Syracuse Mets, Bisons split Friday doubleheader in Trenton

 

Trenton, NJ - Buffalo and Syracuse met in a doubleheader on Friday after Thursday’s game was postponed because of rain. Game one went into extra innings with Buffalo winning, 5-4, on a Dilson Herrera walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth. In game two, behind home runs from Cheslor Cuthbert and David Thompson, the Mets topped the Bisons, 6-3.

In game one, Syracuse (10-18) got off to a hot start thanks to four singles in the top of the first inning. Luis Guillorme, who is on a Major League rehab assignment with Syracuse, recorded a one-out single in the top of the first. David Thompson followed with a single of his own. The first run of the game was courtesy of an Orlando Calixte two-out RBI single which scored Guillorme. Khalil Lee then proceeded to send a single into left field but was thrown out at second base trying to stretch it into a double. However, Thompson and Calixte scored on the play to make it 3-0 Syracuse. 

Buffalo (14-12) responded in the bottom half of the first. Kevin Smith reached on a throwing error with two outs by Guillorme, which came back to haunt Syracuse as the next batter, Riley Adams, launched a two-run home run off Mets starter Thomas Szapucki to cut the Buffalo deficit to one, 3-2.

In the top of the third, Patrick Mazeika, who has six hits in his four games with Syracuse this season, stayed hot with an RBI double to increase the Mets lead to 4-2. Syracuse failed to score more in the third, stranding two runners on base.

In the bottom of the fourth, with Syracuse still leading 4-2, Adams made the Mets pay again with his second home run of the game. It was a solo shot to left field to make it a 4-3 game.

Other than those two Adams home runs, Szapucki turned in a solid outing for the Mets. The lefty went five innings, allowing three runs, but only one earned, while surrendering two hits and striking out seven batters. Szapucki retired ten of the last 11 batters he faced.  

In the bottom of the sixth, Franklyn Kilomé came out of the bullpen and ran into some trouble. After a double and two walks, the Bisons loaded the bases with nobody out. Kilomé then proceeded to strike out Cullen Large and Forrest Wall and was one out away from getting out of the jam. However, Logan Warmoth drew a game-tying walk to make it 4-4. Trey Cobb entered the game for Syracuse and forced a groundout to send the game into the seventh inning tied. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Buffalo left the bases loaded yet again. Cobb struck out Large to send game one of the doubleheader to extra innings.

After the Mets failed to get a run across the plate in the top of the eighth, Stephen Nogosek got the ball in the bottom of the eighth for Syracuse. Large was the runner starting on second base for the Bisons, and he got to third after a bunt single to lead off the inning by Wall. With runners on the corners, Nogosek then struck out Warmoth for the first out of the inning. Herrera then came to the plate and slashed an RBI single to left, scoring Wall to win the game for Buffalo, 5-4. 

In game two, the Bisons picked up where they left off, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning off a Tyler White RBI single to take a 1-0 lead. 

The Mets answered in a big way in the second inning. It all started with a Wilfredo Tovar walk. Tovar then advanced on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Khalil Lee doubled to center field to score Tovar and make it a 1-1 game. Then, Cheslor Cuthbert, in his first at-bat as a Syracuse Met, hit a two-run homer to left field out of the ballpark to give the Mets a 3-1 lead. Cuthbert signed a minor league contract with the Mets on Thursday.

In the bottom of the third, White picked up yet another RBI. This time it was a two-out double to right field to score Richard Ureña and cut the deficit to one run, 3-2. 

In his first start for Syracuse, Tylor Megill went four innings, allowing two runs on four hits, walking two, and striking out four. The 25-year-old was recently called up from Double-A Binghamton, where he held a 2-1 record and a 3.12 ERA in five starts with the Rumble Ponies. 

After not scoring in the third and fourth innings, the Mets put three runs up in the fifth. Martin Cervenka led off the inning with a single, and then Drew Jackson was hit by a pitch. Cervenka moved to third base on a Sebastian Elizalde fly out to right field. Cervenka scored on a wild pitch with David Thompson batting to give the Mets a 4-2 advantage. Thompson then launched his seventh home run of the season to bust the game open and give Syracuse a 6-2 lead. 

After Corey Oswalt threw a scoreless fifth inning, Marcel Rentería finished the game for Syracuse, turning in two innings, allowing one unearned run as the Mets won the game, 6-3.

The Mets and Bisons return to the field on Saturday night for game five of the six-game series. First pitch from ARM & HAMMER Park in Trenton is at 6:30 p.m.