Walks doom Herd in 7-3 loss to Mets

A pair of two-out walks were the Bisons undoing on Monday night in a 7-3 loss to the Mets in the first game of a four-game series at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse. 
The Mets scored three times in the third inning and three more times in the fifth to secure the win in the first matchup of the season between these two Thruway rivals. Each time, the rally started with a two-out walk.
With two outs and no one on base in the third, designated hitter Tim Tebow watched a pair of breaking balls from Buffalo starter Jordan Romano wrap just around the outside of the plate. With the inning kept alive, Grégor Blanco singled to center and former Bisons' shortstop Danny Espinosa got the green light on 3-0 and homered to deep right field to erase an early 3-0 Buffalo lead.
In the fifth, it was Espinosa that drew an eight-pitch walk with two gone and no one on base. Carlos Gómez hit the very next pitch from reliever Danny Young to center for a double. And while it appeared Espinosa missed the plate on his slide home, he was ruled safe to give Syracuse the 4-3 lead. The play led to Bisons manager Bobby Meacham's ejection.
The next batter, Travis Taijeron clubbed his sixth home run on the young season to give the Mets a 6-3 cushion.
 

Buffalo scored all three of their runs in the first inning. Bo Bichette walked to lead off the game, stole second and scored on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s single to right. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. then homered off the batter's eye in center for the 3-0 lead.
Bichette, unfortunately, was hit on his hands in his next at-bat on a pitch that was ruled a strike/foul for his attempted swing. He was taken out of the game and Andrew Guillotte finished his at-bat.
Now 4-10 on the season, the Bisons take on the Mets again Tuesday night at 6:35p.m.
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