IL Syracuse Mets

Syracuse Offense Held in Check in 5-1 Loss at Lehigh Valley on Friday Night

Published on September 1, 2023 under International League (IL)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Allentown, PA - The Syracuse Mets scored just one run on five hits in a 5-1 loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Friday night at Coca-Cola Park. The IronPigs have now won the first four games in the six-game series. Lehigh Valley has also taken 15 of the 21 games so far in the season series.

Entering Friday night's ballgame, the top story for Syracuse (52-75, 19-34) was Mike Vasil returning to the mound. The 23-year-old right-hander had been utterly brilliant recently. In his last four outings, the former Virginia Cavalier had allowed just five runs in 25 and two-thirds innings pitched. On this night, Vasil was roughed up. Vasil lasted only one and two-thirds innings, giving up five runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

In the first, Lehigh Valley (69-59, 33-22) got to Vasil early when Peterson launched a one-out, solo home run to make it a 1-0 game.

In the second, the IronPigs firmly went in front by scoring four runs on four hits plus two walks. The IronPigs sent the side to the plate in the second inning, eventually causing Vasil to exit the game early. Peterson knocked in two more runs in the second with a single, coupled with RBIs from Scott Kingery and Simon Muzziotti earlier in the inning. Muzziotti is in the midst of a solid week of work. In the first four games of this week's series, Muzziotti has six hits, has driven in seven runs, and has reached base eight times.

Gifted an early 5-0 lead, that was all the run support Shaun Anderson would need. The right-handed starter for the IronPigs was downright brilliant on Friday night, tossing eight innings of one-run ball on four hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. It was quite the bounce back performance for Anderson, who didn't even last past the first inning in his last start on Saturday at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In that start, Anderson allowed seven runs on eight hits (including three home runs) last weekend. This weekend, Anderson completely flipped the script in his stellar start for Lehigh Valley against Syracuse.

The only run the Mets got all night was a memorable one. In the top of the third, Jaylen Palmer hooked a line-drive around the left-field foul pole and over the wall for his first Triple-A home run. Palmer had made his Triple-A debut on Thursday night, smacking an RBI double in that game.

In the ninth trailing 5-1, the Mets briefly had life when Daniel Palka singled to start the frame. Palka has hits in each of the first four games this week, which have marked his return to the Syracuse lineup and Mets organization after spending the entirety of the season previously with the Worcester Red Sox. Palka led Syracuse in home runs last season. However, the next three batters went down in order and ensured the Mets would fall on this night.

Despite the loss, the positive to take away from this night was stellar bullpen work for the Syracuse Mets. Matt Minnick, Dedniel Núñez, and Tyler Thomas combined to throw six and one-third scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while walking four and striking out eight batters. Minnick, in his Syracuse Mets debut, hurled two and two-thirds scoreless frames with just one hit allowed.

Syracuse its six-game road trip against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs with the penultimate game of the series on Saturday night. Right-hander David Griffin is scheduled to start on the mound for the Mets against left-hander Michael Plassmeyer for the IronPigs. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.

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International League Stories from September 1, 2023


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