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| Daniel Palka had two hits, including a home run on Sunday afternoon for Syracuse (Herm Card). |
Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets finished off their weeklong, six-game series against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Triple-A Miami Marlins) on the right note, never trailing in the game on their way to a 3-1 Mets win on Sunday afternoon in the Salt City. With the win, the Mets split the six-game series against the Jumbo Shrimp. Syracuse has not lost a series since June 7-12 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. (Box Score)
Thomas Szapucki got Syracuse (40-50) off to a superb start on the mound, allowing just one earned run in a four-inning start with seven strikeouts, four hits allowed, and only one walk. Szapucki had Jacksonville's (48-42) number this week, also starting Tuesday night's game, again surrendering just a lone run in six innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. The left-hander, in fact, fanned five of the first eight batters he faced in Sunday afternoon's gameBuoyed by the superb start from Szapucki, the offense backed him up with a handful of early runs. In the first, the Mets scored the game's first run when Daniel Palka launched a solo shot, his team-leading 17th home run of the season to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
In the third, Syracuse scored twice in unconventional fashion. Leading off the inning, Johneshwy Fargas dropped a bunt down the third-base line, and as third baseman Luis Aviles, Jr. fielded the ball for Jacksonville, he promptly threw it away down the first-base line. This error allowed Fargas to prance all the way to third with nobody out. After a Terrance Gore strikeout, Nick Plummer was hit by a pitch, putting runners on the corners with one out. Then, Kramer Robertson chopped a groundball up the middle of the infield that plated Fargas for a 2-0 edge and allowed Robertson to reach first with one out. A Palka single loaded up the bases with one out, and after a Blankenhorn strikeout, Nick Dini drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0 Mets. Syracuse drew three different bases-loaded walks combined between the final two games of the series.
From there, the Mets bullpen locked the game down. Relievers Adonis Media, Sam Clay, Michel Otanez, and Bryce Montes de Oca worked the final five innings of the game in scoreless fashion, surrendering just one hit and two walks while fanning four batters. In its last 43 and one-thirds innings of work, Syracuse's bullpen has fanned an amazing 55 opposing batters in the past ten games.
Montes de Oca was particularly stellar, earning his fourth save of the season in Triple-A with a scoreless ninth inning that included two strikeouts. The hard-throwing right-handed reliever has yet to blow a save in his four opportunities at the Triple-A level. Montes de Oca has racked up 25 strikeouts in 17 innings of work with the Syracuse Mets this season.
Syracuse has the next four days off as part of the MLB All-Star Break before returning to action next week in Worcester. The Mets begin their series at the Red Sox on Friday evening at 6:45 p.m.
McDonald’s All-American* @Danielbpalka puts us up 1-0 in the bottom of the first with this solo shot! #PalkSmash 💪💥 pic.twitter.com/0iZaOIQxeN
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 17, 2022
Heads-up! 👀 @Johneshwy bunts himself all the way to third base (and scores on @KramerR3’s single)! pic.twitter.com/1L0fgctBYD
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 17, 2022
We split our @JaxShrimp series with a 3-1 victory! We rode a #PalkSmash and stellar pitching from @ThomasSzapucki, @adonischael1996, Sam Clay, @michelotaez1 and @Bmontes43! Heading into the All-Star break on a high note 🙌🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/RSdxCMSK3e
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 17, 2022
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