Syracuse and Norfolk Suspended on Friday with Mets Leading, 7-6, Game to Resume on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
IL Syracuse Mets

Syracuse and Norfolk Suspended on Friday with Mets Leading, 7-6, Game to Resume on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

July 18, 2025 - International League (IL)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Francisco Alvarez of the Syracuse Mets at bat
Francisco Alvarez of the Syracuse Mets at bat
(Syracuse Mets, Credit: Kylie Richelle)

Norfolk, VA - Friday night's game between the Syracuse Mets and the Norfolk Tides has been suspended in the bottom of the seventh inning with Syracuse leading Norfolk, 7-6. The game will be resumed and concluded on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Then, the Mets and Tides will play their regularly scheduled Saturday game which will be nine innings.

Syracuse jumped out to an early lead on Friday night. In the top of the first inning, with one out, Gilberto Celestino doubled. Francisco Alvarez followed with a two-run home run over the left-field wall that went 427 feet and gave Syracuse a 2-0 advantage.

The Mets added to their edge in the third. With one out, José Azocar singled, and Celestino walked. With Alvarez batting, Azocar stole third base, and a throwing error into left field allowed Azocar to score for a 3-0 Syracuse lead.

Norfolk responded in the bottom of the third. With one out, Dylan Carlson walked and moved to second base on a wild pitch. Two batters later, with two outs, Jeremiah Jackson singled into right field, scoring Carlson to make it a 3-1 ballgame.

The Tides took the lead with one powerful swing in the fourth. A Jose Barrero hit by pitch and a TT Bowens single put runners at first and second. Then, with two outs, Dylan Beavers launched a three-run home run over the right-field fence to put Norfolk in front, 4-3.

Syracuse bounced back in the top of the fifth. With one out, Celestino hit a ball over the wall in right-center field for a game-tying homer, knotting the game up, 4-4.

Norfolk continued to battle though. In the bottom of the fifth, Vimael Machin singled, and a pitch hit Jackson to place runners at first and second base. Heston Kjerstad grounded out to first, moving Machin to third and Jackson to second. That productive out was important because a wild pitch brought Machin home for a 5-4 Tides lead. Then, with two outs, Terrin Vavra singled home Jackson from third to give Norfolk a two-run advantage, 6-4.

The Mets trimmed into the deficit in the sixth. With two outs, Luke Ritter walked, and Yonny Hernandez singled, putting runners on the corners. Azocar followed with an infield single that scored Ritter to cut the Norfolk lead to one, 6-5.

Syracuse tied the game and then took the lead in the seventh. Pablo Reyes led off with a double. After Drew Gilbert popped out, Joey Meneses singled into right field, and on the play, Beavers misplayed the ball in right field which allowed Reyes to score, tying the game up, 6-6. Omar De Los Santos then came into the game to pinch run for Meneses at first base. David Villar singled, and Ritter walked to load the bases. At this point, a light rain that started during the inning began to pick up. Hernandez followed with a bases-loaded walk, bringing home De Los Santos to give the Mets a 7-6 lead. With more consistent rain falling, the next two Syracuse hitters were retired, and the bases remained loaded. The Mets left the bases loaded in the sixth inning too and left ten runners on base from the third inning to the seventh inning.

Before Syracuse took the field for the bottom of the seventh inning, the tarp was put on the field, and after a 40-minute rain delay, the game was suspended.

The Mets and Tides will finish Friday's game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Then, Syracuse and Norfolk will play Saturday's originally scheduled game afterwards. The second game will start approximately 30 minutes after the completion of Friday's suspended game.





Images from this story

Francisco Alvarez of the Syracuse Mets at bat
Francisco Alvarez of the Syracuse Mets at bat

(Kylie Richelle)
  



International League Stories from July 18, 2025


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