Game Recap and Highlights: Syracuse falls to Rochester on Saturday night, 8-0

Press Release: Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets ran into a buzzsaw on Saturday night, falling to the Rochester Red Wings, 8-0. Despite the final score, more 6,000 fans enjoyed a sunny and warm evening at NBT Bank Stadium on Memorial Day weekend. (Box Score) 

Rochester (30-17) continued its early-game scoring assault on Saturday night, plating a run in the top of the second inning and three more runs in the third. The Red Wings went up, 1-0, in the second on a sacrifice fly from Richard Ureña that brought home Josh Palacios, who had tripled earlier in the inning. In the third, a trio of additional runs crossed home plate. Andrew Stevenson, Joey Meneses, and Jake Noll all had hits and scored in the frame as the Red Wings took a 4-0 lead. Rochester has scored a combined 11 runs between the first, second, and third innings in the first five games of this week's series.    

The Red Wings continued their scoring barrage with three more runs in the fifth. After Luis Garcia, Meneses, and Noll had all walked earlier in the inning, Ureña brought them all home via a three-run double with two outs to give the Wings a 7-0 advantage. Rochester scored five of its seven runs with two outs on Saturday night. Ten of Rochester's 15 runs combined in the last two games have come with two outs.    

From there, Rochester starting pitcher Cade Cavalli stepped into the spotlight. The right-hander turned in an utterly masterful performance, surrendering just two hits in seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts and only one walk. Cavalli no-hit the Mets in the first five and two-thirds innings of the game. Jake Mangum broke up the no-no with a two-out single in the sixth. Cavalli, who is widely considered the top prospect in the Washington Nationals minor league system, threw just 75 pitches in his seven scoreless frames. The 23-year-old has tossed a combined 12 and two-thirds scoreless innings in two starts against Syracuse this season.    

Rochester topped off its scoring for the evening with an extra run in the top of the ninth. Three straight singles from Garcia, Meneses, and Noll brought home the final tally of the evening as Noll's RBI single scored Garcia for an 8-0 Red Wings lead. The 3-4-5 hitters for the Red Wings went a combined 5-for-10 at the plate on Saturday night with six runs scored. Garcia, Meneses, and Noll each scored two runs in the game.

Mike Montgomery (L,0-6) allowed 6 runs in 4.1 innings, 5 earned, 6 hits, 3 walks, 5 Ks. 

Syracuse managed just two hits in the game, besides Jake Mangum, Nick Dini singled in the 7th for the other hit.  Daniel Johnson made his Syracuse Mets debut at DH going 0 for 3, 1 K.  Before the game, Nick Plummer was called up to Flushing and Yoan Lopez was returned to Syracuse.   

Syracuse (15-30) wraps up its six-game series against the Rochester Red Wings on Sunday night with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. at NBT Bank Stadium. Left-hander Rob Zastryzny is scheduled to start for the Mets, opposed by Ex-Met Right-hander Logan Verrett for the Red Wings.   

Can anybody stop Cade Cavalli? @jakemangum15 can 🪄
He breaks up the no-hit bid in the sixth! pic.twitter.com/VUzP8r5sul

— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) May 29, 2022