Syracuse struggles in 5-1 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday night

Moosic, PA – The Syracuse Mets’ offense went silent once again in a 5-1 loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Saturday night at PNC Field. The Mets went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the loss.

Syracuse (29-39) was the first to score, jumping on the board in the top of the first inning. Travis Jankowski led off with a single, Drew Gilbert walked, and David Villar drove in Jankowski with an RBI single to make it 1-0.

Villar’s RBI was the only run Syracuse scored, meanwhile Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (34-31) tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. After Everson Pereria led off with a walk, T.J. Rumfield drove him in with an RBI double, knotting up the score 1-1.

The RailRiders didn’t stop there, tacking on two more in the fifth. After singles by Jose Rojas and Andrew Velazquez, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had two runners on and nobody out. Next, Ismael Munguia laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners over, and put him at first base on a fielding error by Nolan McLean. With the bases loaded, Jorbit Vivas worked a walk, scoring Rojas and giving the RailRiders a 2-1 lead. The bases stayed loaded for Pereria who grounded out and scored Velazquez, extending the advantage to 3-1.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh when Pereira hit a two-run homer to put the RailRiders ahead, 5-1.

Mets starter Nolan McLean pitched six innings, allowed two earned runs, and struck out three. Out of the bullpen, Grant Hartwig gave up two runs in the seventh, and Tyler Zuber pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Syracuse ends its six-game series with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday afternoon with game six. RailRiders. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.