Syracuse storms back to beat Buffalo, 7-6, in Saturday night thriller

Trenton, NJ - The Syracuse Mets used their bats to storm back from a three-run deficit and defeat the Buffalo Bisons, 7-6, on Saturday night at ARM & HAMMER Park. Quinn Brodey hit a go-ahead three-run home run for the Mets, and the bullpen pitched three perfect innings to secure the win.

Syracuse (11-18) struck first in the top of the first inning. With one out, Luis Guillorme drew a walk. After David Thompson popped out, Khalil Lee ripped a two-out double into left field. A fielding error on the left fielder, Cullen Large, during the play allowed Guillorme to score and give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

Buffalo (14-13) responded in the bottom half of the first with two home runs to take the early lead. Kevin Smith hit his sixth home run of the year over the left-field wall to score two and give the Bisons a 2-1 advantage. That ended Mets pitcher Jerad Eickhoff’s streak of 16 consecutive innings pitched without allowing a run. Riley Adams followed Smith’s homer with a home run of his own, his third home run in the last two nights, to give Buffalo a 3-1 lead.

The score remained 3-1 going into the top of the third, where the Mets executed a double steal to get Drew Ferguson to third base and Cody Bohanek to second after both drew walks to begin the frame. Later in the inning, with one out, Guillorme hit it on a ball in the air to left-center field where Bisons center fielder Forrest Wall made an impressive running catch for the second out. Ferguson tagged up and scored on the sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one, 3-2.

In the fourth, Tyler White collected his fifth RBI of the series with a single into right to score Adams and make the score 4-2 Bisons.

The Bisons increased their lead yet again in the fifth. Nash Knight had a one-out double, which was followed by a Christian Colon double to center field, scoring Knight to give the Bisons a 5-2 lead.

The top of the sixth proved to be the difference maker for Syracuse. The inning started on a leadoff single by David Thompson, a Lee walk, and a Cheslor Cuthbert single into left to load the bosses with no outs. Next, David Rodriguez grounded into a fielder's choice after a diving stop by Bisons shortstop Nash Knight where Cuthbert was out at second base, but Rodriguez was safe at first, Lee was safe at third, and Thompson scored to pull Syracuse within two, 5-3. Brodey then came to the plate and blasted a three-run home run over the left-field wall to give Syracuse a 6-5 lead. The homer was Brodey’s fourth of the season.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Bisons were able to tie the game. With two outs and a runner at third, Large had an RBI single, knotting the game up 6-6.

The Mets quickly regained the lead in the seventh. Wilfredo Tovar led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error. After Orlando Calixte struck out, back-to-back walks by Thompson and Lee loaded the bases with one out. Cuthbert then grounded into a fielder's choice to score Tovar and give Syracuse a 7-6 lead.

Syracuse held the lead with excellent performances from its bullpen. Stephen Tarpley, Sean Reid-Foley, and Yennsy Díaz each pitched perfect 1-2-3 innings to get the Mets through the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings and secure the 7-6 victory.

The Mets have now won six of their last eight games, including three of five against Buffalo. Syracuse goes for the series win Sunday afternoon with first pitch from ARM & HAMMER Park in Trenton set for 1:05 p.m.