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| Mike Vasil Syracuse Mets (Rick Nelson) |
Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets and Worcester Red Sox played yet another entertaining game on Wednesday afternoon. The WooSox rallied back with two runs in the eighth inning to claim a 7-6 win over the Mets at NBT Bank Stadium. Syracuse had won Tuesday night's contest, 5-4, in ten innings. Each of the last four games overall for the Mets has been decided by just one run.
Syracuse (43-59, 10-18) opened the scoring via a familiar face in the bottom of the third. Nick Meyer singled to start the inning and up to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Branden Fryman. The next batter, Wyatt Young, sliced a single into left field that scored Meyer and made it a 1-0 game. Young started last season up with Triple-A Syracuse and made quite the impression, batting .352 in 19 games. In fact, Young led the International League in batting average and on-base percentage during his brief time with the Syracuse Mets last season.
Mets starting pitcher Mike Vasil has had an up-and-down time in his Triple-A career since being called up from Double-A Binghamton in the middle of June, and that trend continued on Wednesday afternoon. The 23-year-old right-hander started brilliantly, allowing just one hit in three scoreless innings to begin the game with six strikeouts. However, Vasil's start unraveled in the fourth as Worcester (55-48, 16-12) surged in front with four runs on three hits plus two walks and two hit batters. Vasil recorded just one out in the fourth as the WooSox sent ten men to the plate in the fateful frame. The pivotal blow in the inning was a go-ahead, three-run homer from Stephen Scott.
The Mets got a run back in the bottom half of the fourth when Abraham Almonte walked to start the inning, moved to second on a wild pitch, and then scored on a sharp double down the left-field line from Luke Ritter. The former Wichita State Shocker continued his terror on opposing pitchers on Wednesday afternoon, finishing the game 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk and a run scored. Ritter had a walk-off single in Tuesday night's game and went 10-for-18 last week at the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
In the top of the sixth, the WooSox increased the lead when Ceddanne Rafaela smacked yet another home run, his second solo homer in as many days to propel the Red Sox up to a 5-2 lead. Rafaela now has eight homers in 27 games in Triple-A this season. Five of those eight homers have come against the Syracuse Mets.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Mets roared back in front in about the biggest way that you can think of. First, Ritter and Brandon McIlwain walked along with a José Peraza single to load up the bases with one out. Then, Nick Meyer launched a grand slam that powered Syracuse to a 6-5 lead. Meyer now has five dingers in 49 Triple-A games this season. It was his first big fly since he hit two home runs against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 28th.
In the top of the eighth, Wilyer Abreu began his reign of terror on the Syracuse Mets. With a runner on base and two outs, he launched a go-ahead, two-run shot over the right-field fence to hand Worcester the lead for good at 7-6.
In the bottom of the eighth, Syracuse looked primed to at least tie the game with two runners on base and two outs. However, as Almonte smacked a single into right field, Abreu pegged out Fryman at home plate to keep the game at 7-6 in favor of the WooSox.
Abreu put the cherry on top of the sundae in the top of the ninth. Ritter lined a sharp single off the base of the right-field wall leading off the frame, but Abreu threw Ritter out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double. Two of the next three Mets batters were retired to secure the 7-6 win for the WooSox.
Syracuse is home all this week for six games against the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the Worcester Red Sox. The third game of the series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start time on Thursday evening. Right-hander Tylor Megill is scheduled to start for the Mets against right-hander Shane Drohan for the WooSox.
Mike Vasil vs. Trevor Story
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) August 2, 2023
Who ya got? pic.twitter.com/Dky3BeOsml
Wyatt 🪄 Young 🪄 Magic!!!
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) August 2, 2023
His first day back in Syracuse, Young drives in Nick Meyer to break the scoreless tie ✨ pic.twitter.com/HKRbSEj4i5
We were down 5-2 in the 6th. Then Nick Meyer happened 💪 pic.twitter.com/OulSo3CL5x
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) August 2, 2023
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