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Blankenhorn's Four Hits Lead Mets to 3-2 Comeback Victory over Red Wings on Friday Night

June 24, 2022 - International League (IL)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Travis Blankenhorn of the Syracuse Mets
Travis Blankenhorn of the Syracuse Mets
(Syracuse Mets, Credit: Rick Nelson)

Rochester, NY - Travis Blankenhorn had four hits to help lead the Syracuse Mets to a comeback win over the Rochester Red Wings, 3-2, on Friday night at Frontier Field. The Mets and Red Wings have now split the first four games of the six-game series, with each game being decided by two runs or less. Three of the games have been decided by just one run.

Rochester (39-31) struck first in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a Syracuse error. With Ildemaro Vargas at second base and Joey Meneses at first, Josh Palacios hit an infield single. During the play, Syracuse first baseman Mark Vientos made an errant flip to first base, allowing Vargas to score on the play for a 1-0 Rochester lead.

In the second, the Red Wings had runners at second and third with two outs when Palacios had another infield single. This ball scored Matt Lipka from third to give Rochester a 2-0 edge. Palacios finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate with two singles, two walks, and an RBI. The 26-year-old has had remarkable success against Syracuse this season, sporting a .442 batting average with 13 RBIs in 11 games versus the Mets.

On this night, the Mets weren't going to let a slow start get in their way. Syracuse (27-42) got to work in the top of the fourth, tying up the game with two runs in different fashions. First, Travis Blankenhorn launched a solo home run over the wall in right-center field to lead off the inning and cut the deficit to one, 2-1. The home was Blankenhorn's eighth of the season. Later in the inning, with runners on first and second and two outs, Warren Saunders slapped an opposite-field single into right field to plate Meyer from third to tie the game up, 2-2. Saunders is making his Triple-A debut this week. In his first four games in the top level of Minor League Baseball, Saunders has three hits and a pair of RBIs.

The game remained knotted at two until the top of the eighth inning, as neither team could crack the other's bullpen. Syracuse finally did the trick in the top of the eighth inning, as their shining star on this night took his turn once again in the spotlight. Blankenhorn smacked a single into center field to lead off the inning, putting a capper on a 4-for-4 night at the plate. Blankenhorn promptly swiped second base, standing in scoring position and representing the potential go-ahead run. Luke Ritter followed with a strikeout for the first out of the frame. Then, with Nick Meyer standing at the plate, Blankenhorn took off for third, stealing the base and forcing a bad throw that sailed into left field and allowed Blankenhorn to run the final 90 feet home to give Syracuse a 3-2 lead and the eventual game-winning run. The Mets had their dancing shoes on the basepaths tonight, swiping a season-high six bases in the game.

Blankenhorn's 4-for-4 night only underlines how consistently excellent he has been at the plate as of late. The 25-year-old has reached base in 28 of his last 32 games, batting .339 since May 12th with four home runs, ten doubles, and 16 RBIs.

Syracuse's bullpen was the other shining star in the game, as Bryce Montes de Oca, Alex Claudio, R.J. Alvarez, and Stephen Nogosek tossed the final five innings in scoreless fashion, striking out nine Red Wings batters in the process. Nogosek earned the save in a nail-biting ninth inning. After a strikeout to start the frame, Andrew Stevenson reached base with an infield single, and Vargas got on base via a sharp single into center field to put runners on first and second with one out. Another strikeout briefly assuaged the Syracuse nerves, but then a Palacios walk loaded up the bases. With the bases loaded, two outs, and the Mets protecting a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, Nogosek got the job done, inducing a game-ending groundout to allow Syracuse to hold on with a 3-2 win that evens up the series at two games apiece.

Syracuse plays the penultimate game in its 12-game, two-week road trip on Saturday against the Rochester Red Wings with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The Mets have won six of the first ten games on their current journey away from NBT Bank Stadium.

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Travis Blankenhorn of the Syracuse Mets
Travis Blankenhorn of the Syracuse Mets
(Rick Nelson)		   



International League Stories from June 24, 2022


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