Gilbert, Acuña Homer as Syracuse Wins on Opening Day, 6-3, over Rochester

Syracuse, NY – Drew Gilbert and Luisangel Acuña, two of the top prospects in the New York Mets’ minor-league system, homered on back-to-back pitches in the fourth inning as Syracuse topped the Rochester Red Wings, 6-3, on Opening Day at NBT Bank Stadium on Friday afternoon.

Syracuse (1-0) got on the board early and often, plating three runs in the second and one run in the third to take a 4-0 lead after three innings. In the second, the Mets loaded up the bases with nobody out when Trayce Thompson and Ben Gamel walked followed by a José Iglesias single. An Austin Allen sacrifice fly drove in Thompson for a 1-0 Syracuse lead. After a Rylan Bannon strikeout followed by a Gilbert hit by a pitch reloaded the bases, Syracuse got a gift. Acuña chopped a groundball to third base that appeared destined to end the inning, but instead it skittered under Carter Kieboom’s glove and rolled all the way into left field. The error plated Gamel and Iglesias, capping off the Mets’ three-run flurry in the second inning for a 3-0 advantage

In the third, Syracuse scored more conventionally when Mark Vientos led off with a walk, moved to second on a one-out single from Gamel, and scored on another Iglesias single to make it a 4-0 ballgame. Iglesias enters the 2024 campaign with more than a decade of experience in the Major Leagues, mirroring the makeup of the Syracuse Mets roster on Opening Day that features 19 players with Big League experience, totaling well more than 4,000 career games.

Rochester (0-1) did get a run back in the top of the fourth inning to trim the Syracuse lead to 4-1, but that would be all Rochester would get off Syracuse starter Joey Lucchesi on this chilly Friday afternoon. Lucchesi started the season off strong, allowing an unearned run on two hits in five innings with one walk on five strikeouts. Most impressive was how Lucchesi attacked the strike zone. The lefty from California threw 65 pitches, 47 of which were for strikes.

The fireworks came in the bottom of the fourth, when Gilbert and Acuña capped off the Syracuse scoring for the day with a bang. First, Gilbert crushed a solo shot leading off the inning, launching a drive well beyond the Salt City deck over the right-field fence. Then, on the very next pitch, Acuña smoked a drive over the fence in right-center field to propel Syracuse to a five-run lead, 6-1. Not only were the round-trippers the first-ever home runs in Triple-A for Gilbert and Acuña, but they were also their first hits at the Triple-A level. Both players ended the 2023 season playing with Double-A Binghamton after being acquired in midseason trades.

From there, the Mets bullpen closed the door, as Reed Garrett, Grant Hartwig, and Yacksel Ríos combined to allowed two runs on six hits in the final four innings of the game to ensure there would be no dramatic Rochester comeback. Garrett was particularly impressive immediately following Lucchesi’s start, tossing two scoreless innings with four strikeouts on just one hit.

Syracuse continues its season-opening series against Rochester on Saturday afternoon. The second game in the three-game series is set for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Josè Butto is scheduled to start for the Mets, opposed by Thaddeus Ward for the Red Wings.