hits and a Mets error that allowed a run to score to make it an 8-0 Worcester lead.

Syracuse began its comeback in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Orlando Calixte at third base and Mark Payton at first, Wilfredo Tovar doubled, scoring both Calixte and Payton to make it an 8-2 game. Mazeika followed with a single that brought home Tovar to pull the Mets within five, 8-3. Lagrange singled and Lee walked to load the bases for Cuthbert, who hit a bases clearing double off the Worcester Wall in right field, cutting the Worcester lead to two, 8-6, and setting Syracuse up for its comeback win.

Game two saw the Mets strike first in the top of the third. Cody Bohanek led off with a single, and Payton brought Bohanek home with a double to the left-field wall, giving Syracuse a 1-0 lead.

The Mets extended their lead in the top of the fifth. With Bohanek at third and Tovar at first, a wild pitch scored Bohanek to give Syracuse a 2-0 edge. Then, later in the inning with runners at first and third and two outs, Chance Sisco homered a three-run home run over the Worcester Wall in right field to stretch the Syracuse lead to 5-0.

Worcester responded in the bottom of the fifth. Jett Bandy was hit by a pitch, Jeremy Rivera walked, and Ryan Fitzgerald followed with a three-run homer to right field to cut Syracuse's lead to two, 5-3. 

In the bottom of the seventh inning. Muñoz singled and scored on a DeShields double to right-center field to pull the Red Sox within one, 5-4. Meneses then lined into a double play where DeShields was doubled off of second base for the first two outs of the frame. Mieses followed with a groundout to shortstop to end the ballgame as Syracuse won game two, 5-4, for the doubleheader sweep.

Syracuse and Worcester return to action on Saturday for the fifth game of their six-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. 

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