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IL Syracuse Mets

Worcester Rolls to Series-Opening 8-5 Win Over Syracuse on Independence Day

July 4, 2023 - International League (IL)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Syracuse Mets' Mark Vientos at bat
Syracuse Mets' Mark Vientos at bat
(Syracuse Mets, Credit: Rick Nelson)

Worcester, MA - The Syracuse Mets ran into a hot-hitting bunch on the Fourth of July, as the Worcester Red Sox scored eight runs on 12 hits on the way to an 8-5 victory in the series opener at Polar Park. The Red Sox have now grabbed three of the first four games they've played against the Mets this season.

The WooSox (42-39, 3-3) got right to work, scoring four runs on four hits in the bottom of the first to take a lead that they would never give up. Worcester sent nine batters to the plate, combining four singles with two walks to plate their four runs. Enmanuel Valdez and Daniel Palka both had RBI hits in the inning. Palka, who led the Mets in home runs last season, finished Tuesday night's game 2-for-4 at the plate with two singles, two runs driven in and even his first stolen base of the season.

After his rocky beginning, Tylor Megill turned around his night on the mound for Syracuse (34-46, 1-5), providing a workmanlike outing by the end of his start. The big right-hander tossed his final four innings in scoreless fashion, allowing just three hits in those frames. By the end of the outing, Megill had allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Of the nine total runs Megill has given up in his last two starts for the Mets, seven of those runs have come with two outs in the inning.

Worcester's starting pitcher wouldn't need much run support. Kyle Barraclough was utterly dominant nearly his entire outing. The right-hander took a perfect game into the fifth inning and a no-hitter into the sixth inning, striking out ten batters in his six innings of work. The Mets finally got to him in the sixth when Rafael Ortega walked with two outs and then Ronny Mauricio smacked a two-out, two-run homer to make it a 4-2 game. Mauricio built off the momentum of his three-hit game on Monday with his home run on Tuesday night. Mauricio had not homered since June 17th in Buffalo, a ten-game span.

That brief momentum was promptly snuffed out for Syracuse, as Worcester scored twice in the sixth and two more times in the seventh to put the game out of reach at an 8-2 advantage. In the sixth, a two-out RBI single from Narciso Crook drove in two runs and made it a 6-2 game. In the seventh, Pablo Reyes and Enmanuel Valdez smacked consecutive home runs to begin the frame and make it an 8-2 ballgame. By the end of the night, every single Worcester batter reached base at least once. Seven of the nine batters had at least one hit and four different batters had at least two hits.

Syracuse had a late highlight in the eighth when Mark Vientos crushed a three-run homer to slim the deficit to 8-5 and give the Mets a fighting chance entering the ninth. However, Syracuse went down in order in the final frame to clinch their fifth straight loss. The Mets had won 11 of their last 14 road games prior to Tuesday night's loss at Polar Park.

Syracuse is on the road all this week for a six-game series against the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the Worcester Red Sox. The second game of the series is slated for a 6:45 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday evening. Left-hander Nate Lavender is slated to start for the Mets against right-hander Jake Faria for the WooSox.

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Images from this story

Syracuse Mets' Mark Vientos at bat
Syracuse Mets' Mark Vientos at bat
(Rick Nelson)		   



International League Stories from July 4, 2023


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