
Syracuse Keeps Playoff Hope Alive with 7-3 Win against Rochester
September 1, 2019 - International League (IL1)
Syracuse Mets News Release
Rochester, NY - The Syracuse Mets guaranteed that the final day of the 2019 regular season will count with a 7-3 victory over the Rochester Red Wings on Sunday night at Frontier Field. With the win, the Mets are still alive in the playoff hunt, sitting one game behind the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for first place in the International League North Division.
Syracuse (74-65) scored first in the top of the second inning. Jason Krizan led off with a double. Two batters later, Travis Taijeron walked. Braxton Lee followed with a single that loaded the bases. Aaron Altherr then hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Krizan for a 1-0 Syracuse lead.
The Mets added a pair of runs in the third. With one out, Arismendy Alcantara doubled. Two batters later, Danny Espinosa walked, putting runners at first and second base. Krizan followed with a two-out double that brought home both Alcantara and Espinosa for a 3-0 Mets advantage.
Syracuse starting pitcher Drew Gagnon was stellar. The 29-year-old threw six scoreless innings while striking out six batters and allowing just five hits and one walk. Gagnon lowered his earned run average to 2.33, which would lead the league if he had enough innings pitched to qualify for the league leaderboard.
Rochester (70-69) tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out, Yeltsin Encarnacion hit a ground-rule double, Ramón Flores singled, and Wilin Rosario walked to load the bases. Former Syracuse Chiefs outfielder Alejandro De Aza then hit a two-run double to pull the Red Wings within one, 3-2. Then, with Brandon Barnes batting, a wild pitched scored Rosario from third base, knotting the game, 3-3. Barnes struck out, and Ronald Torreyes grounded out to keep the game tied.
The Mets responded in the eighth. Alcantara and Jed Lowrie both walked to begin the frame. Espinosa followed with an RBI double to give Syracuse the lead back, 4-3. Two batters later, Rymer Liriano was intentionally walked to load the bases. Travis Taijeron was hit by a pitch to bring in Lowrie from third for a 5-3 edge, a wild pitch scored Espinosa to make it a 6-3 ballgame, and a Braxton Lee RBI single gave the Mets a 7-3 lead.
Syracuse didn't allow Rochester to score in the bottom of the eighth, and after a scoreless top of the ninth, the game entered the final stanza. With rain continuing to fall, as it had been for most of the game, the tarp was put on the field two pitches in to the bottom of the ninth inning. The rain continued, and the game was called and made official for the 7-3 Syracuse win.
The Mets and Red Wings conclude their series and the regular season on Monday afternoon. RHP Harol Gonzalez is scheduled to start for Syracuse opposite RHP Edwar Colina for Rochester. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
International League Stories from September 1, 2019
- Syracuse Keeps Playoff Hope Alive with 7-3 Win against Rochester - Syracuse Mets
- Wings Out-"Hustled" by Mets - Rochester Red Wings
- Hays Spearheads Tides Offense in 11-2 Victory - Norfolk Tides
- Louisville's Bats Too Much for Indians in 8-2 Loss - Indianapolis Indians
- Knights Fall to Tides 11-2 on Sunday - Charlotte Knights
- Mashers Crush Indians, 8-2 - Louisville Bats
- Mud Hens Shutout at Home to Division Rival - Toledo Mud Hens
- Bulls Clinch Playoff Spot with Win Monday Afternoon - Durham Bulls
- Slegers Leads Bulls to Crucial Victory - Durham Bulls
- Stripers Stifled by Slegers, Durham in 3-1 Loss - Gwinnett Stripers
- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre outlasts Buffalo in a game that features 27 runs, 27 hits and 41 baserunners - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Bisons Fall 15-12 in Slugfest to RailRiders - Buffalo Bisons
- Straily Stymies PawSox on Sunday Afternoon - Pawtucket Red Sox
- IronPigs snag series win against PawSox - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Game Notes: Indianapolis Indians (65-73) at Louisville Bats (58-80) - Louisville Bats
- Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (65-73) at Louisville Bats (58-80) - Indianapolis Indians
- SWB Game Notes - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Louisville Mashers/Bats Homestand Notes: September 1 & 2 - Louisville Bats
- Encarnacion and Severino Join SWB on MLB Rehab - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Bisons Game Notes - Buffalo at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (1:05 p.m.) - Buffalo Bisons
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Syracuse Mets Stories
- Syracuse Mets Homestand Highlights: Tuesday, July 22nd to Sunday, July 27th
- Brandon Sproat Continues to Shine as Mets Split Saturday Doubleheader against Tides
- Syracuse and Norfolk Suspended on Friday with Mets Leading, 7-6, Game to Resume on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
- Alvarez Homers, Tidwell Shines on Mound, and Mets Beat IronPigs, 4-0, in Rain-Shortened Game
- Francisco Alvarez Homers Twice But Mets Fall to IronPigs, 11-9, on Saturday Night

