Syracuse Mets Game Recap and Highlights: Drew Gilbert Drives in Five as S-Mets Roll to 12-5 Win

Drew Gilbert went 3-for-4 on Friday night, including a home run and five runs driven in (Herm Card - herm4444@gmail.com)

Box Score

Syracuse, NY –  The Syracuse Mets offense, after a one-night sabbatical, cranked back into gear on Friday night. After a 7-3 loss on Thursday, the Mets left no doubt in a 12-5 win over the Charlotte Knights (Triple-A affiliate, Chicago White Sox) on a sunny night at NBT Bank Stadium. The Mets have now scored 71 combined runs in their past seven games. The final series of the season is now tied at two games apiece.

The scoring fun started for Syracuse (76-71, 30-43) with a five-run flurry in the bottom of the second to race out to a 5-0 lead. All the runs for the Mets came with two outs – with DJ Stewart on third and José Azocar on second, Hayden Senger got party started with a two-run single that plated both men. After a Jett Wiliams single extended the inning, Drew Gilbert brought everyone home with a three-run homer that sailed over the right-field fence in the blink of an eye. It was a slump-busting swing for Gilbert, who had not homered in the last 11 games.

In the bottom of the third, the good times kept on rolling with five more Syracuse runs. Once again, late magic spurred on the Mets in the third inning. Carlos Cortes had singled in two with a single earlier in the third, but the inning was in danger of ending there with Cortes on second and Senger on first with two outs. Williams extended the inning with a sharp single into right, bringing the right man to the plate. Gilbert smacked another single into centerfield to score two runs, his fourth and fifth runs driven in in the first three innings of the ballgame alone. That was followed by a Brett Baty single that scored Williams and upped the lead to a remarkable 10-0 at just three innings into the game. Eight of those 10 initial runs for the Mets came with two outs.

While the Syracuse offense was humming, their pitching was receiving strong work. Dom Hamel allowed just two runs in five innings of work, closing his 2024 season strong. In his last two starts, he allowed just two earned runs in 10 total innings dating back to last Friday night at Worcester. Eric Orze followed Hamel up with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, working the sixth and seventh in clean fashion. Since August 1st, Orze has an ERA just over 2.00, the best ERA amongst Syracuse relievers with at least 10 outings.

The Mets added insurance on solo home runs from DJ Stewart in the fourth and Pablo Reyes in the eighth. To Charlotte's (68-77, 35-36) credit, they did not quit in the top of the ninth. Down 12-2 and with two outs and nobody on base at one point, four straight batters produced two-out, two-strike hits to plate three runs and keep the game going. Finally, Adam Hackenburg struck out to end the game and hand the Mets their second win in the last series of the 2024 season.

The Syracuse Mets are at NBT Bank Stadium all week for their last series of the 2024 season. The six-game series is against the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, the Charlotte Knights, and it continues at 6:35 on Saturday evening. Blade Tidwell is expected to start for the Mets.  

Dom Hamel ends his 2024 on a high note. After 5 scoreless innings last week he goes 5 innings Friday, 2 runs, 2 ER, 4 hits, 4 walks, 4 Ks. #Mets #LGM #MetsTwitter @ernestdove @FarmToFlushing @bkfan09 @WexlerRules @ImAriBeRKO @bronxfanatic @draftniks @TheBaseballHut… pic.twitter.com/u2zBSzdj6X

— Mets News and Links (@JohnFromAlbany) September 21, 2024

"Doesn't it feel like Drew is due for a home run?" - @evstockton

On literally the next pitch... pic.twitter.com/S2ZoPqAY0A

— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) September 20, 2024

We're three innings into the game.

Drew Gilbert has already driven in five runs 🤯 pic.twitter.com/LFlapRsCOJ

— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) September 20, 2024