Syracuse Rallies Back to Take Series Opener Against Worcester, 8-6, on Rainy Tuesday Night

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Syracuse Mets

Syracuse Rallies Back to Take Series Opener Against Worcester, 8-6, on Rainy Tuesday Night

August 6, 2024 - International League (IL)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse Mets finally returned home to the Salt City after two weeks on the road, and it was happy return to NBT Bank Stadium. The Mets rallied back to beat the Worcester Red Sox, 8-6, on Tuesday night, taking their first lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was a four-run bottom of the eighth that put the Mets in front for good. Syracuse has now won eight out of the first 13 games the Mets have played against the Red Sox this season.

Worcester (51-58, 15-19) jumped on Syracuse (63-45, 17-17) starter Tylor Megill in the top of the first, as Enmanuel Valdez smoked a solo home run over the Salt City Deck beyond the right-field fence to push the WooSox out to a 1-0 lead.

That lead lasted exactly two batters in the bottom of the first. Pablo Reyes crushed a solo homer over his own over the left-field fence to tie the game up, 1-1, in the blink of an eye. Reyes is haunting his old organization, as he has hits in six of the seven games he's played in this season against the Worcester Red Sox. Reyes spent a large part of the 2023 season and began the 2024 season with the Boston Red Sox.

In the top of the third, the WooSox began to grow the lead. With Mark Contreras on first base and two outs, the rehabbing Triston Casas smoked a line drive down the right-field line that caromed off the wall. DJ Stewart picked the ball up and fired a strike to home plate, but Contreras slid around the tag to score the run that put Worcester in front 2-1.

In the fourth, the WooSox added to lead when Bobby Dalbec ripped a two-run homer over the left-field fence to push the lead to 4-1. It was Dalbec's 15th home run in 59 games at the Triple-A level this season.

After that, the worrying trend continued for the Mets as Syracuse did not take true advantage of golden opportunities. In the fourth, Syracuse had the bases loaded with nobody out, but a pair of groundouts (one that produced a double play) only brought one run home for the Mets to make it a ballgame.

In the fifth, Syracuse left another runner on base as they couldn't push a run across home plate. In the sixth, the Mets did score twice to tie the game at four, but even that inning was marked by missed chances. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Mike Brosseau drew a walk to bring a run home. Then, Carlos Cortes lofted a sacrifice fly into right field that scored the tying run, 4-4, and put runners on second and third with one out. Yet, despite the table set to take the lead for the first time, the Mets' next two batters went down to keep the game tied at four into the late innings.

In the top of the eighth, the WooSox made the Mets bemoan their missed opportunities, taking the lead with a pair of runs. Both runs came on one swing. With runners on second and third and two outs, Jamie Westbrook smacked a single into left field that scored both runners and handed Worcester the lead back at 6-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, a similar scenario came up for the Mets as Syracuse loaded up the bases with nobody out trying to finally break through, and the Mets did. A two-run double from Carlos Cortes tied the game up, 6-6. Then, two batters later, Luisangel Acuña came off the bench to line a pinch-hit, go-ahead, two-run double down the left-field line to hand the Mets the lead for good, 8-6.

In the bottom of the ninth, Shintaro Fujinami came on seeking his first save of the season with Syracuse, promptly walking Mark Contreras to start the inning and bring the potential tying run to the plate. From there, Fujinami locked in, retiring the next three batters to seal the save and the win for the Mets. It was a win that Syracuse desperately needed, as the Mets had lost ten out of the 12 games on their two-week road trip.

The Syracuse Mets are back home after their two-week road trip with a six-game homestand against the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the Worcester Red Sox, all week long. The series continues on Wednesday at NBT Bank Stadium. Game two of the six-game series is set for a 12:05 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander Dom Hamel is slated to start for the Mets against left-hander Zach Penrod for the WooSox.

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