Syracuse Recap: Nightmare Sixth Inning Dooms Syracuse in 10-1 Loss at Rochester

Justin Jarvis, Syracuse Mets, Photo by Herm Card (herm4444@gmail.com)

Box Score

Rochester, NY –  Friday night's game was a low-scoring pitcher's duel…until it wasn't. Rochester pounced in a nightmare sixth inning as Syracuse dropped a 10-1 decision to the Red Wings on a pleasant early May night at Innovative Field. The six-game series is now tied at two games apiece.

Throughout the first five innings, neither team would yield even a run. Rochester (14-13) featured a strong outing from Thaddeus Ward, who struck out seven batters in his first five innings of work alone. Syracuse (16-13) got the job done in a different way. Justin Jarvis, making his Mets debut during the 2024 season, wiggled out of potential damage throughout scoreless four frames of work. He stranded six runners on base in four innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the first and two runners on base in the second.

In the top of the sixth, the Mets finally unlocked the scoring seal in the game. With two runners on base and two outs, Carlos Cortes smacked a sharp single into right field that scored Yolmer Sánchez and handed Syracuse a 1-0 lead. Sánchez had singled leading off the inning, while Cortes is feeling good since coming off the Development List last weekend. In five games since Sunday, the former South Carolina Gamecock is batting .313 with five runs driven in.

In the bottom of the sixth, a nightmare ensued for the Mets. They allowed eight runs on eight hits as Rochester roared in front for good. The Red Wings sent 14 men to plate in the bottom of the sixth inning alone, avenging the eight runs that they allowed to the Mes in the first inning of Thursday's game. The eight-run bonanza was highlighted by two-run singles from James Wood and Stone Garrett that helped seal Syracuse's fate.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Red Wings scored two more times to make it 10-1 and cap off the day's scoring. Wood had yet another RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. The 21-year-old finished the 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs driven in, a walk and a run scored. By the end of the game, Rochester had 17 total hits and all but one of their starters had at least one hit. In fact, five different players had multi-hit games and three different players (Wood, Victor Robles, Drew Millas) had three-hit games.

Syracuse is on the road for two long weeks away from NBT Bank Stadium. The two-week journey begins at Rochester this entire week - first pitch of the fifth game of the series is scheduled for 1:05 p.m ET on Saturday afternoon. Max Krancik is slated to make his second start of the season for the Mets.