Charlotte 12 - Syracuse 11 - PRESS RELEASE

 

JT Riddle had three hits and three RBIs for Syracuse on Friday night in Charlotte (Rick Nelson).

Charlotte, NC – The Syracuse Mets fell victim to one bad early inning on Friday night as the Charlotte Knights scored seven times in the second inning on their way to a 12-11 win in uptown Charlotte. However, a furious late rally from the Mets made it yet another tight finish as Syracuse scored seven runs in the top of the eighth inning. Every single game this week has been decided by one run. The six-game series is now tied at two games apiece.   

 

Syracuse (50-65) got off to a good start for the second straight night, scoring twice in the top of the first. After Travis Blankenhorn flied out to start the inning, Dominic Smith walked, and Mark Vientos singled to put runners on first and third base with one out. That was followed by a groundball single from Daniel Palka that rolled into center field, scoring the first run of the ballgame and advancing Vientos to second as Smith trotted home for a 1-0 lead. Khalil Lee walked to load up the bases, and then Gosuke Katoh bounced into a groundout to first base that allowed Vientos to come home and make it a 2-0 game.  

It remained a 2-0 game until the bottom of the second inning when the game got away from the Mets. After Harol González worked a 1-2-3 top of the first in his first start of the season for Syracuse, the second frame proved to be his demise. Charlotte (45-70) scored seven runs on eight hits in the inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Lenyn Sosa and an RBI double from Carlos Perez. The inning would chase González from the game, finishing his start with seven runs allowed on seven hits in just one and one-third innings. González had made five appearances (four starts) in the lower levels of the Mets minor league system before Friday night’s start. The 27-year-old right-hander is returning from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2021 season. González made eight appearances (seven starts) with Syracuse during the 2019 season, posting an ERA of 2.68 in 40 and one-third innings with 23 strikeouts.   

 

In the bottom of the third, Charlotte scored again when Craig Dedelow reached on a two-out error, stole second, and scored on a single from Xavier Hernandez to make it an 8-2 game.  

 

Syracuse got a run back in the top of the fourth on a solo home run from Khalil Lee, his 10th big fly of the season to trim the deficit back to five, 8-3.  

 

But Charlotte countered with a solo home run of its own in the bottom of the fifth, this one off the bat of Micker Adolfo to make it a 9-3 ballgame. 

  

Each team had plenty of runs left to score in the ballgame. Charlotte scored once in the sixth via a Jake Burger RBI single, followed by two more runs in the bottom of the seventh on RBI doubles from Xavier Hernandez and Yolbert Sanchez. Syracuse scored once in the top of the seventh on a solo home run from JT Riddle, his seventh home run of the season in 63 Triple-A games between Louisville (27 games) and Syracuse (36 games). 

 

The Mets entered the top of the eighth inning down, 12-4, but true to form in this wacky week of baseball, Syracuse made it a ballgame again. The Mets produced their own seven-run inning, somehow crawling back to within one run at 12-11. The inning started with a Dominic Smith double, followed by a Mark Vientos groundout and a Daniel Palka walk to put two runners on base with one out. Khalil Lee was then plunked by a pitch, loading up the bases. Gosuke Katoh, the next batter, then got hit by a pitch too, making it a 12-5 game and keeping the bases loaded.  

From there, the fun truly began. JT Riddle doubled off the top of the wall in right-center field, scoring Palka and Lee and moving Katoh up to third to make it a 12-7 ballgame. Jose Colina then singled home Katoh and Riddle, slashing the deficit to three, 12-9. That was followed by yet another hit, this one a single from Terrance Gore that put runners on first and second with one out. A Travis Blankenhorn walk loaded up the bases again, followed by a Smith single in his second at-bat of the inning that scored a run and made it 12-10 with the bases loaded.   

 

Vientos strode to the plate for the second time in the inning, hitting a bouncer to third base that looked like a sure double play to finally end the frame. Yet, the Knights could only get the force out at second base, as the relay throw back to first base to complete the possible inning-ending double play was dropped. That made it 12-11, put runners on first and third with two outs, and brought Palka to the plate yet again with the chance to miraculously tie the game. It wasn’t to be, as Palka grounded out to shortstop to end the flurry of runs for the Mets at seven in the eighth inning.   

 

It remained 12-11 into the top of the ninth with one last chance for the Mets to complete their truly wild comeback. After Lee struck out to start the inning, Katoh singled to keep the hopes of late magic alive. Riddle then came to the plate and lined a single himself into right field, putting the potential leading run on base with one out in the top of the ninth. However, the magic then ran out, as Francisco Álvarez and Gore each struck out to end another crazy game down in Charlotte.   

 

Despite the loss, it was still an excellent night to be a hitter for the Syracuse Mets. Eight out of the Mets nine starters got at least one hit, and every single starter reached base at least once. Seven different players drove in at least one run in the 11-run outburst on the night. JT Riddle led the crowd, going 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and three runs driven in.  

Truist Field in Charlotte is known for being a hitter’s paradise, and this week has held true to form. The series thus far has been an absolute scoring bonanza with the two teams combining for 76 runs in the first three games. The two teams have also combined for 17 home runs in the first four games of the series.