PRESS RELEASE - Vientos and Mauricio homer, Dibrell tosses gem as Syracuse soars past Rochester, 6-1, on Thursday night

 

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Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets bounced back in a big way on Thursday night, powered by home runs from their young prospects and stellar pitching all around en route to a 6-1 win over the Rochester Red Wings (Triple-A Washington Nationals) at NBT Bank Stadium.  

  

After the first three innings were scoreless, the bats for Syracuse (3-3) began to break out in the bottom of the fourth. With Jonathan Araúz on first and one out, Mark Vientos crushed a blast over the center-field fence to make it a 2-0 lead for the Mets in a flash. Vientos, a 23-year-old from Florida, is picking up right where he left off last season. He smashed 24 home runs in Triple-A during the 2022 campaign and already has two home runs in the first six games this season.  

  

In the fifth, the Mets extended the advantage with a pivotal play from Danny Mendick. The bases were loaded with one out after Jose Peraza and Tanner Murphy had both singled earlier in the inning, paired with an Araúz walk to load up the bags. That brought Mendick in the spotlight, and he took full advantage, lacing a double to deep centerfield that plated all three runs and gave Syracuse five tallies in the first five innings of the game. Mendick, who grew up outside of Rochester, also had a pivotal RBI double in Tuesday’s win for the Mets. 

  

While the offense was rounding into form, the starting pitching for Syracuse was superb. Tony Dibrell tossed a five-inning gem, allowing just two Rochester (1-4) hits while not walking anybody and striking out two. The only run Dibrell surrendered was on a solo blast to Matt Adams in the fifth. Adams, a former World Series champion, has three home runs combined in the last two games. Dibrell retired the first 12 batters he faced during his excellent outing.  

  

In the sixth, Syracuse scored one more time via a familiar face. Leading off the frame, Ronny Mauricio launched a no-doubt missile over the right-field fence, powering the Mets to a 6-1 advantage. Since he turned 22 on Tuesday, Mauricio has been a man possessed at the plate. He has six hits in the first three games of this week’s series, including three home runs, a triple, and four runs scored.  

  

The Mets’ bullpen locked the game down in the final four innings, as Zach Muckenhirn (two scoreless innings), Jimmy Yacabonis (scoreless inning), and T.J. McFarland (scoreless innings) ensured Syracuse would go home a winner on Thursday. The Red Wings did not have a hit in the game’s final four innings. In fact, Rochester had just four total baserunners in the entire game.  

  

Syracuse continues its first homestand of the 2023 season on Friday evening. Game four of the six-game series is set for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. Left-hander Joey Lucchesi is scheduled to start for the Mets, opposed by right-hander Joan Adon for the Red Wings.