Thornton Fires Six Scoreless Innings with Career-High Nine Strikeouts, Leads Mets Past RailRiders 8-2 Friday
IL Syracuse Mets

Thornton Fires Six Scoreless Innings with Career-High Nine Strikeouts, Leads Mets Past RailRiders 8-2 Friday

Published on May 15, 2026 under International League (IL)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Syracuse Mets pitcher Zach Thornton
Syracuse Mets pitcher Zach Thornton
(Syracuse Mets)

Moosic, PA - Behind a dominant pitching performance from Zach Thornton and an offensive outburst, the Syracuse Mets rolled past the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 8-2, on Friday night at PNC Field.

Syracuse (22-20) struck in the top of the second inning. Yonny Hernández launched a solo home run to right field, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. Hernández hit his second home run of the season, both of which coming against the RailRiders. Later in the inning, Cristian Pache singled and came around to score on a triple by Ben Rortvedt. Soon after, Nick Morabito lined an RBI single to left, extending the advantage to 3-0.

The Mets added on in the fourth when Pache crushed a solo homer to right-center field, his fifth of the season, to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Syracuse broke the game open in the seventh. Rortvedt led off the inning with a solo home run before Christian Arroyo added an RBI single later in the frame. After a walk by Eric Wagaman, Hernández reached on a throwing error by shortstop George Lombard Jr., allowing two more runs to score and pushing the Mets lead to 8-0.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (22-19) got on the board in the eighth. After a pair of walks from Luke Jackson, Oswaldo Cabrera lined a two-run single to center field against Mike Baumann, trimming the deficit to 8-2.

On the mound, Zach Thornton turned in a stellar outing for Syracuse. The Mets No. 13 prospect tossed 6.0 IP, allowed 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB and recorded a career-high 9 K. Thornton earned the win. Jackson followed with a scoreless seventh before running into trouble in the eighth. Mike Baumann stranded two runners, and A.J. Minter worked a clean ninth inning to finish off the win.

Syracuse continues its series against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. RHP Xzavion Curry makes his second start in the Mets organization, while the RailRiders send Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole to the mound to make his sixth major league rehab outing. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

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Syracuse Mets pitcher Zach Thornton
Syracuse Mets pitcher Zach Thornton
   



International League Stories from May 15, 2026


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