(SYRACUSE, NY) - After chipping away at an early deficit to tie the game, the Charlotte Knights ultimately suffered a 6-5 loss to the Syracuse Mets in the finale of their three-game series on Thursday night at NBT Bank Stadium.
(SYRACUSE, NY) - After chipping away at an early deficit to tie the game, the Charlotte Knights ultimately suffered a 6-5 loss to the Syracuse Mets in the finale of their three-game series on Thursday night at NBT Bank Stadium.
The Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead in their first turn at the plate on Daniel Palka's two-out RBI double, but it wouldn't last.
Charlotte starter Colton Turner got off to a rocky start, with the Mets plating five runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 5-1 lead. From there, the Knights would begin to trim the Syracuse lead.
Joel Booker got a run back with an RBI double to center in the second. In the fifth, Booker kept his strong night going by launching a towering solo home run to left, his first at the Triple-A level, to cut the Syracuse lead to 5-3.
The five runs in the first were all Turner would give up. From there, he rebounded to keep the Mets off the board for the rest of his outing. Over 5.2 innings, Turner gave up the five runs on eight hits with two walks and eight strikeouts to tie a career-high.
From the bullpen, Zach Thompson kept it close with 1.1 scoreless innings. In the top of the eighth, Charlotte erased the deficit to tie the game on an RBI double from Alcides Escobar to score Palka, and then Iván De Jesús Jr. singled to center to plate Escobar with the tying run.
However, the Mets retook the lead in the bottom of the inning as Caleb Frare (L, 2-1) allowed a hit and two walks before Rajai Davis drew a bases-loaded walk off Connor Walsh to score the eventual winning run, giving the Mets a series victory.
Offensively, Booker led the way for the Knights by going 3-for-3 with two RBI while finishing a triple shy of the cycle. De Jesús Jr., Palka, and Ryan Goins each recorded a pair of hits in the loss.
The Knights continue their road trip with the first of three games against the Rochester Red Wings on Friday night. Dylan Cease (5-2, 4.10) is scheduled to start for the Knights. Pre-game radio coverage of the 7:05 p.m. game is set for 6:50 p.m. on 730 The Game ESPN Charlotte. The "Voice of the Charlotte Knights" Matt Swierad will have the call for all of the action.
