Syracuse collapses late as Buffalo wins, 6-5, with furious ninth-inning rally 

Buffalo, NY – The Syracuse Mets did not finish the job on a sunny Thursday night in Buffalo, allowing four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 6-5 loss to the Buffalo Bisons (Triple-A Toronto Blue Jays) at Sahlen Field. The Mets have now lost two out of the first three games in the week-long, six-game series.

Syracuse (16-20) got right to it in the top of the second inning, scoring the game’s first run in impressive fashion. Leading off the frame, Gary Sánchez pounded a pitch over the left-field wall for his first home run with the Mets and a 1-0 lead. Sánchez, a former American League All-Star with the Yankees, has gone 4-for-7 in his first two games with Syracuse and has reached base nine times, also drawing two walks in his first two games.

In the top of the third, the Mets stretched their lead, scoring four runs on four hits plus a pair of walks to push the lead to 5-0. Syracuse sent ten men to the plate in the frame, which was highlighted by a two-run double from Ronny Mauricio and a two-run single from DJ Stewart. Mauricio has had a superb week at the plate with multiple hits in each game of the series, going a combined 6-for-15 with four doubles, three runs scored, and three runs driven in.

Buffalo (15-21) crept back in the ballgame with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third inning. The Bisons sent seven men of their own to the plate in the frame. First, Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement singled to start the inning and put two runners on base with nobody out. Then, Spencer Horwitz laced a double to center field that scored Schneider and put Clement on third with still nobody out. From there, the Mets limited the damage. A groundout from Wynton Bernard plated Clement and then the next two batters were retired in order to end the inning.

After that, the Bisons were held in check until the bitter end by some superb pitching from the Syracuse Mets. Dylan Bundy completed a five-inning start, allowing just two runs on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Zach Muckenhirn followed Bundy with a truly brilliant relief outing, tossing three scoreless innings with just one hit and two total baserunners allowed. Muckenhirn has been nearly untouchable in Triple-A this season. In eight appearances, the left-hander has allowed just two earned runs in 17 and two-thirds innings for a sterling 1.04 ERA.

The game remained 5-2 into the bottom of the ninth, when things got very interesting very quickly. First, Bubby Rossman entered the game out of the bullpen and promptly loaded the bases via an L.J. Talley single followed by walks to Jamie Ritchie and Cameron Eden. T.J. McFarland then entered in an unenviable spot: bases loaded, nobody out and his team clinging to a three-run lead. After inducing a weak fly out by Davis Schneider, the game unraveled. First, Ernie Clement crushed a double to the left-field wall that plated all three baserunners and tied the game, 5-5. Then, Spencer Horwitz ended the game on a single into right field that plated Clement with ease. Horwitz finished the game 4-for-5 at plate with three doubles.

Syracuse has been doomed this week by missed opportunities. The Mets squandered four-run leads in both of their losses on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Syracuse has also left a combined 26 runners on base in the first three games of the series. The Mets did not score in the final six innings of Thursday night’s game, giving Buffalo enough time to hang in the game and eventually mount its desperate late comeback.

Syracuse is on the road all week at the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Buffalo Bisons. Game four of the six-game series is set for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch on Friday. Right-hander Denyi Reyes is scheduled to start for the Mets.