Syracuse drops series opener at Buffalo, 10-9, in ten innings on Tuesday

Buffalo, NY – The Syracuse Mets began their two weeks away from home in frustrating fashion, surrendering a late four-run lead in a 10-9 loss to the Buffalo Bisons (Triple-A Toronto Blue Jays) in ten innings on a Tuesday night at Sahlen Field. The game featured 19 runs, 24 hits and five different lead changes.

Syracuse (15-19) got off to a good start, manufacturing a run and taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. On the first pitch of the game, Danny Mendick grounded a single into center field. Mendick promptly moved to second on a groundout from Ronny Mauricio and stayed on second when Mark Vientos was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base with one out. The next batter, DJ Stewart, hit a bouncing ball to first base that looked like it might be a double-play ball to end the inning. However, the relay throw back from second base was low and in the dirt, skittering away from first base enough to allow Mendick to sprint all the way home and score the game’s first run on the throwing error.

Buffalo (14-20) manufactured a run of its own and tied the game in the bottom of the second. Wynton Bernard reached on an infield single to start the inning and advanced to second base when the next batter, Rob Brantly, drew a walk. A flyout to right field moved Bernard to third base, and then he pranced home to tie the game on an RBI groundout from Otto Lopez to knot the game, 1-1.

After that, the game began to resemble a roller coaster. Both teams went back and forth, trading the lead multiple times via the long ball. First, in the bottom of the third, the Bisons roared in front via a two-run home run from Ernie Clement that made it a 3-1 game. That lead did not even last a half inning. The Mets grabbed it right back with three runs in the top of fourth. DJ Stewart walked leading off the inning, advanced to third on a one-out double from Jonathan Araúz, and scored on an RBI groundout from Jaylin Davis. That made it a 3-2 game, but Syracuse wasn’t done. With Araúz still on base, Tim Locastro golfed a two-out, two-run home run over the left-field fence to push the Mets back in front by a 4-3 score. Locastro also hit a homer in Sunday afternoon’s game.

In the bottom of the fourth, Buffalo went in front again via a familiar face. Clement smacked yet another two-run home run, this one a go-ahead blast to push the Bisons back in front by a 5-4 score. The Virginia alum entered Tuesday night’s game with two home runs on the entire season. Clement, a Rochester native, hit four combined homers between the Minors and Majors in 90 total games last season.

True to form in this wacky game, the Buffalo lead did not last. Syracuse raced back in front in the top of the fifth, as Mark Vientos amazed once again. After Mendick walked to start the inning, the 23-year-old pounded a pitch over the wall in left-center field with ease, his 11th home run of the season putting the Mets back in front by a 6-5 count. Vientos has homered in back-to-back games and now has 21 extra-base hits on the season.

Syracuse added insurance in the top of the eighth, once again via the long ball. DJ Stewart walked to start the inning, followed by consecutive dingers from Abraham Almonte and Araúz to stretch the lead to 9-5. Almonte was making his season debut with Syracuse on Tuesday night, the two-run home run marking his first hit as a member of the Mets. Araúz finished the night with two extra-base hits, adding a double in the fourth inning.

The Mets entered the bottom of the eighth inning up, 9-5, with one of their top relievers entering out of the bullpen looking to shut the door on the game. However, the Bisons had Grant Hartwig’s number on this night. Buffalo tagged him for four runs on four hits in the bottom of the eighth, tying up the game once again at nine. Spencer Horwitz and Davis Schneider had RBI singles in the frame, coupled with an RBI double from Wynton Bernard as part of the scoring flurry. Bernard finished the night 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles and two runs scored.

The game remained tied at nine into the bottom of the tenth inning, as Syracuse could not take advantage of chances to regain the lead in the ninth and tenth innings. The Mets left the bases loaded in the ninth and one more runner on base in the tenth. Syracuse left eight total runners on base in the game.

Buffalo wasted no time in ending the game and walking off winners in the bottom of the tenth. With Cameron Eden on second as the free runner with nobody out, Jordan Luplow laced the second pitch of the frame up the middle and into center field for a game-winning single, scoring Eden for the 10-9 Buffalo win. Luplow was one of five different Bisons to finish the game with at least two hits.

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