Despite Adam Oller’s solid start, Mets fall to Woo Sox, 4-0, on Saturday night

*Syracuse, NY - *Despite a quality outing from starting pitcher Adam Oller, the Syracuse Mets fell to the Worcester Red Sox, 4-0, on Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium. Oller went six innings, allowing two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out four.

Worcester (66-51) struck first in the top of the second inning. With one out, Connor Wong worked a walk. Taylor Motter popped out for the second out of the frame, but with Jeter Downs at the plate, Wong stole second base. Downs then hit a two-run home run over the left-field wall to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.

Red Sox starting pitcher Connor Seabold held the Mets in check, delivering five scoreless innings for the Woo Sox, allowing five hits while walking one batter and striking out five.

Syracuse (46-69-1) left nine runners on base. The Mets left two runners on in both the first and second innings. Khalil Lee was left stranded at second base in the third, Tovar left on base in the fourth, and Travis Blankenhorn was left at third base in the sixth. In the seventh with runners on the corners, there was a hard-hit ball off Lee’s bat that hit Payton at first base, who as a result, was out for the final out of the inning.

The Woo Sox added some insurance runs in the ninth. Tate Matheny led off the frame and hit a ball off the wall in right field that then rolled down the right field line towards the infield. Syracuse right fielder Khalil Lee struggled to pick the ball up, and Matheny rounded third and came home to give Worcester a 3-0 lead. The play was ruled a triple and an error by Lee. Later, with two outs, Joey Meneses hit a solo home run to left-center field to increase the Worcester lead to 4-0.

The Mets and Red Sox return to NBT Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the series finale. Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff will take the mound for Syracuse against Worcester right-hander Daniel Gossett. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.