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Syracuse Drops Series Finale at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 6-2, on Sunday Afternoon

August 13, 2023 - International League (IL)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Brandon McIlwain of the Syracuse Mets
Brandon McIlwain of the Syracuse Mets
(Syracuse Mets, Credit: Rick Nelson)

Moosic, PA - The Syracuse Mets ended their week at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders with a thud, dropping a 6-2 decision on a sunny Sunday afternoon at PNC Field. The RailRiders won the series, winning four out of the six total games. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre also won each of the final three games in the series.

Syracuse (46-66, 13-25) got off to a good start with a run in the top of the second inning. José Peraza singled to lead off the frame, moved to second on a walk from Carlos Cortes, and scored on a one-out, RBI single from Brandon McIlwain. Peraza also had an RBI double in Saturday night's game. McIlwain reached base at least once in each of the five games that he played this week. Along with his five hits this past week, the former college quarterback also drew five walks.

The Mets scored again in the top of the fourth when Carlos Cortes continued two excellent trends. Cortes slugged a solo home run leading off the frame to make it 2-0, markin marked his third home run of the week. Remarkably, it was also the fourth time in six games this week that the Mets led off the fourth inning with a home run.

While the offense provided some early punch, Syracuse's starting pitcher was continuing his stellar week of work. Fresh off taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning on Tuesday night, Mike Vasil was once again dominant for much of his start on Sunday afternoon. The 23-year-old retired the first 11 batters he faced in order and took a shutout into the sixth inning, combining a well-placed, mid-90s fastball with a wicked slider to keep RailRiders batters consistently off balance.

However, at the bitter end of his outing, Vasil's final line was sullied. A pair of walks had two runners on base with two outs in the bottom of the sixth for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (54-57, 20-17) as the RailRiders trailed in the ballgame by a 2-0 score. Jake Lamb (a left-handed hitter) came to the plate, and the Mets elected to keep their right-handed starter, Vasil, in the game for one more batter with a left-handed reliever loose in the bullpen. On a two-strike pitch, Lamb took the offering and lofted it over the left-field fence for a go-ahead, three-run home run and a 3-2 RailRiders advantage. That one home run provided all the runs Vasil gave up in his 13 and two-thirds innings of work the entire series.

It remained a 3-2 game until the bottom of the eighth when the RailRiders put the game away with yet another pivotal two-out, two-strike swing. With two runners on base, Jamie Westbrook lined a ball over the left-field fence for a three-run shot off Syracuse reliever Sean Reid-Foley that turned it into a 6-2 lead for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and effectively ended the game. Westbrook is in the midst of an excellent season. He entered the week with a batting average over .300 and hit two more home runs during this week's series. Westbrook now has 17 homers this season, four of which have come against the Mets.

Syracuse went down scoreless in the ninth to seal the 6-2 defeat. Once again, an old problem haunted the Mets on Sunday afternoon. Syracuse left ten more runners on base. The Mets left at least nine runners on base in four out of the six games this series.

Syracuse now returns home for a two-week homestand at NBT Bank Stadium. The first six games of the homestand are against the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, the Columbus Clippers. The first game of the series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start time on Tuesday.

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Brandon McIlwain of the Syracuse Mets
Brandon McIlwain of the Syracuse Mets
(Rick Nelson)		   



International League Stories from August 13, 2023


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