Syracuse celebrates Saturday night in style, topping Buffalo, 8-3 

Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets grabbed their second win in as many nights, taking down the Buffalo Bisons by an 8-3 final on a warm and sunny Saturday evening at NBT Bank Stadium. The Mets now have the chance to split the six-game series with a win on Sunday afternoon.

Syracuse (58-82) got off to an excellent start when Dominic Smith smacked a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to give Syracuse a 2-0 lead. Smith also homered in Saturday night’s game and is in the midst of an outstanding week at the plate. The 27-year-old has gone a combined 10-for-23 with two doubles, three home runs, and eight runs driven in.

In the top of the fourth, Buffalo (72-66) tied it up. Davis Schneider and Yoshi Tsutsugo got on base via a single and walk respectively, and they came home later in the inning on a two-run double from Cullen Large to knot the game up, 2-2. However, those would prove to be the only pair of runs that the Bisons would score off of Syracuse’s starter, Harol González, who tossed an impressive outing. The right-hander went five innings of two-run ball, surrendering just three hits and two walks while fanning four batters.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Mets scratched across a run to take a 3-2 lead into the second half of the ballgame. Daniel Palka reached on an error to start the inning and moved to second when Yolmer Sánchez was hit by a pitch. After Nick Dini struck out, Khalil Lee came to the plate and hit a chopper on the middle of the infield that looked like it was a groundball destined to become an inning-ending double play. However, Otto Lopez’s relay throw to first base was errant, allowing Palka to dash home with the go-ahead run for the Mets and a 3-2 edge.

Buffalo promptly rallied right back and tied the game in the top of the sixth inning. Schneider doubled leading off the frame and later scored on a two-out, RBI single from John Aiello to tie the game, 3-3. All three of Buffalo’s runs on Saturday night came with two outs. It was Aiello’s first RBI of the week.

It remained a 3-3 game into the bottom of the sixth when Syracuse had a five-run flurry up its sleeve to put the win firmly in their back pocket. The Mets would send ten men to the plate in the fateful sixth inning, cracking out four hits combined with an error and two walks to score the five runs that would prove to be the difference in the game.

Some highlights from the sixth inning: Yolmer Sánchez hit a two-run, go-ahead home run that made it a 5-3 game. He has hits in nine out of his last ten games. Khalil Lee had a double in the frame, his first in what would eventually be a two-double evening. Finally, Francisco Álvarez drove in a run with a single. He has hits in three of the four games he has played in so far this week, driving in two runs in the process.

While the Mets offense provided the thunder, the Mets bullpen provided the lightning to officially put the win in the column for Syracuse. Josh Walker, Adonis Medina, Drew Smith, and Michel Otanez combined to work the final four innings of the game in one-run fashion, walking just two batters with six hits allowed and six strikeouts. Smith was impressive once again, tossing a scoreless rehab inning with one hit allowed and one strikeout. Smith pitched three times this week at NBT Bank Stadium, which proved to be three separate scoreless relief innings.

Syracuse plays its final six-game home series of the series against the Buffalo Bisons all week long at NBT Bank Stadium. The final game in the series is set for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch on Sunday afternoon.