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Syracuse Game Recap: S-Mets loses rain-soaked Thursday night game to Worcester, 6-3

Brandon Sproat struck out four batters in his Triple-A debut with Syracuse (Kylie Richelle).


Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets waited through the rain on Thursday night and then ran into a Worcester Red Sox buzzsaw. The WooSox came back from an early deficit and then cruised to a 6-3 win over the Mets. The game was delayed by an hour and a half from its planned 6:35 p.m. first pitch due to persistent rain that soaked the surrounding area throughout the day.
 
The story of the night for Syracuse (63-47, 17-19) was the Triple-A debut of Brandon Sproat, the top-ranked pitching prospect for the New York Mets who was recently called up from Double-A. The Mets gave him some early run support when Luke Ritter slugged a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to push them out to a 2-0 lead. Ritter now leads the team with 23 homers and 81 runs driven in this season.
 
Sproat took that lead into the top of the third, but then it all unraveled. Worcester (52-59, 17-19) blew the game open with six runs in the top of the third, sending the side to the plate and racking up five hits in the process. Two home runs highlighted the frame with a two-run homer from Mickey Gasper tying the game up, 2-2, followed by a three-run homer later in the inning from Nathan Hickey that capped off the six-run barrage for the WooSox for a 6-2 advantage.
 
After that, Sproat settled back in and did not allow another run to Worcester. In four and two-thirds innings, Sproat allowed six runs (all earned) on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Of his 88 pitches, 58 were strikes and three of the four strikeouts ended up being swinging strikeouts. Sproat often showcased the high-90s fastball that has garnered plenty of headlines prior to his introduction to his Triple-A level.
 
While Sproat hit a speed bump, his counterpart for Worcester, Richard Fitts, hit cruise control. After allowing a pair of runs three batters into the ballgame, Fitts figured it out. Worcester's starting pitcher did not allow another run, surrendering just the two runs (both earned) on five hits in six innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. The big right-hander retired eight of the final ten batters that he faced and did not allow an extra-base hit after Ritter's homer in the first inning.
 
Both bullpens ensured neither team would score in the late innings. The story of the night for Syracuse ended up being Joey Lucchesi out of the bullpen. Lucchesi tossed three and two-thirds scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. Lucchesi had spent the entire season as a starting pitching but moved to the pen with the addition of Brandon Sproat. Lucchesi utilized his signature pitch, the "churve", plus a sinking fastball to keep the WooSox off balance and give the Mets some much-needed length out of the bullpen.
 
On the other side, the WooSox bullpen made sure the game got to the finish line without much drama. Greg Weissert tossed two scoreless after Fitts left the game, scattering two Mets hits without any walks and striking out three. Weissert was remarkable at attacking the strike zone, as 16 of the 17 pitches that he threw were strikes. Wyatt Olds sealed the deal in the bottom of the ninth. Despite DJ Stewart hitting a home run leading off the frame to make it a 6-3 ballgame, the next three batters went down in order as the Mets lost their second game in as many days to the Worcester Red Sox.
 
The Syracuse Mets are back home after their two-week road trip with a six-game homestand against the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the Worcester Red Sox, all week long. The series is scheduled to continue Friday at NBT Bank Stadium. Game four of the six-game series is set for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander Blade Tidwell is slated to start for the Mets opposed by right-hander Brad Keller for the Red Sox.

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