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| Luisangel Acuña homers for Syracuse in the third inning of Tuesday night's game at NBT Bank Stadium (Herm Card - herm4444@gmail.com). |
Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets made their anticipated return home on Tuesday night, but the Buffalo Bisons were rude guests. Buffalo smacked three home runs in a 7-5 win over Syracuse in the opener of a six-game series at NBT Bank Stadium. The Mets had taken four of seven games in a weeklong series at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders last week to climb within 2.5 games of first place entering play on Tuesday night.
Syracuse (31-20) got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the second. Mike Brosseau doubled with two outs to extend the inning, followed by a sharp single from Jiman Choi to make it a 1-0 game.
That lead did not last, as Buffalo (28-24) scored three runs off Joey Lucchesi in the top of the third to roar in front by a 3-1 count. The highlights of the inning for Buffalo were an RBI single from Spencer Horwitz and a two-run homer from Orelvis Martinez. Horwitz picked up right where he left off against the Mets last season when he batted a remarkable .481 against Syracuse in nearly 80 at-bats, while Martinez slugged his 13th home run already this season.
The Mets got a run right back in the bottom of the third when Luisangel Acuña smoked a solo home run on the second pitch of the frame, a nearly 400-foot blast that landed in the shadow of the big scoreboard beyond the left-center field fence to make it a 3-2 game.
In the top of the fourth, Buffalo responded when Leo Jimenez hit a home run on the first pitch of the inning for a 4-2 advantage.
It was Syracuse's turn to respond in the bottom of the sixth when the Mets made it a one-run game again at 4-3 via a fortunate circumstance. With runners on first and second and two outs, Mike Brosseau hit a chopper to third base that appeared destined to end the inning. However, a poor throw to second base attempting to get a force out bounded all the way into the outfield, scoring Ritter from second base and turning the game into a 4-3 contest.
In the top of the seventh, with the game still at a 4-3 Bisons advantage, Buffalo officially ruined Joey Lucchesi's start. The left-handed starter for the Mets came back out trying to go a full seven innings for the first time this season, but Riley Tirotta walked to start the inning followed by a Cameron Eden two-run homer to push the lead right back to three runs at 6-3. Lucchesi was pulled after that, allowing six runs (all earned) on nine hits in his six innings of work. The Californian has allowed 13 combined earned runs in his last two starts at the Triple-A level.
In the top of the ninth, Buffalo got a big insurance run on another RBI hit from Martinez, a single that plated Steward Berroa. Martinez finished the night with three hits and three runs driven in.
Trailing 7-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Mets gave it a valiant comeback attempt. Brosseau singled to start the ninth, moving to third on a one-out double later in the inning from Joe Hudson. After an Acuña strikeout put the Mets within one out of a loss, José Iglesias hit a chopper to the right side of the infield that was misplayed by the Bisons' infield to extend the game. The play scored Brosseau, moved Hudson to third, and made it 7-4. The next batter, Rylan Bannon, smacked a sharp single into center field to turn it into a 7-5 game, put runners on second and first with two outs and gave Luke Ritter a chance to be a hero. However, the Syracuse cleanup hitter struck out to end the game, leaving the tying runs on base in the process.
Syracuse is home all week playing their in-state rivals, the Buffalo Bisons. Game two of the six-game series is set for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday. Right-hander Blade Tidwell is expected to start for the Mets, opposed by right-hander Andrew Bash for the Bisons.
Luisangel Acuña; 2B 2 for 4; HR; 1 run; 1 RBI; 1 walk; 1 K; Stolen Base (18); Jose Iglesias; SS 0 for 5; 1 K; Rylan Bannon; 3B 1 for 4; 1 RBI; 1 walk; 2 Ks; Luke Ritter; LF 0 for 4; 1 run; 3 Ks; Trayce Thompson; RF 2 for 4; double; Rhylan Thomas*; CF 0 for 4; Mike Brosseau; 1B 2 for 4; double; 2 runs; Ji-Man Choi; DH 1 for 4; 1 RBI; 3 Ks; Joe Hudson; C 1 for 4; double; 1 run; 2 Ks; Joey Lucchesi*; (L, 2-2) 6 innings; 6 runs; 6 ERs; 9 hits; 1 walk; 3 Ks; Ty Adcock; 1 inning; no runs; 1 hit; Max Kranick; 2 innings; 1 run; 1 ER; 2 hits; 1 walk; 1 K;
Don't blink! You'll miss this 108 mph single off Jiman Choi's bat to give us a 1-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/FM7rNzsr7m
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) May 28, 2024
LUISANGEL. ACUÑA. NUKE. pic.twitter.com/WG5XcdgrjS
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) May 28, 2024
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