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| Tylor Megill allowed just two runs in six innings pitched on Sunday in a start for Syracuse (Rick Nelson). |
Worcester, MA – Syracuse Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill delivered his strongest Triple-A start of the season, but the Syracuse Mets lost a late lead in a 5-3 loss to the Worcester Red Sox on Sunday afternoon at Polar Park. Worcester scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to spoil Syracuse's road trip. The Mets lost five of six games this series against the Red Sox.
After the first two innings went scoreless, Syracuse (35-50, 2-9) took the lead in the top of the third inning in quick order. After Nick Meyer grounded out to start the frame, the two power hitters in the middle of the Mets lineup did damage. First, Mark Vientos mashed a double off the center-field wall to put a runner in scoring position with one out. The next batter, Luke Voit, smacked a sharp single off the 22-foot-high wall in right field to score Vientos easily and hand the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Syracuse scored yet again in the top of the fourth for a 2-0 advantage. Jaylin Davis grounded out to start the inning, followed by a Tomas Nido single and a Carlos Cortes strikeout to put a runner on base with two outs. Rafael Ortega walked to extend the inning and Meyer was hit by a pitch to load up the bases, bringing Vientos to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Vientos promptly drew a bases loaded walk to bring Nido home and extend the Syracuse lead to two.
Worcester (46-40, 7-4), true to form, did not take that two-run deficit lying down. The Red Sox tied it right back up in the bottom of the fourth and they did it in rapid succession. After Ceddanne Rafaela was hit by a pitch to start the inning, Enmanuel Valdez slashed a line-drive triple to the center-field wall that allowed Rafaela to score all the way from first to cut the deficit to one, 2-1. The next batter, Bobby Dalbec, lined a single into center field to score Valdez and knot the game right back up, 2-2. It took three batters in the fourth to eliminate the Syracuse advantage.
However, that would prove to be only a brief blip on an otherwise clear afternoon on the mound for Tylor Megill. The big right-handed starter got out of the fourth without further trouble and finished his outing by retiring nine of the last ten batters he faced. Megill allowed just those two runs on five hits in six innings pitched with no walks and three strikeouts.
Meanwhile, the Mets regained the lead in the fifth. With one out, Luke Ritter crushed a ball nearly halfway up the scoreboard past the left-field wall for a solo home run that gave Syracuse a 3-2 lead. The homer was Ritter's sixth with Syracuse. Ritter also hit 14 home runs in Double-A this year.
Sean Reid-Foley came out of Syracuse's bullpen in the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 frame. Unfortunately, the eighth inning wasn't as smooth. Stephen Scott led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk, stole second base, and moved to third on a David Hamilton groundout. Rafaela followed with a ground-rule double that scored Scott to tie the game, 3-3. Valdez followed with an RBI double that brought Rafaela home to give the Red Sox their first lead of the game, 4-3. Dalbec then singled to end Reid-Foley's relief outing. The Mets turned to Elieser Hernandez. The right-hander got Wilyer Abreu to pop out for the second out of the frame, but Hernandez walked Nick Sogard to load the bases. Ronaldo Hernanded followed with a bases-loaded walk, giving Worcester a 5-3 advantage. Daniel Palka then grounded out to end the frame.
In the ninth, Syracuse brought the tying run to the plate. With one out, Voit was hit by a pitch. Abraham Almonte came to the plate fresh off a two-home run game on Saturday. Unfortunately, Almonte popped out. Then Ritter came to the plate as the tying run, but Ritter grounded out to shortstop to end the game.
The ballgame was plagued by missed opportunities for Syracuse. The Mets had runners at first and third in the first inning but did not score, had runners at second and third in the second inning and did not score, and had the bases loaded in the fourth inning with two outs and only scored one run that came on the bases-loaded walk. In total, The Mets left a runner on base in eight of nine innings, including eight runners left on base in the first four innings and 12 runners left on base in the game. Syracuse went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Sunday, compared to a 4-for-10 mark from Worcester.
Syracuse now has four days off for the All-Star Break from Monday to Thursday. The Mets are back in action on Friday at home against the Rochester Red Wings at NBT Bank Stadium. The first game of the three-game series is at 6:35 p.m. on Friday.
All this man does is hit home runs.
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 9, 2023
The 20th homer of the season for Luke Ritter! pic.twitter.com/YUMXDH71s1
A start to make Mama proud 🥹
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 9, 2023
Tylor Megill had it working today!
6:0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K pic.twitter.com/EnO61kYc8m
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