IL Syracuse Mets

Syracuse Comes Back for 9-8 Walk-off Win Over Rochester in Ten Innings on Saturday Night

July 15, 2023 - International League (IL)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Syracuse Mets' Danny Mendick at bat
Syracuse Mets' Danny Mendick at bat
(Syracuse Mets, Credit: Rick Nelson)

Syracuse, NY - Ronny Mauricio tied the game twice, and Danny Mendick's tenth inning single led the Syracuse Mets to a come-from-behind, 9-8, victory over the Rochester Red Wings on Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium. The Mets trailed by three runs two different times, and Syracuse's only lead of the night came on the game's final play. With the win, the three-game series is tied at one win apiece for each team.

Syracuse (36-51, 3-10) trailed, 6-4, going to the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out, Michael Perez walked. Two batters later, with two outs, Mauricio lined a home run over the left-field wall for a two-run home run that knotted the game up, 6-6.

Rochester (41-46, 7-7) regained the lead in the top of the ninth. Jeter Downs led off the inning with his first home run of the season to put the Red Wings back up, 7-6. Later in the inning, with one out, Derek Hill singled, stole second base, and moved to third base on an Erick Mejia groundout. The Mets intentionally walked Travis Blankenhorn, and Jacob Nottingham followed with a single into left field that scored Hill to give Rochester an 8-6 advantage.

The Mets responded in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Luke Ritter singled, and Michael Perez doubled, placing runners at second and third. Carlos Cortes then came in to pinch run for Perez at second. After Rafael Ortega walked, the bases were loaded for Mauricio. The 22-year-old collected his 100th hit of the season with a single into right field that scored Ritter and Cortes to tie the game, 8-8. Mark Vientos and Luke Voit both struck out after that though, and the game went to the tenth inning.

In the top of the tenth, Jack Dunn began at second base as Rochester's free runner. Blake Rutherford led off with a fly out to center field, and Mets center fielder Rafael Ortega threw out Dunn trying to tag up and advance to third base for a double play. Drew Millas then struck out to end the frame.

In the bottom of the tenth, Jaylin Davis was Syracuse's free runner at second base, representing the winning run. Rochester intentionally Abraham Almonte to put runners at first and second base. Mendick followed with a single up the middle into center field that scored Davis to give the Mets a 9-8 walk-off win.

Rochester started the game by scoring the first run in the first inning. With Hill at third base and one out, Blankenhorn doubled to right-center field to bring Hill home for a 1-0 Red Wings lead. That's the second straight game Blankenhorn has given his Rochester a lead in the first inning against his former team. Blankenhorn hit a three-run home run against the Mets in the first inning on Friday night.

Syracuse struck back in the second. With one out, Almonte launched a solo homer over the Salt City Deck in right field, tying the game, 1-1.

The Red Wings responded in the top of the third. Richie Martin walked to lead off the inning and scored on Hill's double for a 2-1 edge. Hill advanced to third base on the play on a throwing error by the Mets, and Mejia followed with a sacrifice fly out to center field to score Hill and make it a 3-1 ballgame.

The Mets inched closer in the fourth with a couple of hits and a costly Red Wings mistake. Vientos doubled, and Luke Voit reached on an error. Two batters later, a Mendick fielder's choice moved Vientos to third, retired Voit at second, and allowed Mendick to reach first. Jonathan Araúz followed with a two-out single to right field that brought home Vientos to pull the Mets within one, 3-2.

Rochester came right back in the top of the fifth. Martin walked to begin the frame. Hill then singled to center field. Martin beat a throw to third base, and on the throw, Hill tried to reach second base. Vientos made an errant throw to second that allowed Martin to score, and Ritter's throw home to try and get Martin was errant, allowing Hill to take third as the Red Wings led, 4-2. Then, Mejia singled home Hill to give Rochester a 5-2 advantage.

Syracuse bounced back in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Ortega homered just over the right-field fence, pulling the Mets back within two, 5-3.

Apropos to the early-to-middle innings though, Rochester responded. With two outs, in the top of the sixth, Jeter Downs walked. With Martin batting, Downs stole second and then scored on a Martin single to regain Rochester's three-run lead, 6-3.

The Mets started their comeback again in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Almonte homered over the right-field wall for the second time during the night, this time making it a 6-4 game. This season with Syracuse, Almonte is 8-for-40 from the plate with six home runs.

In the top of the seventh, the Mets finally prevented the Red Wings from responding as Josh Walker came out of Syracuse's bullpen to pitch a 1-2-3 frame. Up until that point, Rochester had scored at least one run in every half inning right after Syracuse had scored. That scoreless frame helped set up Syracuse's game-tying bottom of the seventh before the Mets eventually won the game in the tenth, 9-8.

Syracuse and Rochester conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Mike Vasil is slated to start for the Mets opposite Red Wings left-hander Anthony Banda. First pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m.

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Images from this story

Syracuse Mets' Danny Mendick at bat
Syracuse Mets' Danny Mendick at bat
(Rick Nelson)		   



International League Stories from July 15, 2023


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