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| Jonathan Arauz drove in both runs in Syracuse's 2-1 Game 2 win (Photo by Herm Card - herm4444@gmail.com) |
Toledo, OH – The Syracuse Mets split Wednesday’s doubleheader with the Toledo Mud Hens (Triple-A Detroit Tigers) dropping the first game, 4-1, in seven innings before winning the second game, 2-1 in nine innings.
Game one of the doubleheader
got off to an excellent start for Toledo (15-7), which plated three runs on
five hits in the bottom of the first inning. Each of their first five batters
had hits, highlighted by a two-run double from Ryan Kreidler and another RBI
double from Andre Lipcius for the 3-0 advantage.
After that, Syracuse’s (12-11)
starter, Alex Valverde, was able to settle into a better outing for the Mets.
Valverde threw three and two-thirds innings in his outing, allowing four runs
on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts. In his final 13 batters,
Valverde allowed just three hits and one run. The last run Toledo scored was
via a two-out, two-strike RBI single from Parker Meadows.
However, despite the pitching
settling down for Syracuse after a rocky beginning, the offense could not hold
up its end of the bargain in game one of the doubleheader. The Mets scored just
once in the game, a run in a third inning that could have been more eventful.
Syracuse had the bases loaded with one out and the three and four hitters in
the order coming up. Mark Vientos, the three hitter, did loft a fly ball deep
enough into right field to score a run and make it a 3-1 game at the time. The
four hitter, DJ Stewart, then grounded out to end the threat. The Mets put
runners on base in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings yet did not bring
anyone else home in the eventual 4-1 defeat.
Game two was dominated in the
early goings by the Syracuse pitching staff, which held the Toledo hitters in
check until the last moments of the game. It all started with Zach Muckenhirn
who was remarkably solid in his spot start. The normal left-handed reliever
worked three scoreless frames in his start, his first start since he was
pitching in Single-A during the 2017 season. Muckenhirn has now allowed just
one earned run in 11 and two-third innings of work across six appearances this
season.
From there, the bullpen held
down the fort for the Mets. John Curtiss tossed a pair of scoreless innings,
striking out four of the six total batters he faced. Dennis Santana then came
on and threw an excellent sixth inning, striking out each of the three batters
that came to the plate in the inning.
While the Syracuse pitching was
brilliant early on, the offense did just enough early to put the Mets in
position to win. The only run in the first six and a half innings in game two
of the doubleheader came right in the top of the first inning. Danny Mendick
walked to begin the ballgame, advancing to second on Ronny Mauricio’s sharp
single into right field. The third batter, Mark Vientos, grounded into a
fielder’s choice that put Mendick on third and Vientos on first with one out.
Then, the next batter, Jonathan Araúz, bounced into another fielder’s choice
that scored Mendick and gave the Mets the 1-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the seventh
inning (the last scheduled inning in a doubleheader), the game began to unravel
for Syracuse. Toledo managed to tie the game up by scratching across the one
run they needed to keep the game going. First, Andre Lipcius singled to start
the inning. The next batter, Jonathan Davis, tried to advance Lipcius to second
base via a sacrifice bunt, but he bunted it right back to Santana, who fired to
second base to get the lead runner. Santana struck out Jermaine Palacios to put
the Mets one out away from a win, but during that time, Davis stole second and
moved up to third on a wild pitch. Davis was now ninety feet away from tying
the game and would do just that, racing home on a wild pitch to tie the game at
one and send it into extra innings.
The game remained tied into the
top of the ninth (the second extra inning), where Syracuse squeezed across one
run to regain the lead at 2-1. Mauricio began the inning as the free runner at
second base, followed by a Vientos walk that put runners on first and second
with one out. The next batter, Araúz, chopped a soft single into center field
that plated Mauricio and made it a 2-1 game. Araúz drove in both runs in the
second half of the doubleheader. That Araúz single in the ninth was the
only hit for either team with runners in scoring position in the second game.
Syracuse was 1-for-10 while Toledo was 0-for-10 with runners at second and/or
third base.
After that, T.J. McFarland
ensured the game wouldn’t go on any longer, tossing a scoreless ninth to hand
Syracuse a 2-1 win that snapped its four-game losing streak. Overall, the Mets
bullpen had an excellent afternoon in game two of the doubleheader. Curtiss,
Santana, and McFarland combined to work six innings while allowing just one hit
and one run, striking out 12 total batters in the process.
It's a bird...it's a plane...
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) April 26, 2023
Nope, it's just Danny Mendick 😎 pic.twitter.com/i2iLo5Ihn5
Got the lead in extras 😎 pic.twitter.com/A8nAtHQez8
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) April 26, 2023
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