I-CUBS NINTH-INNING RALLY COMES UP SHORT IN LOSS TO SYRACUSE

SYRACUSE, NY – The Syracuse Mets (27-16) gave up two runs in the ninth inning, but held off the Iowa Cubs (20-25), 5-3, Sunday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium.

Iowa got on the board early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first when Alexander Canario smoked an RBI double to the left-center field wall to bring in BJ Murray Jr., who had singled to right to lead off the afternoon.

Syracuse put four up in the bottom of the second to take a three-run lead. First, Carlos Cortes drove in Yolmer Sánchez , then Rylan Bannon hit a bases-loaded bloop double that drove in all three runners after it barely eluded Owen Caissie's diving attempt in shallow right.

The home team extended its lead to 5-1 when Trayce Thompsonled off the bottom of the third with his sixth long ball of the series.

Iowa got two runs in the ninth to make the final 5-3 when a Hayden Cantrelle ground-out to second drove in Brennen Davis, then a dropped-third strike with the bases loaded brought in David Bote.

Two different I-Cubs relievers made their 2023 debuts on Sunday. First, in the fourth, Ethan Roberts saw his first action in an I-Cubs uniform since 2022 after Tommy John surgery. He threw a perfect inning, punctuated with a strikeout to retire the final batter.

Then, Zac Leigh made his Triple-A debut with two strikeouts in a scoreless seventh.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• I-Cubs pitcher Ethan Roberts appeared as an I-Cub for the first time in 700 days after Tommy John surgery and threw a perfect fourth inning.
• I-Cubs pitcher Zac Leigh made his Triple-A debut, spinning a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts.
• Bradlee Beesley recorded his first two hits of the season with a pair of singles.