Syracuse falters late in 11-inning loss at Rochester on Memorial Day, 10-8

Rochester, NY – Fresh off a dramatic, walk-off win on Sunday night, the Syracuse Mets felt the keen sting that the Louisville Bats experienced against them last night. The Mets started off their six-game series against the Rochester Red Wings (Triple-A Washington Nationals) with a thud, losing an early 6-0 lead in a 10-8 loss in 11 innings on a sunny Memorial Day at Innovative Field. The Mets have now lost six of their last seven games, with three of those losses coming in extra innings.

Syracuse (20-32) came out of the gate swinging, scoring five runs in the first inning. The five runs came on just two total hits as the Mets’ patient eye at the plate paid off in spades. The Mets drew four walks in the frame as Rochester’s (23-27) starting pitcher struggled mightily. José Ureña did not last the first inning, getting pulled after two-thirds of an inning while allowing all four of the walks and two additional hits. The two hits were RBI hits. DJ Stewart singled to open the scoring, followed by a three-run triple from Jaylin Davis that cleared the bases. Davis continued his hot hitting on Monday, extending his hitting streak to a season-high 13 games.

The Mets scored again in the top of the second inning, continuing to display a patient eye at the plate. Luis Guillorme drew a walk to start the inning, followed by a pair of strikeouts that put the inning in jeopardy of being a scoreless inning. Then, Syracuse mounted a rally. Stewart singled again, Davis drew a walk, and then Araúz drew yet another free pass to push across Guillorme and make it a 6-0 lead. The Mets drew an astounding seven walks as a team in the first two innings of the ballgame.

From there, the Red Wings offense began to crawl back into the ballgame. First, Rochester scored twice in the second when Matt Adams, Travis Blankenhorn, and Luis Torrens all singled to bring home a run and put runners on first and third with nobody out. A sacrifice fly from Erick Mejia after that plated a second run and made it a 6-2 game.

Rochester wouldn’t score again until the eighth, but they certainly had their chances to get closer during that time. The Red Wings left seven combined runners on base between the third and seventh innings, including two runners on base in the third and fourth innings. The dam finally broke in the bottom of the eighth when Luis Torrens slugged a two-run homer over the left-field wall to make it a 6-4 game. By the end of the contest, Torrens went 4-for-5 at the plate with three singles in addition to his big fly.

Syracuse seemingly manufactured a pivotal insurance run in the top of the ninth to make it a 7-4 game. Consecutive singles from Guillorme and Mauricio started the inning, advancing to third and second respectively on a sacrifice bunt from Michael Perez. DJ Stewart was intentionally walked to load up the bases, but it ended up being a moot point. A wild pitch allowed Guillorme to prance home from third and make it a 7-4 ballgame.

It took just three batters in the bottom of the ninth for Rochester to tie the game. Franmil Reyes walked (his fourth of the game), Matt Adams walked, and then Travis Blankenhorn tied the game up with a booming blast way beyond the right-field fence for a three-run home run. Blankenhorn burned his old friends in the process as he played with the Syracuse Mets last season.

Each team scored a run in the top and bottom of the tenth to make it an 8-8 game into the 11th inning. In the top of the tenth, the Mets had runners on first and second with nobody out to start the inning. A solid sacrifice bunt from Lorenzo Cedrola moved the runners up 90 feet, and then Danny Mendick looped a single into shallow left field to make it an 8-7 game.

Once again, that Syracuse lead did not last. In the bottom of the tenth, Darren Baker bunted for a single to start the inning and put runners on first and third with nobody out (Cody Wilson had started the inning as the free runner at second base). Jake Alu then chopped a groundball to first base that was hit softly enough to score Wilson, move Baker to second with one out, and knot the game, 8-8. The next two batters recorded outs to ensure the game would make it to the 11th inning. Cedrola made an excellent catch in center field and Araúz perfectly fielded a tough groundball at third base to keep the game going at least one more inning.

After the Mets did not score in the top of the 11th, the Red Wings wasted no time in the bottom of the 11th, ending the game. Adams led off the frame and promptly sent the crowd home happy, pounding a pitch over the wall in right-center field for a two-run, game-winning home run. Adams has hit eight home runs so far this season, five of which have come against the Mets.

Syracuse and Rochester have an off day on Tuesday before resuming their six-game series on Wednesday morning. Left-hander Joey Lucchesi is scheduled to start for the Mets, opposed by right-hander Joan Adon for the Red Wings. First pitch is slated for 11:05 a.m.