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IL Syracuse Mets

Syracuse Wins Series with Wild, 5-4 Victory over Lehigh Valley on Sunday Night

July 3, 2022 - International League (IL)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Syracuse Mets' Johneshwy Fargas at Bat
Syracuse Mets' Johneshwy Fargas at Bat
(Syracuse Mets, Credit: Herm Card)

Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse Mets scored four times in an action-packed seventh inning, taking a 5-1 lead that they would never relinquish on their way to a 5-4 Sunday victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in front of an electric crowd of 8,569 at NBT Bank Stadium. The win gives the Mets another series win, taking four out of the six games they played against the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies this past week.

Entering the seventh inning, the Mets were nursing a 1-0 lead. Lehigh Valley (42-36) managed to tie the game in the top half of the inning via a two-out, RBI single from Dustin Peterson that scored Chris Sharpe and knotted the game up, 1-1.

Syracuse (32-45) went right back to work at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, loading the bases with nobody out when Khalil Lee was hit by a pitch, Mark Vientos singled, and Patrick Mazeika was also hit by a pitch. Nick Dini then came to the plate and chopped a groundball to third base, where Will Toffey fielded the ball and threw home to get the force out on Lee. As he slid into home plate, Lee tripped the IronPigs catcher Rafael Marchan, causing an injury that pulled Marchan from the game and both benches to clear in the process. After the skirmish, Lehigh Valley's manager Anthony Contreras was ejected from the game.

After a lengthy delay caused by the clearing of the benches, Travis Blankenhorn grounded into another fielder's choice out at home that left the Mets in danger of stranding the bases loaded for a third separate time in the game. Johneshwy Fargas, however, came to the plate and made it a moot point. Fargas smacked a double down the left-field line, clearing the bases and making it a 4-1 Syracuse lead in a flash. Fargas later came home himself in the inning when he stole third and scored on a wild pitch, making it 5-1 Mets in the process.

Aside from the action-packed seventh inning, Sunday night's game was defined by outstanding Syracuse pitching. Nate Fisher got the part started on the mound, twirling an excellent five-inning outing. The left-hander did not allow a run in his start, scattering four hits across the five innings with two strikeouts. Fisher also stranded five IronPigs on the basepaths in the process.

At the plate, it was a balanced attack for the Mets all night long. Every single starter reached base at least once with eight of the nine starters reaching base at least twice. Mark Vientos doubled home the Mets first run of the game in the bottom of the third, finishing the game 2-for-5 at the plate. It was his second multi-hit game of the week and his fourth extra-base hit.

In the top of the ninth inning, the pesky IronPigs offense would not go away quietly. Mets reliever Eric Orze recorded the first two outs of the frame in rapid succession, but then things got quite interesting. Toffey and Peterson singled, bringing Donny Sands to the plate. The 25-year-old took advantage, pounding a pitch over the left-field wall to cut the Syracuse lead to one, 5-4, and bring Lehigh Valley to the brink of a dramatic comeback. Josh Ockimey promptly walked and put the potential tying run on base, causing a pitching change for the Mets with the game hanging in the balance. Joe Zanghi came into the game and got the job done, inducing a weak groundout to first base to wrap up a dramatic, 5-4 win for the Mets in the series finale against the IronPigs.

Syracuse now hits the road for seven games in six days against the Buffalo Bisons. First pitch on Monday night, the Fourth of July, is slated for 6:05 p.m.

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Images from this story

Syracuse Mets' Johneshwy Fargas at Bat
Syracuse Mets' Johneshwy Fargas at Bat
(Herm Card)		   



International League Stories from July 3, 2022


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