Game Recap and Highlights: Syracuse Salt Potatoes fall to Plates, 4-2, in Duel of the Dishes on Friday night

 

Ronny Mauricio hit his 13th home run of the season and his 40th extra-base hit of the season on Friday night (Herm Card - herm4444@gmail.com).

 

Box Score

 

Syracuse, NY – In the second game of the Duel of the Dishes series this season, the Syracuse Salt Potatoes lost to the Rochester Plates, 4-2, on Friday night in front of an electric crowd of 7,229 at NBT Bank Stadium. The Mets and Red Wings played as their alternate local food identities as part of the Duel of the Dishes. The Red Wings/Plates won the first Duel of the Dishes game in Rochester earlier this season. 

 

Rochester (41-45, 7-6) struck first in the top of the first inning. Darren Baker singled, and after Derek Hill struck out, Jake Alu singled, putting runners at first and third base. Former Syracuse Met Travis Blankenhorn followed with a three-run home run over the right-field wall that instantly put the Plates up, 3-0. The homer came on the tenth pitch of the at-bat.  

 

From there, Syracuse (35-51, 2-10) starting pitcher José Butto settled in. After a one-out single to Blake Rutherford in the first, Butto retired the next 13 batters he faced. 

 

Meanwhile the Salt Potatoes began their comeback. Luke Voit led off the bottom of the second inning with a mammoth home run over the wall in left-center field, cutting the deficit to two, 3-1. 

 

Then, Syracuse crawled closer in the fourth when Ronny Mauricio led off the frame with a homer over the right-field wall for his 13th home run of the season to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Mark Vientos followed with a double, one of his three hits during the night, but the next three batters were retired in order to keep the tying run off the board. 

 

The Plates responded in the sixth with a lead-off home run from Derek Hill, giving Rochester a 4-2 edge. The Plates collected all four of their runs and seven hits between the first and sixth innings, going hitless in every other inning. 

 

The Salt Potatoes had some opportunities but left runners on base in five of the last seven innings. 

 

Syracuse and Rochester continue their three-game series with the second game on Saturday. Left-hander Joey Lucchesi is scheduled to start for the Mets against Red Wings right-hander Joan Adon. First pitch at NBT Bank Stadium is slated for 6:35 p.m. 

Let’s just give Luke Voit a lifetime supply of theme jerseys pic.twitter.com/wjc7dDCM22

— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 14, 2023

Ronny Mauricio: breaking out 💥 pic.twitter.com/qE684gymjJ

— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 14, 2023