Syracuse Mets Recap: Bisons Walk Off Mets in 10 Innings After Late Syracuse Rally

Box Score

Buffalo, NY – After rallying in the ninth inning, the Syracuse Mets could not hold on, falling to the Buffalo Bisons, 8-7, in 10 innings on Saturday night at Sahlen Field. With Syracuse out of available pitchers, infielder Yonny Hernández took the mound in the final three innings and Buffalo walked off the game on an RBI single by Eloy Jiménez.

Buffalo (32-36) jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Ryan McCarty walked and eventually scored on an RBI single by Sean Keys. Later in the frame, Jonatan Clase added a sacrifice fly and Jay Harry followed with an RBI single, giving the Bisons a 3-0 advantage.

Syracuse (34-34) got on the board in the third. Ji Hwan Bae tripled to right field and scored on a Nick Morabito RBI single, trimming the deficit to 3-1.

The Mets pulled even in the fourth inning. Cristian Pache singled and Jackson Cluff followed with a base hit before Kevin Parada walked to load the bases. Matt Rudick then grounded into a force play that brought home both Pache and Cluff, aided by a throwing error from shortstop Josh Kasevich, tying the game at 3-3.

Buffalo regained the lead in the fifth. Josh Kasevich was hit by a pitch, moved to third, and scored on a Jonatan Clase RBI single, putting the Bisons ahead, 4-3.

The Mets answered in the sixth. Pache singled, stole second, moved to third on a bunt single by Cluff, and scored on a Rudick groundout, evening the score at 4-4.

The Bisons responded immediately in the bottom half. Ryan McCarty singled, Josh Kasevich singled, and Sean Keys walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored McCarty before Eloy Jiménez added an RBI groundout, extending Buffalo’s lead to 6-4.

Syracuse cut the deficit to one run in the eighth. Pache doubled and scored when Parada grounded into a double play, making it a 6-5 game.

In the ninth, the Mets rallied. Bae was hit by a pitch and Morabito walked before Ryan Clifford singled, although Bae was thrown out at home trying to score. After Andy Ibáñez popped out, Grae Kessinger delivered the biggest hit of the night, a two-run double to left field that scored Morabito and Clifford, giving Syracuse a 7-6 lead.

Buffalo answered in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Josh Rivera launched a solo home run to left field, tying the game at 7-7 and forcing extra innings.

In the top of tenth inning, Jackson Cluff was stranded at third to keep the game tied. In the bottom half, Hernández had to stay in the game to pitch with the automatic runner at second base. Josh Kasevich walked before Sean Keys grounded into a double play that moved the winning run to third. Jiménez then lined a single to center field, bringing home Je'Von Ward to hand Buffalo an 8-7 victory.

On the mound, Zach Thornton started for Syracuse and allowed three runs while recording just two outs in the first inning. Ofreidy Gómez settled the game with three innings of scoreless relief. Joey Gerber allowed one run and recorded four outs, Dylan Ross surrendered two runs in the sixth, and Matt Turner worked a scoreless seventh. Hernández pitched from the eighth inning on, allowing the game-tying home run in the ninth, and the winning run in the tenth.

Pache finished with four hits and scored three runs, while Cluff collected three hits. Rudick drove in two runs, Morabito had two hits and an RBI, and Kessinger's two-run double briefly put Syracuse ahead in the ninth.

Syracuse concludes its series with Buffalo on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Jonah Tong is slated to start for the Mets opposite right-hander CJ Van Eyk for the Bisons. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.